New club trains service dogs on Duke’s campus

<p>Graduate student Austin Allen (right) has been training his service dog Martin for 13 months and inspired junior Erin Weingarten to begin raising service dogs on Duke’s campus.</p>

Graduate student Austin Allen (right) has been training his service dog Martin for 13 months and inspired junior Erin Weingarten to begin raising service dogs on Duke’s campus.

Students could be adding puppy-raising to their list of extracurricular activities this year. 

During the Spring semester, junior Erin Weingarten founded a Duke chapter of Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit organization that trains and provides service dogs to people with disabilities. Since March, she has been raising a service dog named Carson. Although she is currently the only Duke student raising a dog through CCI, Weingarten explained that she hopes to expand the organization and expects there to be two or three more service dogs raised through the Duke CCI starting in the Fall semester.

“It is so amazing what these highly skilled dogs can do and how great of an impact they can have on people’s lives,” Weingarten wrote in an email.

Through CCI, volunteers commit to training the dogs—which are provided by the organization’s breeders—for 18 months in socialization and obedience. Weingarten explained that she has introduced about 15 commands to Carson so far and plans to teach him a total of 30. These range from “sit” and “down” to “under,” which instructs dogs to lie under a table or object until commanded to move.

Weingarten noted that she also must teach Carson to not be distracted by other dogs, people or noise. To do this, she frequently exposes him to highly distracting environments such as parks and stores, where they practice training.

“Most importantly, everything has to be fun,” she wrote. “I always want Carson to be having the time of his life as he works so he will love his job of helping his future person.”

Weingarten explained that she first got the idea for starting a chapter of CCI when she met Austin Allen—a graduate student of the Nicholas School of the Environment—who was raising a service dog at the Duke Marine Lab.

After his brother experienced a traumatic brain injury five years ago and then received a service dog that greatly helped him, Allen said he decided to raise one of his own.

“I wanted to pay it forward to a child or adult with a disability because I saw how much a service dog did for my brother,” he said.

Allen explained that he has been training his dog named Martin for 13 months. He added the first few months were tricky with a heavy focus on potty-training and basic obedience behaviors, but as Martin got older, Allen was able to take him out more to busy locations like restaurants.

Martin accompanied Allen when he walked across the stage during this year’s graduation weekend to receive his master’s degree in environmental management, Allen said. Martin even received a makeshift hood during the hooding ceremony.

Allen also praised the work that Weingarten is doing for CCI on Duke’s campus.

“She moved mountains to get it approved at the main campus, and that was really awesome to see,” he said.

Weingarten noted that convincing Housing, Dining and Residence Life to allow her to raise a service dog was no easy task. After four long months of meetings, phone calls and emails, she explained that they finally agreed to allow her to raise her dog in her Central Campus apartment.

Dean for Residential Life Joe Gonzalez explained that this year served as a “pilot program” to see if HRDL would want to allow all students the opportunity to raise service dogs on campus. 

“Anytime you introduce animals, it’s important to pause and make sure this is a good idea for everyone involved,” Gonzalez said.

Because of this, students are currently only allowed to raise service dogs in their Central Campus apartments because they have their own entrances. However, Weingarten is working towards getting the pups in training permission to live on West Campus as well.

“If every organization decided to ban service dogs in training from residing in their areas, there would be no raisers to train these dogs that go on to benefit so many,” she wrote.

Weingarten wrote that she has faced additional challenges, including learning how to manage her time and class schedule around taking care of Carson. She noted that she often had to compromise sleep in the beginning.

“I can’t just disappear for many hours because I have a living creature that is dependent on me,” Weingarten wrote.

She noted that figuring out how to pay for Carson’s care also posed problems for her. After several weeks of searching for donations, Weingarten arranged for veterinarian Jody Katz from Lake Pine Animal Hospital in Apex to sponsor Carson’s veterinary care. Henry Schien, a veterinary supplies distributor, also donated a care package filled with items such as flea medications and dog toothpaste.

Weingarten explained that although she will be sad when she has to give up Carson after his training is complete, she is excited for him to be able to help others.

“Everyone always asks me how I could possibly give him up,” she wrote. “I always tell them that he is far too smart to be wasted on me.”

Knowing that Carson will go on to change the life of someone in need is the most rewarding part, Weingarten added.

“It will make me the proudest mommy ever when I see him making a real difference and helping someone live independently,” she wrote.

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