Service dog training making difference

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This article was published 25/09/2022 (578 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Kaylie Nyman has found some measure of stability and peace since being in the right place at the right time brought Viper into her life.

Nyman has faced a series of physical and mental traumas since she was a child, but with the help of her 11-year-old husky-border collie mix, she is undergoing owner-led therapy dog training to help her manage her anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance-use recovery.

Viper has not just been a great companion to Nyman, but a loving and protective member of her family.

Life was far from easy for Nyman before Viper. She suffered severe injury and trauma as a child, being punched in the side of the head, damaging her hearing. She’s also genetically predisposed to hearing loss. At 12 years old, she was shot while living in Neepawa. She also started using methamphetamine but has been clean for about a year.

Lockdowns and other personal tragedies piled up, making day-to-day living harder for her.

“I used to go walking every day before COVID hit, then we were locked down,” she said. “Then my grandmother died, and I fell into depression. I shut down; I wasn’t even talking to my mom.”

She first met Viper in April, when she was at the Brandon Friendship Centre and a man came in, dropped off Viper and called City Bylaw Animal Control, explaining he had to give Viper away because he was moving and wasn’t coming back to Brandon for a while.

“I said ‘I’ll take him’ and my apartment building is across the street and allows pets,” she said. “I got his vaccines up to date and licensed [him] through the city.”

Not long after getting Viper, Nyman said she noticed he was protective of her. It wasn’t in an aggressive way, but he would whine to get her attention when she was feeling sad or anxious, or when her husband would playfully tease Viper, he would whine to make him stop.

He’d also push her to be more active, often nudging her and whimpering when she wouldn’t get out of bed.

“I have my good days and bad days with my depression, but he pushes me to go out,” she said. “He tells me it’s time to go out by nudging my hand.”

There was one incident in which he saved her from a panic attack in public. She was out for a walk and heard a car engine backfire, which triggered her anxiety because it sounded like a gunshot.

“He sensed it and began pulling me inside [the apartment building] like he was saying ‘come on, mom, we have to get away from this,’” Nyman said. “During the night, he didn’t want to go out to go to the bathroom, he stayed with me because he knew I was not in a good place.”

The pair have been undergoing owner-led service dog training at Grasslands Canine Development with the help of trainer Aubrey Burgoyne.

On Thursday, the pair were working on basics, like avoiding distractions like food and communicating through eye contact and hand signals. Burgoyne led the two through gentle exercises with her service dog, Franklin, as an assistant and another variable to teach Viper to remain focused. The two walked together past a small pile of food in the middle of the floor of the open area at the centre. Every time Viper went past without noticing the food, or Franklin, Nyman rewarded him with a small treat.

Positive reinforcement is key to training, Burgoyne said, as it shows the dog it benefits them as well as the person to listen to commands and stay focused.

There were some issues with Viper staying focused, but Burgoyne said that is likely due to it being late in the day and he is likely tired and restless. She suggested to Nyman they train earlier in the day so it’s easier for both to work and bond together.

Overall, she said Viper and Nyman are doing great in their training. Burgoyne said she reached out to help her train because she has been watching them and Viper is not easily distracted and very attentive to Nyman.

Once they have the basics mastered, she said they can move on to more advanced techniques, such as deep pressure therapy, where the dog encourages the person to sit if they are showing signs of an anxiety attack and the dog lays in their body. The weight and warmth of the dog calms the person, she said. It also helps bring the person back to the present and out of their stressed state.

Owner-led service dog training is much different than professional training, explained Burgoyne, as it puts the commitment of training on the person who will be needing the dog. As well, like Viper, they are often dogs from various backgrounds and ages, as opposed to professional dogs that come from breeding programs geared toward service training.

However, it’s also more affordable than getting a therapy dog from organizations like Wounded Warriors. According to the group’s website, it costs between $15,000 to $18,000 to train one dog.

“Those professional dogs are great, but they are expensive and are often chosen before they are born,” she said. “For this, it’s more affordable, but the dog has to have the right kind of personality and the person and dog have to have a strong bond.”

She can attest to how well owner-trained service dogs work, as Franklin is her service dog helping manage her Tourette’s. Since she got him, it has been easier to manage her condition.

In later comments, Burgoyne explained there is a difference between therapy dogs and service dogs. A therapy dog is trained to go into hospitals, care homes, schools and other settings to provide emotional support for all people. Whereas a service dog is trained to work with one person and their specific needs. Other members of the public do not have access to service dogs.

Franklin is also a service dog, Burgoyne explained, as he is trained to work only with her.

No matter their training, service dogs are working animals and need to keep their attention focused on their human, Burgoyne said, so it’s best not to distract them. This is a safety hazard for both dog and human, she said, as the dog has to be ready to react if the human shows signs of an episode. It can also tire the dog faster, making it harder for them to work consistently.

She loaned Nyman a service dog vest for Viper to wear, but people still want to pet Viper.

“People think you need to have a physical disability to need a service animal, but these dogs are also service animals,” Burgoyne said.

Having Viper is giving Nyman more confidence in her life, and she is already making long-term plans, including reuniting with a daughter from a previous relationship.

» kmckinley@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @karenleighmcki1