AEA is excited to begin working with Buster and Ms. Marti from Canine Companions®.
What does this all mean?! Let's begin with a bit of background on Canine Companions. Canine Companions is a non-profit group that provides training for service dogs to support individuals in pursuit of living independently. They train both service dogs and facility dogs to offer an array of options to support individuals and groups. Due to the nature of the school setting AEA will be hosting a Facility dog. These dogs are expertly trained to work with their assigned human parter in professional settings such as schools and healthcare facilities. It is important to note that “facility dogs” receive more intensive training than typical “therapy dogs." Canine Companions facility dogs are trustworthy in professional environments and can perform over 30 commands designed to motivate and help inspire students.
So who is Buster you might ask? Buster is a 4-year-old Labrador/Golden Retriever cross. He was carefully bred and expertly trained by Canine Companions specifically for this type of work, so he is not only friendly and fun, but also very sweet and gentle. Buster and Ms. Marti will be working primarily with students who are participating in counselor-led classroom sessions, but may visit other students as well. Buster will always remain with Ms. Marti on leash when seeing students. When he is not working, he will be in an office.
If your student is allergic to dogs, if you do not want your student to participate, or you have other concerns, please call the school or email Rebecca Lemons at Rebecca.Lemons@aeaohio.org. She is happy to answer any other questions you may have.
To learn more about Canine Companions click on the link to head to their website!