Shadow started his training with a local trainer for a couple months. She then sent us out on our own to train him on the Public Access Test. After a few months we found a school that was FREE and they trained the disabled to train their own Service Dogs. Shadow was in the program for a year and he had problems retrieving, picking up and holding on objects. I told them from the beginning that he has a weird shaped jaw and they only called them excuses. Finally I asked his Vet what could be the problem and she said he has a badly deformed jaw and will have difficulity picking up and holding objects. I told them and they said excuses... Then I called his first trainer and she wanted a 2nd opinion. The 2nd opinion was the best, time consuming exam and it definately showed that Shadow's teeth don't line up and that he can only chew on the 2 back molars. He'll never be able to retrieve for me, but his other tasks he has mastered. The ADA doesn't require the Take command... only that a Service Dog should do at least three tasks for my individual disability needs.

1) Helping with getting up and down from any type of furniture
2) Assisting with stairs, curbs and elevators
3) Support for walking

He also can turn on touch lamps, but I'm afraid he'll break the one I have so I don't ask him to do it anymore.

So, Shadow got the doggie boot from the formal school in August because he couldn't do the Take command and for my online diary on dogster. I then found Pets and People; Companions in Therapy and Service to have him certified. Since he completed his Public Access test and passed it with the formal school last April they just had my original trainer redo the test and notarize it stating that he's a Service Dog. So, they now have his paperwork and he should be certified by them in a couple more weeks..





Ellen and Shadow Walker