{the dog blog of Outside magazine} sponsored by: 
ADW client Alice Lee and her new two-year-old female Lab/golden mix, which she plans to call Mesa
It’s client placement week at Assistance Dogs of the West, which means matching dogs with their new people. Trained dogs are usually about two years old when they’re ready to be placed into service. But first they have to be matched with their new handler. I didn’t realize this, but the handler/service dog match isn’t made until quite late in the dog’s training. Clients have several weeks of meetings–sort of like a courtship for the next ten years–to sort out which dog goes best with each client and vice versa. This week, the matches had been made and clients were working on their handling skills with the ADW trainers–navigating narrow store isles, learning how to direct the dog, and convincing her not to sniff and nibble at passing distractions.
