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Dr. William Clarkson and Midas will be together for about a year.

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Getting Midas ready for a special job

by Wanda Combs
Editor

Midas is “in training.” The friendly pup wearing a red jacket has lessons to learn, and his teacher is local resident Dr. William Clarkson. Clarkson, a retired psychiatrist, has volunteered to be a puppy raiser for the golden retriever as part of the Saint Francis Service Dogs program in Roanoke.
It is an entirely new experience for Clarkson. He has owned dogs all of his life, up until a year ago when a beloved pet died. He had been thinking about getting another dog and thought this volunteer opportunity would give him a trial run at being a pet owner again. “It is quite a responsibility and not like just getting a dog,” Dr. Clarkson explained.
There is a big investment in time and energy. “I tell people that in my previous profession I had to work with people who were codependent and make them more independent.” In raising a service dog, he noted, he has to do the opposite.
Midas, true to his breed, has a very outgoing personality. A big part of his training is getting him to focus on his partner, in this case, Clarkson. There are numerous temptations for Midas to deviate from the plan – other dogs, noises, and of course, people. “Golden Retrievers,” Clarkson said, “love people. That’s a tough one.”
When Midas goes out in public, Clarkson works especially hard to keep his attention. During this interview, he reached into a pouch and pulled out a piece of chicken to give to Midas, who was expelling some puppy energy. It worked. “These are high value treats, when he’s really tempted, especially around people,” he explained. Clarkson also has to ask people they encounter to ignore the dog as part of his training.
Midas must learn basic obedience at this level of his training – staying in one spot, waiting until the trainer comes through the door, and carrying things. The last one is an easy one to teach, Clarkson said. “A lot of dogs have a natural instinct to fetch.” Mostly, Midas must learn to be “very, very obedient.” At all times, only positive reinforcement is used.
Every week, Midas and Clarkson attend dog obedience classes, and Clarkson pointed out, “It is not so much dog as owner that gets trained.” The training is rigorous. Midas will need to know 25 commands by the end of his year with Clarkson. By his final training, he will probably know 100.
Clarkson compared Midas’s current training as equivalent to “grammar school and high school.” At one year, the dog will be turned over to a professional trainer for “finishing school.”
Statistically, throughout the service dog industry, only half of the dogs in training will complete the program, said Marilyn Wilson with St. Francis. Problems are linked to behavior, training or a health problem. “Sometimes the problem can be as little as the dog being afraid of thunder.” The dogs that do not make the program have a “career change” and go on to be pets elsewhere.
St. Francis assists children and adults with one or more physical or emotional disabilities to become more independent and self-sufficient through partnering with a service dog, Wilson continued. The program has 38 puppies and dogs in training or currently matched. In addition to the in-home program, St. Francis has a prison pup program, in which inmates at the Bland Correctional Center help to raise the puppies.
After a year learning basic obedience with the puppy raisers, the dogs are then transferred to trainers for task work for an additional eight months to a year. Wilson said dogs are usually two years of age or a little older when placed.
St. Francis has an application and screening process in place for potential recipients of dogs. A staff member also does a home visit. When a dog is assigned to a partner, that partner must learn how to handle the dog and correctly enforce skills. The partner must pass certain levels of training to make sure the person and dog is a good match. In addition, Wilson stated, there is a recertification process for partners every few years, and “we do stay in touch with them.”
There is no charge for the dogs, Wilson added. There is a small application fee and then a fee to cover the cost of equipment once the dogs are placed. “We are non-profit so we have to be careful money-wise.”
Golden Retrievers and Labradors are the program’s top breeds, chosen for their excellent companionship and disposition, Clarkson explained.
Clarkson got his Golden Retriever in July. As the puppy raiser, he also got to name the dog. Midas “hasn’t turned anyone into gold,” but the dog has captured his share of little girls’ hearts, Clarkson said.
Midas weighs over 50 pounds; he’ll weigh over 80 pounds when he is full grown.
St. Francis covers the cost of visits to the veterinarian, food and equipment. Clarkson’s services are donated. Three staff trainers and other contract field trainers are paid for their services.
Midas has passed some of the hurdles of his training. Golden Retrievers are sometimes susceptible to hip dysplasia. Recently Midas had to get an x-ray for his hip, and there was a good report.
Until Midas finished his shots at four months of age, he could not be taken out of the house. Clarkson said at that time he and Midas were both “on a short lease.” Now, the two venture out in town, to the library and other stops.
Wilson said the puppy raisers are “extremely important” to the non-profit St. Francis organization. “We couldn’t do it without them. And we couldn’t do without our (other) volunteers.”
(St. Francis is hoping to break ground in the Spring for a new kennel and training center. For more information call 540-342-3647. Contributions may be sent to Saint Francis Service Dogs, P.O. Box 19538, Roanoke, VA 24019.)