Pups with a Purpose
The life of service dogs in training and their student handlers
Madalyn Willis
Print illustrations by Katie Preston, photography by Sarah Frosch
While dogs may be man’s best friend, they can also take on other roles like sniffing out danger, herding animals, or searching for people. In addition, some dogs can be trained to act as service animals.
According to ShareAmerica, the U.S. Department of State’s platform for sharing American stories, there are approximately 500,000 service dogs in the United States. Some of the dogs’ tasks can include guiding people with visual impairments, signaling certain sounds for those who are deaf, retrieving items for people with mobility issues and alerting about possible cardiac episodes or seizures.
Training dogs to perform such tasks takes a generous amount of time and effort, but some students at Miami University have made the commitment through an organization called Paws for a Cause Miami. Members of Paws for a Cause Miami help raise and train service dogs while on campus. Through this experience, these dogs are given the opportunity to learn how to support someone.
There are many service dogs in training (SDIT) on Miami’s campus who will hopefully go on to improve someone’s quality of life. Before the dogs go to their forever homes, the SDITs also provide many of their student handlers with someone to play with after a long day of classes and exams. Student handlers, like senior zoology, neuroscience and Spanish triple major Cassidy Waldrep, are often recognized around campus because of their SDIT.
In addition to co-fostering a 6-month-old English cream golden retriever named Palmer, Waldrep is also the secretary for Miami’s chapter of Paws for a Cause. The organization’s goals include educating Miami students about SDITs and training these dogs to the best of their abilities.
“Even though it might look from the outside that we’re just a club that lets you take a dog to class, that’s not even close to the goals of our organization,” Waldrep said. “Yes, our members do love dogs, but they also are passionate about helping others and raising awareness for the service dog community.”
Paws for a Cause Miami is always actively fundraising. The money is used to pay for monthly socialization activities for their dogs, which include trips around Oxford and larger outings, such as visiting the Cincinnati Zoo and Newport Aquarium. Fundraising money is also spent on additions to the service dog park behind Cook Field and general philanthropy surrounding SDITs. Waldrep estimated that the organization has about 300 people and 14 dogs on campus.
Jessica Schmitz, a sophomore primary education major, fosters a one-year-old goldendoodle named Apoc. Schmitz was introduced to Apoc during her first year through Paws for a Cause Miami, where she would often help take care of him throughout the day. Miami has a rule that service dogs in training are not allowed to enter the dorms, so she could not take Apoc full-time until winter break came along and she returned home. Once she did, their relationship flourished, and Schmitz has been training Apoc ever since.
Schmitz said that a college campus is a great environment to work with an SDIT.
“There isn’t anything specific about being on a college campus that causes [an SDIT] to fail, and I'd even say that being on a college campus gives them a better chance, as they are constantly being socialized and going to classes, dining halls, etc.,” Schmitz said.
Schmitz’s professors have also been more than welcoming about having an SDIT in class. Paws for a Cause Miami members always email their professors before the semester starts to ask permission to bring a dog to class.
“We will honor their wishes if they don’t want the dog to come to their class,” Schmitz said. “But in my experience, professors have always been super excited about the possibility of an SDIT coming to their class.”
Because being an SDIT handler is a lot of responsibility, it takes students some time to become full-on trainers for Paws for a Cause Miami.
First, students must apply through a parent organization; the most commonly used one is 4 Paws for Ability. Questions on the application normally ask about previous experiences with animals, why the applicant is interested, and how much time they have to commit to a dog.
Next, students must complete a Miami Canvas course wherein they learn about training and how to socialize the dogs. Students then have to attend either a Zoom class or in-person training that further emphasizes what handlers need to know.
When things get difficult, handlers try to remember what motivated them to start working with an SDIT. Schmitz is inspired to keep working with SDITs because she loves seeing them succeed and get placed with a forever owner.
“These dogs will go on to change the lives of the families they are placed with and will allow their child to have a new sense of independence,” Schmitz said.
Kennedy Miller, a senior organizational leadership major, helped train a Newfoundland golden retriever mix named Kustard from 10 weeks to 16 months old. Miller said there are negatives and positives of having an SDIT on campus.
“It takes so much time,” Miller said. “Everywhere you go, your dog goes too. Sometimes you have to miss things that are a part of the ‘college experience.’”
These students are constantly responsible for the care of their dogs. Leaving them for hours isn’t a choice, and not everywhere accommodates them.
Some typical college scenes, such as bars and parties, aren’t appropriate for these dogs because it’s loud and students try to pet them. If handlers can’t find someone to help watch their SDIT, they may have to miss out.
For this reason, Miller says it's essential for fellow SDIT handlers to lean on each other for support and guidance throughout the process.
“It is comparable to being a single parent trying to juggle having a child and doing well in college,” Miller said. “It can suck, but it’s worth it in the end. Another challenge would be that you put your entire heart into this pup and have to give him up in the end.”
Both strangers and friends often commend Miller for all the time and effort she puts into Paws for a Cause Miami because she brings awareness to the need for service dogs.
“The biggest benefit is the final product, which is the moment the child first lays eyes on their forever dog, and the little wins each family has because that dog is successfully doing his job,” Miller said.
Another Paws for a Cause Miami member, junior criminal justice major Bry Schleifer, said every day with an SDIT is different. Schleifer is currently training a one-year-old purebred labrador named Zach. Schleifer originally became involved with training service dogs during her junior year of high school.
“Being involved has been life-changing,” Schleifer said. “It has brought me close with so many people of all ages and [has given] me a community and purpose in high school. When I saw that I could continue in college, I knew I had to because it was my life in high school and I was not ready to part with it.”
Zach enjoys sleep and usually lets Schleifer sleep until 9:30 a.m. Depending on the day, he will go outside before or after breakfast, which is served when he wakes up. Zach doesn’t have a designated lunchtime and is fed training treats throughout the day.
Schleifer doesn’t bring him to class if there is a lab activity or on exam days because Zach tends to get fussy. When Zach does become fidgety, she will give him a bone or get up and exit class to give him a chance to move. Luckily, Schleifer’s professors love her SDIT; one even gives him a treat every day before class.
John Jeep, a professor of German and linguistics at Miami, enjoyed having an SDIT in his classroom.
“In a German class, the student had a dog in training,” Jeep said. “It was a welcome diversion for the students, but there was a restriction on petting as part of the training regime.”
No matter where SDIT handlers go, whether in class or to a restaurant, they often deal with people wanting to pet their dog unexpectedly.
Students should always ask handlers before petting, offering treats, or approaching an SDIT.
“Zach is still very excitable, so having people randomly come up and pet him while he is working is extremely distracting to him,” Schleifer said. “We also face many challenges because not many students know what our organization is and don’t always respect our boundaries with our dogs.”
Schleifer also stressed the importance of remembering that SDITs are far from perfect because they are still animals.
“You won’t meet a puppy raiser who hasn’t cried because of their dog, who hasn’t joked about returning them,” Schleifer said. “Raising a dog is exhausting, but it is worth every second of it when you see someone get their eyes back.”
