Animal Science 398D - P- Service Dog Training

This class is designed to provide students with an understanding of canine communication, health, handling and development and hands-on experience in training psychiatric, medical assist/alert, and mobility assistance service dogs.

Application to enroll/foster/train a service dog must be made prior to the beginning of the semester to Sarah Meikle, Director, Diggity Dogs Service Dogs (Email: applications@indogswetrust.org; Website: https://indogswetrust.org/foster/). Students and their roommates attend an orientation session and must be approved by the director prior to their enrollment in the class by the VASCI department. A two semester commitment for enrollment in the class is requested. Alternatively, students can apply to be relief fosters or do internships.

Weekly training logs and classes, monthly progress reports, weekly two-hour classroom training and monthly individual classroom assessments at the training facility in Greenfield, MA, are required. Students must provide their own transportation to the training center in Greenfield. Dogs live with the student fosters, and students provide food. Other expenses such as veterinary care are covered by Diggity Dogs Service Dogs.