Jayme Woodhouse Mckenzie, right, is pictured with her mom, Shannon. (Derek Cornet/larongeNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

obedience

Working dogs improving quality of life for tri-communities residents

Aug 19, 2022 | 5:00 PM

Service and therapy dogs are becoming more popular in the tri-communities thanks to the work of Pawsitive Attitude Dog Training owner, Jayme Woodhouse Mckenzie.

She held a Working Dog Day on Friday between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. where she invited local dog owners and the public to come together to learn about what service and therapy dogs are all about.

“It’s becoming more common to see them around,” Woodhouse McKenzie said, noting there are currently five therapy dogs and four service dogs in the area. “We are showing the community what working dogs do.”

She explained therapy dogs work in public settings such as schools and hospitals to provide care and attention to patients or students. They tend to pick up on emotions such as sadness and they will lean on a person or simply sit and be there with them to provide support.

Service dogs, however, are more specialized and will perform specific tasks such as pill retrieval, turning on lights, opening doors and picking up objects from the floor. It takes about one year to fully train a service or therapy dog.

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“It’s a lot of work, but in the end, you get a really nice, helpful dog,” Woodhouse McKenzie said.

In the coming months, she mentioned local therapy dogs will be working more as there are plans to visit the hospital, long-term care and local schools. If organizations or individuals would like to request a visit from a therapy dog, Woodhouse McKenzie encourages the public to reach out to her at Pawsitive Attitude Dog Training.

For those interested in having their dog service or therapy certified, she noted any dog could be suitable candidate, but she added the older they are, the more difficult it is to train.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @saskjourno