“Training four legged warriors to guide and protect those in need.”
If you’ve seen a working dog in a vest in Petawawa recently, it’s likely one of the calm, well mannered pups who has graduated from the local organization Watch My 6 Service Dogs.
Who Are They
A not-for-profit organization founded in 2014, the goal of Watch My 6 is to foster relationships between dog and handler, as well as increase awareness about service dogs among the community.
There are three types of service dogs:
- Psychiatric Service Dogs can help with severe depression, anxiety, phobias, and panic attacks. This includes but is not limited to those affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- A mobility assistance dog is a service dog trained to assist a physically disabled person who has mobility issues, such as wheelchair dependency or poor balance.
- An autism service dog is a service dog trained to assist an autistic person to help them gain independence and the ability to perform activities of daily living similar to anyone else.
*This page can give more details about the different jobs Service Dogs do *
How It Works
It all starts with a doctor’s note stating someone needs a service dog for their medical condition, and filling out a form on their website. Next they assess the dog and their level of obedience and bond with their human. If everything works out, then the real work begins. They work with both human and canine one hour a week for six weeks, and there is a big emphasis on continuing to practice at home. They facilitate the training but the humans and their pups need to put in the work to ensure a great connection and important mutual respect.
The Work They Do
It’s pretty incredible to see what these pups can do with hard work and consistent positive training. Check out their Facebook for more information and you will find a video of Bella the black lab learning to stop her boy who is on the autism spectrum from doing – it’s amazing something dangerous. Just one example of how important the work of service dogs are, seeing how quickly she will be able to stop her person from walking into a dangerous situation. You can also find them on Instagram!
In The Community
You may have recently seen some Watch My 6 Service Dogs and their handlers at the Petawawa Heritage Village Petawawa Ramble kickoff, or at the PMFRC Special Needs Family Forum. If you haven’t, you should definitely check them out this Sunday October 27 at the Petawawa Legion 10am-4pm for Music Healing Veterans & Watch My 6 Service Dogs Fundraiser.
Ways you can contribute
The amount of volunteer time the trainers put into these services and community outreach is inspiring, but there are so many costs to running this important organization in our community, from training aids to vests and badges. Fundraising and sponsors are so important to the overhead costs. There are calendars of the super pups available for purchase, and donations and fundraisers like the one at our local Legion this Sunday could make such a difference. Come on out and support our community! They’re also looking for volunteers. Contact them to find out more!
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