Day One, the First Day of Class

Today was Day One of Team Training: the First Day of Class.

Instruction during Hearing Dog Team Training occurs in the Great Room of Gittinger Hall, the dorm where students stay during training. This affords instructors, dogs, and students the opportunity to work and train together in a number of different settings that may resemble students' home and community environments to varying degrees. The Gittinger Hall Great Room has a lounging area with a sofa, comfy chairs, TV, bookshelves, and even a fireplace. It was against this backdrop that our two trusty instructors were standing at precisely 9 am, in front of a table adorned with folders, papers, audio equipment, and a computer. Immediately behind them was a screen that had been lowered from the ceiling.

Students were seated at two slighly-angled, adjoining tables across from the instructors. Another table was set up behind the students, this one for their partners, friends, and training assistants. Ten solid minutes were devoted to ensuring that students' personal assistive listening devices were working in harmony with the wireless FM (frequency moderation) system that's looped around the Great Room. Instructors spoke into microphones clipped to their shirts to test out students' understanding. Once everyone indicated satisfaction with the communication system in place, the instructors introduced themselves, and student introductions were repeated as well. We were shy just one student, who happened at that very moment to be driving across the country with her spouse after their flight was cancelled.

Our morning began with the first of many informational lectures that the instructors will present over the next two weeks. This lecture was an Orientation to Team Training that introduced students to the basic outlines of the Team Training process. The lecture touched on instructors' expectations for students, what students can expect of the instructors, the outline of the course, and the ways in which the instructors' interaction with students will evolve over the two weeks, moving stylistically from directive instruction to coaching as students gain knowledge and make increasingly independent decisions regarding themselves and their dogs. Emphasis was placed on instructors' desire to see students return home with their new dogs as "good, successful teams."

As puppy raisers and graduates know, much consideration has been given to structure and to structured communication, both within the Team Training environment and with people outside (such as the puppy raisers who are anxiously awaiting news about their dogs). For anyone who has ever wished for greater transparency, rest assured that this system is implemented with the success of the new assistance dog teams in mind. The instructors explained the importance of the pre-matching process; that is, the dogs with whom students are initially placed are the dogs who the instructors believe will continue on to work with those students. At the same time, these are deemed "pre-matches" for a reason; arrangements may be changed at any time for a number of factors, again with the success and safety of the team in mind. Reflecting back on my own experiences, I am confident that instructors have students' and dogs' best interests in mind, and that great consideration is given to every decision made.

Something of note to me during the lecture was the emphasis on considerate communication. The instructors paused to ask if students needed repetition, handed out copies of the PowerPoint for students to read, and requested that students share responsibility for ensuring that they understand all the material shared. It was at this time that I realized again how wonderful and fortunate I felt: the specialness of that feeling of having no limits, that anything great can and will happen, that good and sweet things are in store, and that possibilities are unlimited. That good butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling.

An introduction to the soundwork sequence and a few practice sessions with "Fluffy," the campus resident stuffed animal dog, introduced students to the basics of Hearing Dog soundwork. The instructors had students practice issuing the commands and executing the sequence associated with soundwork. The successful completion of this soundwork sequence will help the dogs in training transfer their skills onto new their partners and will assist these fledgling Hearing Dog teams in mastering new sounds as they travel home.

We then ate a delicious lunch prepared and served by volunteers, who joined us at the table for a communal meal. More introductions were made, great food was enjoyed, and the meal was a welcome respite from an intensive morning of listening and learning. Thank you, volunteers!!!

The afternoon contained an additional lecture during which students learned about principles of leadership, the reactionary and emotional nature of dogs, how to get and keep dogs' attention, and - very importantly - how to motivate dogs in order to encourage the repetition of desirable behaviors! Then came the much-anticipated first of several rotations with different dogs - how all of our eyes followed their every movement! - and I worked with some absolutely wonderful dogs. I'm keenly aware that, as the instructors remind Team Training students, what we see of the dogs during the first few days of training is merely the tip of the iceberg, only a partial and very incomplete picture of who they fully are. I can honestly look back on my Team Training from 2007 and say that what I saw in Maya then was the tippiest tip tip of the iceberg. I'm  incredibly excited to get to learn about and become familiar with New Dog's character over time.

Back in class, we began soundwork, working with different dogs on the first of a few sounds we'll practice over the next two weeks, the door chime. These rotations gave students the opportunity to develop muscle memory and improve their skills while instructors observed students' handling skills and styles in interacting with the dogs. An additional rotation later in the afternoon allowed us to work on basic obedience commands with the dogs on leash next to us. Fluffy (see above) and the famous Carpet Dog also made an appearance. Carpet Dog is a repurposed industrial-sized spool with handles which is managed by one of the instructors, acting as a dog. Students interact with Carpet Dog in order to hone their timing and corrections. 

Class ended with a check-in, overview of the day, and quizzes on the lectures given that day! Yes, we do have homework!

At 4:00 pm, staff members arrived from around campus in order to introduce themselves and meet the new students. I was counting my lucky stars to have gotten to know some of the wonderful people on this campus. Canine Companions has a truly fine team at Northwest and National headquarters.

As I write this, we're about to begin our second day of class, so I'll wrap this up and check in later. Suffice to say this place, and these people, and these dogs are the stuff of dreams.

Thank you, Canine Companions!