Russell4life

Child Dies: The family will probably keep the dog as a family pet.

Dog Dies Prematurely: This will rarely happen PREMATURELY. The dogs go through very, very extensive training. This includes constant vet checks to make sure they are healthy. If they have any health problems, they are deemed "fantastic flunkies". This minimizes the probability of a dog dying while on the job.

Dog Dies of Old Age: Once the dog is unable to service the child, he is retired. We are one of the few organizations that allows the dog to continue living with his family. At this point, the family will probably get a new dog for their child.

Child's Response: Unfortunately death is a part of life. In my experience, parents use this tragic event to teach their child about the circle of life. Devastation over the death of a pet is universal.

Yay for your friend! That's what I do, too! It's called fostering. Yes, we always have flunkies available for adoption and usually the employees come home with 1... or 2... or 3.

Don't judge me.

Labrador or Golden Retriever. Hands down.

They are our base. They are loyal, calm, dependable, strong, cuddly, and adorable. We mix them with Poodles, German Shepards, and Newfoundlands to get the perfect dog for a situation.

Look: A lot of children use their service dog as a social bridge. Because goldens are so dang friendly, other children are comfortable approaching them. Voila! New friends!

Energy: The most common breed of dog we place is a Golden Lab mix or "Glab". This is perfect because it reduces their energy levels. When placing a dog with a 7 year old child with severe anxiety, you don't want a dog that needs to run 20 miles a day. Glabs are wonderful (I have one myself) because they are perfectly happy with 2 walks a day.

Papillons are used for diabetic children because they are commonly able to detect low blood sugar.

Collies are a work in progress. We have had a few litters and only 1 dog (Olaf) has been successful. They are too docile and too high energy for service work.

That's a very good point. It kind of like dating a new girl but having your ex still live with you.

Getting In:

She should find a specific niche in the industry. For example, we hire accountants, media people, vets, trainers, and babysitters!

I recommend she get a degree, training, or certification in what she wants to do, then apply for a job with service dogs.

Another option is to begin volunteering and slowly work your way up!

Money:

I make minimum wage but I'm a college kid and to be honest, I'd probably pay THEM for the chance to work here. Higher-ups make quite a bit more because the company does really well. It is a non-profit but they still get salaries.