What’s the story with Sarah-Hope and Barley, her service dog?
Sarah-Hope has a condition where she was born without any arm bones, knee caps or cruciate ligaments. She does have little hands, walks on her knees, and has naturally adapted to be incredibly functional despite her physical disabilities. However, as she gets older, movement is increasingly taxing on the body. Barley performing tasks for her gives her some independence as she matures.
Honey's Garden for Medical Alert Dogs is training a beautiful golden labrador, called Barley, as a multipurpose service dog for Sarah-Hope. The tasks that Barley helps Sarah-Hope with are:
· To retrieve and carry objects for her
· Pick something up off the floor for her (as in the picture above)
· Open doors
· Brace (stand still and strong), so she can lean against him when trying to stand
· Comfort
Will he bite me? Does he bark?
Barley will not bite. He is a very gentle dog. He may bark if he is scared or uncertain, as this is his instinct. However, he is always corrected when he barks as protection is not part of the work he is trained to do for Sarah-Hope. We help Barley be introduced to new people by giving him high value treats which create a positive association and make sure that we approach them rather than them approaching Barley as that can be seen as intimidating.
How is his training going? What are we busy working on at the moment?
It’s going well. Since Barley moved in to stay with us in July 2022, he has really settled down beautifully.
When he graduates, Barley should be able to perform his tasks reliably for Sarah-Hope at home and in public. Dogs don’t generalise automatically, so as there are various life changes, we’ll likely have to train him for new contexts.
As a family, we’ve been working on developing the habits and routines that will set Barley up to succeed. Barley should be with Sarah-Hope as much as possible in terms of their bond. He is also doing tasks that we would usually do for her… so we have to stop that in order for Barley to do them!
Can I touch him?
No. When Barley’s working jacket is on, he is only allowed to be touched by Sarah-Hope and the other family member helping her.
Can I feed him?
No. Only Sarah-Hope or the family member helping her can feed Barley. If food is on the floor or ground, he is required to leave it.
Is Barley working when he is just lying down?
Yes. Between performing tasks for Sarah-Hope, Barley will be required to stay in his place until he is released. It is hard work for a dog to stay “ready and on duty”, especially with interesting activity taking place around them.
How is a service dog different from a pet?
A service dog is a working animal. For any working animal, such as a search & rescue / police / conservation dog, you can expect that 80% of the time they are in training in order for them to perform the other 20% of the time. There are much higher expectations of obedience and a Silver Canine Good Citizen award for obedience has to be obtained in order to become a service dog. The bond with the person they work for is essential so they are the only person that feeds them, and they also connect and play.
Barley is given ‘free time’ to just enjoy being a dog, but the same level of obedience is expected.
What if the dog needs to go to the toilet?
Barley will go to the toilet before going into public with Sarah-Hope. He may also be taken for a toilet break if out for a long period of time. Barley does not go to the toilet with his working jacket on. The family member helping Sarah-Hope with Barley will take him to the toilet. Libby is the main handler of the dog at school.
You can find out more about service dogs and the amazing pioneering work that Honey’s Garden for Medical Alert Dogs does on https://medicalalertdogs.co.za/
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