Lead with Independence: An Inside Look at the Making of a Service Dog

Arash was matched with Canine Companions Service Dog Tortilla

Imagine not being able to pick up a set of keys, open a door, or carry a bag of groceries without asking for help from family, friends, or paid caregivers. Imagine not being able to hear a fire alarm or a neighbor knocking on your door. Now imagine overcoming these barriers and gaining independence with the help of a highly skilled service dog, who also happens to be a loving companion. 

Canine Companions, the nation’s largest provider of service dogs, offers expertly trained service dogs to adults, children, and veterans with disabilities, free of charge. Founded and headquartered in Santa Rosa in 1975, Canine Companions now has six training centers across the country and serves over 2,600 human/canine teams all over the United States. Its service dogs assist people with a wide range of disabilities, including multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, stroke, hearing loss, developmental delay, and more. The organization is recognized worldwide for the quality and longevity of its matches between dogs and people. The result is increased independence and loving companionship for the thousands of people it serves.

Pups Come First

Canine Companions begins by breeding Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and crosses of the two breeds. Puppies are first raised by volunteer breeder/caretakers who provide permanent homes to Canine Companions breeder dogs and nurture newborn pups until they are about eight weeks old. Then the pups are placed with volunteer puppy raisers for a year and a half, where they receive lots of socialization, love, and attention, and learn basic obedience skills. 

Next Step - Professional Training

 Now dogs are ready for their next step — professional training at one of six training centers across the country. All dogs complete a four- to nine-month training program where professional instructors teach them to respond to more than 40 commands. These include retrieving items, pulling wheelchairs, interrupting nightmares and anxiety, opening and closing doors, alerting to important sounds, and much more. 

After successfully completing professional training, the dogs enter Team Training. Team Training is a two-week intensive training course during which recipients are matched with their new service dogs and learn to work together as a team. Team Training culminates in an uplifting graduation ceremony, signaling the beginning of a new life together. For some graduates, it means returning to work, cutting down on medications, or reducing their dependency on caregivers. Others gain the confidence and security to leave their homes and maximize their potential in the community. But for all Canine Companions graduates, one of the greatest rewards is the unconditional love and unique relationship they experience through partnership with their service dog. 

Canine Companions assistance dogs take their work seriously and are recognized for their high level of training. But when not on the job, they enjoy off-duty time with their humans just as a pet dog would.

Meet Arash and Tortilla

 Bay Area resident Arash Bayatmakou was always an extremely active guy – constantly riding his bike around town, hiking and backpacking in the mountains, playing soccer, and exploring the outdoors in every way.  

 Arash’s life changed suddenly in 2012 when he broke his neck after falling from a third-story balcony, resulting in a spinal cord injury. Arash went from hiking California’s beautiful John Muir Trail to waking up in Northern California’s John Muir Hospital. Arash now uses a wheelchair for mobility as he works to rehabilitate and continue the active lifestyle he loves. 

 Now a writer, speaker, and advocate for people with spinal cord injuries, Arash lives in the Bay Area with his wife, Brita, and their two young children. Arash remains active, enjoys time with family, runs a nonprofit organization, works on his rehabilitation, and even swims with his wife in the chilly San Francisco Bay. 

 In 2018, Arash was matched with Canine Companions Service Dog Tortilla free of charge. Tortilla is expertly trained in over 40 commands designed to enhance independence for an adult with a disability. Bred for his calm temperament and exceptional health, raised to be comfortable in any public environment, and professionally trained in physical commands to help enhance independence, Tortilla is the best of the best. He happily helps Arash with many everyday needs, always bringing a cold nose, a warm heart, and a wagging tail to any task.  

 Tortilla picks up dropped items for Arash, opens and closes doors and drawers and even pulls him in his manual wheelchair, an invaluable skill that helps protect Arash’s shoulders from overuse. Tortilla also offers constant companionship during what has been a lonelier year than usual due to pandemic restrictions. He adapted immediately when Arash’s children were born and is now just as sweet, caring, and cheerful with them as he is with Arash. Together, Arash and Tortilla are a truly remarkable pair.  

More About Canine Companions® 

Canine Companions does not charge for service dogs or the lifetime of ongoing support provided to the dogs and their humans. To make this possible, the organization depends on private funding through donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, and community organizations. The group’s  professional staff is supported by a national network of thousands of volunteers and donors, all committed to enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities. Canine Companions service dogs assist clients in overcoming physical, psychological, and social barriers, helping them lead fuller, more independent lives. Learn more at canine.org.