Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa
Thursday, December 23, 1993

Otto, a Golden Retriever that has graduated from training at Cainine Companions for Independence, brings Jill Jackson items she needs. A strong leash allows Otto to pull Jill's wheel chair around the house. Otto knows 50 commands that Jill can use so Otto can help her get through her day.

There is a new resident in the home of Todd and Jill JACKSON of Mount Ayr and he has proven to be quite a help around the house.

His name is Otto. He can pick items that need to be retrieved, turn a light switch on and off, help Jill get around the house or perform other tasks from the 50 commands he already knows. He is proving to be a good friend too.

Otto, a two-year-old Golden Retriever, is a service dog from Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit organization that breeds and trains dogs to assist people with disabilities.

Jill JACKSON, a quadriplegic who was injuried in a horseback riding accident when she was 15, has been matched with Otto after a 2 1/2 year wait.

He is a lot of help, and a lot of companionship, JACKSON says of Otto, who wears a special blue and gold vest which tells others that Otto is a "service dog."

Jill traveled to Ohio the second week in November to begin the course that eventually matched her up with Otto. There were classes every day about dogs, their care and grooming and training dogs.

The first week began with in-depth study and an intervie and the chance to work with different dogs. By Wednesday Jill and Otto were matched up for a trial placement. Otto enjoyed doing skills that Jill needed the most and the program looks for a dog and master with matched personalities. On Thursday of the first week, Jill took Otto to the hotel and they have been together ever since.

"One of the first things they told us was that there were no 'Lassies,' that our dogs would not always be perfect and not always want to work," Jill said.

Just as the program people said would happen, Otto didn't mind very well the first day, was even worse the second day, then by the third afternoon started following Jill's commands.

"Bonding is important," Jill said. "In the early going Otto had to learn to look to me for everything. When we came home Todd was not to give eye contact or commands while the bonding program continued."

Todd talks and plays with Otto, but Otto knows Jill is the boss.

The second week was spent in further training and field trips to see how Otto would perform with Jill in various settings. They went to malls, the zoo, a restaurant, a pet store and a movie theater.

On Saturday, Nov. 20, Otto and Jill graduated from team training at a special CCI ceremony in Westerville, OH, which was attended by the people from Michigan who had raised Otto. They provided pictures of him in his puppy days for Jill.

The team training class was a good experience, Jill said. "I think Otto will change my life in ways I don't realize yet."

Dogs in the program are bred in the program at CCI's headquarters in Santa Rosa, CA. The Golden Retriever or Labrador Retriever puppies are then placed with foster families throughout the country where they are taught some of the simplier commands. After 15 to 17 months, the volunteer puppy raiser returns the future Canine Companion to one of the CCI regional training centers for six months of advanced training and finally team training and graduation.

The recipient is taught the commands the dogs have learned and then are put together to do the things the owner needs done most in their own living situation.

Otto, for example, has been trained to push elevator buttons, but there isn't much call for that in Mount Ayr. Otto can turn the light on and off as well, but Jill doesn't really want paw prints on the wall on both sides of the light switches, so this command isn't used as much.

At the store Otto can take a credit card to the person waiting on Jill or take her wallet and retrieve it after the item has been paid for. There are so many other things Otto can do.

At home, Otto is learning that when Jill asks for an item to be retrieved or brought to her, that she wants Otto to put it in her lap. Otto pulls Jill's wheel chair around the house as well.

"Before when I would drop something I would have to wait until Todd came home or somebody else stopped by to help," Jill said. "Now Otto can get it for me. He also provided companionship during the day."

Otto has times that he works and times he gets to play, and he has been trained to know the difference.

On the command of "release," Otto knows that "leave it" means that the doesn't come sniff a stranger like the Record-News reporter.

During his training, tennis balls were bounced around him and he had to learn not to be bothered by them while he was working. Food was left around and he had to learn to focus on his work and not be disturbed by the food, Jill said.

Jill is a graduate of Graceland College in Lamoni, a member of the Ringgold Saddle club, and enjoys reading, drawing, painting and crafting as well as working with her new companion.

The cost to raise and train a Canine Companion from birth to graduation is over $10,000, according to CCI. Its participants pay a $25 application and $100 for dog supplies, including the gold and blue vest that all Canine Companions wear.

Along with service dogs like Otto, the privately funded non-profit organization also provides social dogs for people with developmental disabilities, hearing dogs for those who are hearing impaired, and specialty dogs for individuals with multiple disabilites. Not only do Canine Companions help their master overcome physical barriers, they also provide unconditional friendship and love, according to the CCI organization.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012