Service Learning

(1) LIA

Literal:

• I continue to raise a service dog, Kater, from the time she was eight weeks until she is about a year and a half.  I have had her since November 29^th. I do not have a service log since I raise her 24/7 which equals about 1,068 hours.  From Kater, I have gained patience. She is developing so fast and with repetitions over and over again she has began to follow commands quicker. I take her on walks, I train her, bathe her, take her to the grocery store, socialize her, take her to get her shots, and I am awaiting the second set of obedience classes to begin in Palm Springs once again. All this is done at my expense. With the end of the year approaching this full-time commitment has become overwhelming. But, everything makes sense when I look at the bigger picture and helping someone in need.

• Trina Began- 760)329-1282

Interpretive:

From this experience I have become a better trainer. Through training, I gained patience and that is an achievement in itself. What is unique; is now I can continue to apply this skill to Kater during training. I have learned how to communicate on a common ground with this dog. Depending on the task I want her to perform; I will alter my tone of voice to get the reaction I want from her. For example, I will change from a playful owner to an owner who only means business. I would not have wanted to gain this knowledge without patience. Otherwise, I would continue to become quickly frustrated and want to quit. I am proud of the patience I have gained from this component.

Applied

My essential question is, “What is the best way to ensure a guide dog in training is chosen as an official service dog?” The three answers I have come up with are temperament, training, and health. From the research I completed I gained an overflow of knowledge. I could talk to a stranger nonstop about what a guide dog is, why training, health, and temperament are important, the layout process of their life, what they learn during extensive training, their unique lifestyle,  characteristics trainers look for, how to train the dog while it is a guide dog in training, and any other questions they might have. HOWEVER, I am a hands-on person and from this experience I have gotten the opportunity to answer my essential question first hand and experience the process. During obedience classes, we talked about the temperament of a dog and how to handle certain situations, we have little demonstrations why health was important and how to care for our dogs, and I gained firsthand interaction with guide dog trainers. From Kater, I was given the opportunity to interview trainers and without Kater they might have disregarded me. I took what they had to say more into consideration than I did researching other articles. I answered my essential question based on research, interviews, and independent tasks. But, service learning gave me that extra confidence needed to convince myself these were my final answers after what I had observed from Kater. Kater has learned from me, but I have gained twice as much knowledge from her.

2 Hour Presentation Rough Draft

1.       My sponge activity is to talk about the different places a guide dog can go and then have a quick quiz.

2.       Introduce myself and my senior topic. Present my essential question, explain how it addresses official guide dogs and the process that goes behind it to have a guide dog in training achieve its ultimate goal, an official service dog. I will then show a plan of how my presentation will be going for the remainder of the time.

3.        I will discuss what it means to be a guide dog. Then elaborate more on the significance of having an official service dog and the impact it has on the recipient of the dog and how it can change their lives. Then maybe have a recipient of a dog talk about their own personal experience

4.       Temperament, Health, and Training.

5.       Temperament- On paper, I will create an activity that will have the students match dogs breeds with different types of jobs on one side and on the other side have the owners. This activity will demonstrate every dog has different characteristics that might work better for one job more than the others. Health-I will explain three samples of dog food and the ingredients you want in each, then create a jeopardy game based on food and exercise, which equal health. This activity will be educational and demonstrate health is a big part of the dog. Training-I post groups of four, and on two walls I will have four sheets of poster paper posted. Then, I will read off different scenarios of dogs/ Kater misbehaving and what to do when these situations come along and how to come up with a solution and fix it. Finally, each group will nominate one member to share out. This activity will give the students challenges to think beyond their imagination. My challenge will be to use a stopwatch, make sure everybody is on time, and make sure they follow instructions well.

6.       I plan to conclude my two hour presentation by re-stating my essential question and my three answers. I will go over why it is important to ensure and official service dog. Then, I will talk about my best answer which is temperament, my product which is how I realized not to take anything for granted because taking a guide dog everywhere is another responsibility I wouldn’t want to handle.  Discuss my three meaningful sources: service learning, third interview, and The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior.

7.       I plan to decorate the room by filling the room with pictures of guide dogs throughout their stages of life, different types service dogs, and inspirational quotes that were said by people who own an official service dog.

8.       Supplies: laptop, projector, poster paper, pictures, interviewee, activity papers, markers, dog food, jeopardy game, stopwatch, and inspirational quotes.