The PrisonCare Podcast
The PrisonCare Podcast
Service Dogs in Prison with Becky Hein of Canine Companions for Independence
Sabrina and Kym get to start 2023 with hope and PUPPIES! Becky Hein, Puppy Program Manager for Canine Companions for Independence (canine.org) is our guest on this beautiful, inspiring episode that looks at the puppy training programs in prisons that pair incarcerated trainers with puppies that are being prepared for jobs as service dogs for people with disabilities.
Time Markers:
2:30 Meet Becky!
5:00 Community Director, Kym, trains Seeing Eye Puppies
7:10 What kind of training? What kind of Trainers?
13:50 Tell us about the prison puppy training programs
19:10 Inmate Trainers mentoring one another FTW!
23:10 Letters from program participants (grab a tissue!)
26:00 Making a Difference in the World in a POSITIVE WAY
30:35 A Day in the Life of a Lead Trainer and Pup
33:50 Recommended Resources for Dog Training
36:10 Time Tested Success in Rehabilitation
https://canine.org
https://canine.org/get-involved/prison-puppy-raising/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dwBQHkH2uc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SzMq_G0Jqk
https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/
https://susangarrettdogagility.com/
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670353/the-year-of-the-puppy-by-alexandra-horowitz/
Intro/Outro MUSIC CREDIT:
We've Come A Long Way (No Vocal Version)
Exzel Music Publishing (freemusicpublicdomain.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sabrina: Hello, friends. 2022 has ended; 2023 is about to begin, and I couldn't think of any better way to start a new year than with puppies! Cuz puppies are awesome. And puppies being trained in prisons are super awesome! So, please join me for a really fun interview. Kym, who is our community director, and I got to spend some time with Becky Hein, who is the Puppy Program Manager for Canine Companions for Independence, a non-profit that has been running for many, many years, training dogs to become service, assistance dogs for people with a wide variety of disabilities. And they have found that establishing puppy-raiser/puppy-trainer programs inside prison facilities is a good thing. It's good for the puppies. It's good for the person that they will eventually be assisting, and it is good for the incarcerated people who are raising them and training them.
So join us for a wonderful, fun, hope-filled, interview, and learn about puppies in prison.
—————————
SJ: So, hello! Sabrina is here with many friends today. We’ve got Kym, who is our Community Director at PrisonCare, Incorporated. And we have the wonderful opportunity to chat with Becky Hein, from Canine Companions for Independence. Hi, Becky!
(2:30)Becky Hein: Hello! Thanks for having me!
KS: Welcome!
SJ: It is wonderful to have you talking with us. Your program is amazing, and Kym and I know a little bit about it, but our listeners probably don't. So, do you want to tell us a little bit about who you are and who CCI is?
BH: Yes, absolutely. So, I work for Canine Companions, and we're a nonprofit that specializes in providing service dogs for people with disabilities. Both adults, children veterans…and we provide ongoing support and those dogs are provided free of charge. So, we're one of the largest assistance dog providers in the world, and we have been doing this since 1975. I have not been here since 1975, but I have worked here for twenty years, because I am very passionate about the about both dogs and helping and serving people with disabilities. So my job title is really cool. It's Puppy Program Manager. So great.
SJ: That’s a great title!
BH: People think that I just like play play with puppies all day, but that's not really true. But I do get to spend a lot of time with amazing, future service dog puppies. And that's a really cool part of my job. I also recruit and train all of our volunteers that raise the puppies from eight weeks of age to adulthood.
SJ: Okay, wow, that's a lot. That's a lot that you do. So, thank you for everything that you're doing, because I know that you're helping a lot of people. I am thrilled at the, at the idea of service dogs being trained and connected with their person that they're going to be a help to, but personally I'm even more thrilled that one of the places that you guys have training programs for the puppies is inside prisons. And so, that's the connection to The PrisonCare Podcast.
My son, J, who is incarcerated in Colorado, is actually a trainer for CCI, and it is a thrill for him. He absolutely loves what he's doing. So he's training a puppy named Lilo right now and he just adores her. He got certified a few months ago to be a lead trainer. So yeah. So, we wanted to share with listeners, people who are on the outside of prisons, but who care about what's going on inside prison neighborhoods and, often times, topics are very heavy and — not necessarily depressing, but we have to work hard to bring hope into them. But not when it comes to the CCI puppy program, because it is just all hopeful, all over the place. It is such a wonderful thing that you guys are doing. So Kym has many years of experience training puppies as well for a different nonprofit, but Kym? Do you want to share briefly about your puppy connection, and then we'll take it all in into the prison?
(5:00) Kym Smythe: Absolutely sure. So, my family and I have been puppy raisers for the Seeing Eye, which is the oldest specific guide dog school. So our puppies are bred for and generally destined to become a seeing eye dog. So guide dogs, who are going to help somebody who's blind, or legally blind, but maybe has some minimal vision. So there may be some overlap toward what someone might experience, but CCI’s mission is much broader in doing all kinds of assistance, as I understand it? So we're more focused. And so we get our puppies when they’re seven weeks old. It sounds very similar to what you described. And they live with us, and we teach them basic obedience, basic house manners, and we take them as many places and as we can, to get them as much exposure as we can to the outside world. So, like, actually this morning, I took my puppy and her best friend puppy who's about to go back for his formal training, and we took them to a local museum, because they have this really cool floor that looks like a…it looks like water, and the dogs, like, have to learn that they can step on it and know they're not going to fall in, and all that sort of thing. So yeah, so we just do lots of really basic stuff, and then they go on and get their, what we call their professional training, or skills training for, you know, at least another three, four months with somebody who knows a lot more about what they're doing than I do.
BH: Thank you for doing that. That is amazing. And I think puppy raisers are some of the most incredible people on this Earth for doing what you do so selflessly. So thank you.
KS: Well, we, we love it as J does, as his friends do. It’s, it's so fun, and just such a unique experience, and its organizations like yours that give us the opportunity to do that.
(7:10) SJ: Yeah, it's great stuff. It's great stuff. Okay, so tell us, Becky, a little bit about what the puppies have to learn when they're getting started.
BH: Well, there's a lot more involved. I mean, when you raise your own dog to be your pet dog, there's a certain number of things that you want to check off to have a happy, well-adjusted dog, and there's a lot of overlap there. But our puppy raisers really take socializing puppies to the next level because we never know, as a service dog, where they're going to need to go with their client and be confident and well-adjusted. So, you know, a lot of our clients, take the dogs to work with them, and they take them on travel trips, you know, on airplanes, and public transportation, and things like that. And so, we have to have dogs that feel really good about doing those things. So that means, we, we definitely want a lot of socialization at the level that the puppy's comfortable with, over that year and half of that the puppy raisers have them, and then they also take training to the next level.
So we, we all want to have, you know, a puppy that is really obedient and happy, and, you know, that we're happy to live with, but our puppy raisers have to make sure that the dog has really great manners not just in the house, but also out in the community if they're taking a walk or going into a grocery store, that they're able to control their impulses and not be a safety concern when working with somebody with a disability, that might be unsteady on their feet, or using a, you know, mobility equipment, like a wheelchair, or something like that. So lots of socialization, lots of obedience training and we do it all in a really fun way with the puppies with lots of food, and treat rewards, which they love!
SJ: That's awesome. So, what are you looking for in trainers? How do you train your trainers? How do you find your trainers? How do you find the right people to get these puppies off to a good start?
BH: That's a great question. We do have a pretty extensive, kind of, vetting process for people that want to volunteer and raise puppies, because sometimes you know people don't realize the amount of time that is really put into it. And we also want to make sure that they understand, you know, the emotional journey that they're going to have, being that, you have a puppy in your home for almost a year and half, and of course you're super attached to them and you know, that day is coming where you have to bring them back to the organization to finish out their training. It's, I mean, of course, you're madly in love with that puppy, but they have higher purpose and more to their journey, kind of like, letting one of your kids go off to college, I would imagine — I haven’t done that yet — but still, I want to make sure that people understand the breadth of that before they, they really sign on the dotted line for that intensive year-and-half commitment.
SJ: That’s wise.
BH: So, people go through various application stages, and get oriented to the organization, and then we do some phone interview vetting, and then we also do some home screening with volunteers that live in their area, to make sure the home is really safe for a puppy, and that any pets might be ready for a young interloper, that is going to be trying to jump on them and chew on them, and destroying their world and sharing their world. So right. So after we get through that process, if it's a good fit for both parties, and all questions seem to be answered, then people go onto a waiting list. And it can really vary, it kind of fluctuates up and down, but usually people are waiting at least a couple of months for an 8 week, old puppy to arrive and be placed with them. And then we provide a lot of different instructional materials. We have a manual, you know, of course that people have to review, and we have now, like, a pretty wide range of online support materials, and recorded webinars and videos, to just make sure that people can think of any topic that they need some more information on, and and find those resources. But, really important — and we found this out during the pandemic, especially — is going to in-person classes, you know, several times a month, meeting up with other puppy raisers, and having a class leader, that runs them through basic obedience, impulse control exercises, and where they can get a lot of their questions answered as well.
SJ: Fantastic! Kym is nodding away, ‘cuz she…
KS: I am nodding away! Yup!!
SJ: ‘cuz all the time she's going to Puppy Club all the time, and all that. All right. So how about the puppies? Where do they come from? Are there specific breeds that you work with, a specific breed you don't work with? Why? And where do these puppies come from? Don’t, don't tell me that you found them like under a leaf in the Cabbage Patch or whatever. We're all grown-ups here, so we know where puppies come from. But I mean in a more specific sense, where do these puppies come from?
BH: No birds and the bees talk! So, this was before my time. Like I said, I've been here twenty years, but I know like especially in the 90s, the organization did a lot of experimentation with, like, what kind of breeds are really, truly the best for this service dog work that we're doing, you know, thinking of, like, stature and temperament and all aspects. So, they had everything from like shepherds and standard poodles to, like, you know, just little, like, Border Terriers and Corgis. Because we do have some dogs that actually can be smaller stature and can work with people that are deaf or hard-of-hearing, to alert them to sound. So those dogs don't have to be quite as big as you know, working next to a wheelchair or something like that. So they tried all these different things and, and really they were seeing the greatest success out of the dogs that were Labradors and Golden Retrievers. And so that kind of brought about our breeding program,.
We have a national headquarters in Santa Rosa, CA, in Northern California. And that's where all of the breeding takes place. So, you know, we have, we have close to 150 different breeder dogs in our population, so that we can have a lot of diversity. And then, the really cool thing is we match up with some guide dog schools, and other service organizations, to do some crossbreeding. So that everybody can benefit and have some really healthy dogs with a really lovely temperament for the work that we're doing. And that has helped our success rate quite a bit. When I started, it was more like 30%. Now, it's closer to half of the dogs will find some kind of job within our program.
SJ: Is that right? Wow!
BH: Yeah! For some people they're like, “Oh, that sounds that sounds kind of kind of low.” But since we're so selective about the dogs that we want to place with someone with a disability and their temperament, you know, that’s, that's actually a really good rate for a very reputable, service dog organization.
(13:50) KS: Oh yeah, yeah, that's outstanding. Yeah, yeah. Can you tell us a bit more about how you how, your program works in the prison? So, do you, are there any things that you do differently than with a community program, that you do when you work in the prison? And how about, that, right? Are you proud of me? That was a very PrisonCare question.
SJ: Good job, Kym!
KS: I actually asked our Seeing Eye coordinator the other day, have you ever thought about placing seeing eye puppies in the prisons. And they said they have tried it a little bit, but one of the things they wanted was more exposure from a younger age, so it just wasn't a good fit for them right now. But I just love to hear more about, so once you've decided that someone's good to be a trainer, or a lead trainer, like how does that whole process work?
BH: Yes, great question! So, as far as I know, we've been working with prison programs at our organizations since, the earliest I could find is, 1995.
SJ: Oh, wow!
BH: So, it was in Oregon. It used to be called the Oregon Women's Correctional Facility, but now it's called Coffee Creek Correctional, and they still are raising puppies for us to this day, and they have an outstanding program. So, I don't, you know, since I wasn't around at the time, I don't know, you know, how that idea came about, and really, like, how it kind of organically happened. But I do know that there are a lot of service dog organizations out there that will utilize prison programs, and sometimes use them exclusively. But the challenge is, you know, of course, that, that socialization piece of it. Absolutely. Because even though it's a prison — and I like that you call it a prison neighborhood— and there are opportunities for the puppies, to go to, you know, meals with the residents, and, you know, which can simulate like being in a restaurant . Go to church, or go to various appointments and meetings, or even job type locations. There's still only a certain amount of experiences.
SJ: It’s really limited. Sure.
BH: We've looked at different models over the years, and what we most commonly use now is, we call them, like, starter and finisher programs. So we will have the puppies start in a very traditional kind of home environment with someone that can start socializing them out in the community, take them on, you know, car rides, have them meet kids and cats and all that kind of stuff that they won't have exposure to in the facility. And then, you know, keep them for a certain amount of time at least a few months. Then they'll go into the correctional facility and they can really focus on all the same obedience training, which they are exceptional at, and socialize them. Two different things. You know, there's a lot of different sounds and sights that they can experience in the facilities as well. And then we’ll pull them back out at the end to give them another really good chunk of socialization at the end and prepare them for their, kind of, migration to one of our training centers. So
SJ: Very cool. Very cool.
KS: That’s great!
SJ: So, I know in J's facility, the unit manager in, in his unit, his section of the prison, she is like trained, I guess, to a higher level than just a lead trainer would, and then she's facilitating the classes. And they have class two or three days a week, I guess, where they all have, like, very specific exercises and all that they put everybody through, and according to J, it is, it is pretty intense. He says he loves it, but he says class day is like, I mean, that's when you really find out how your dog is really doing. And ‘cuz it's just a lot, having all the dogs in the one space, they sometimes bring out each other's best behavior and sometimes they bring out each other's worst behavior. And yeah, and he says that, that the manager who runs the classes for them, she has a lot on her, on her plate to manage all of this within there. So is there like is there a specific training program for the staff person in a Correctional Facility who’s then going to do this? Like, have they… how does that… how do you get into this?
BH: Yeah, we have different models with that as well. And one thing that I've noticed is, you know, we have about a dozen different prison programs Nationwide. And I work, I work with the two that are within our region. Every facility is so different, and one of the biggest things is their location because some, you know, some facilities are very remote, and so we might have this big chapter full of volunteers and very experienced puppy raisers and people that are used to leading puppy classes, but they're not right there. You know, they're like, oh well it's a four hour drive.
SJ: Yeah, how about that?
BH: So you're not always able to provide that person that could can go in and teach classes that has that established experience sometimes. You have to then say, “Okay well, we're going to work with the staff, you know, at the facility, so that they can take on that role.” So when we start a new program, then we do a lot of orientation type of training and get them up to speed and if we are able to recruit a professional dog trainer in the area that can come in and do that for us, then we will also do that as well. (19:10) But I will, I have found that just the, the inmates themselves. They pass on information to each other, and mentor each other so capably, that you always end up having some — we call them Senior Handlers — that they're, they're just they're very experienced, and they can actually start to lead the classes, and then that gives them a way to, you know, act in a leadership role and feel good about mentoring people who, you know, know less than they do, and then see those people grow. So, I think that works very well.
SJ: So, you just automatically connected into the next thing that I wanted to talk about. Because what I've gotten to see is not the dog piece of it, and not the training, not the preparation to work with someone, then, as a companion dog, later. But it's the impact on the people who are incarcerated and it is profound! We have several guys that we that we work with that, we are in pen pal relationships with, and that we've interviewed on the podcast and such, that are part of the dog training program, and for every single one of them, the stuff that you're talking about — the chance to have the responsibility, the chance to prove themselves in that level of responsibility, and then the chance to mentor others, and to take some leadership, and to take some initiative — it is life-changing for them. Like, I get choked up thinking about it. It's really life-changing for them. And then you add to that the relationship that they get to have for a season. They know they’re going to have to let them go, but for that season, to have the, essentially, the intimacy. Because you’re, you're physically in contact with the dog in an environment, in a neighborhood, where people do not put their hands on each other. There is no hugging like you have in a family. There's no holding hands, there's no holding somebody's baby, you know. And to have that sweetness, and that emotional connection with the puppies is, like, super healing emotionally, especially for people with really deep trauma. That's, that's just… I am so grateful for the program, for what it ends up producing at graduation, after they make it through puppy college or whatever you call it. But also, for what it does in the process, when you have a training set up within a prison. So do you have anything you want to say about that piece of it or any stories or anything? Just, I'm giving it from a mom's perspective, but…
BH: I love that. That's just so incredible that we that, we have that, that connection to each other. And I hear that over and over again, about the fact, yeah. It's like, you know, don't hug, don't shake hands, you know, and it's like, for how long? And then, all of a sudden, you have this adorable, furry, cuddly creature that wants nothing more than just to be held and cuddled by you. And it's just, I mean, I know everybody knows you pet a dog and your blood pressure goes down. Yes, unless you have a fear of dogs… but it's just really, it's just really incredible and I actually do think our dogs help some people who have had negative experiences with dogs and all of a sudden those people are like, “Okay, like, I actually think I DO like dogs. Like, maybe I am a dog person, cuz these dogs are so incredible.” And a lot of that is, you know, the, the training that is being put into the dogs, and just how well-mannered they are. And also just their incredible temperament.
But I do have, I do have — since it sounds like I have the time — I pulled up a couple of letters, and I don't know that to be honest, I don't know that I can get through. I mean, it's just a win win, win, win, you know? As far as as far as these programs, because I feel like I, you know, those who are incarcerated are benefiting greatly, but the facility and the people that work there are benefiting greatly as well. And then we as an organization and nonprofit are benefiting hugely from these programs. So it's actually my, my favorite piece of what we do, and I'm just going to start. So we have some letters and I was just going to read.
(23:10) One of them says, “I would like first to thank Canine Companions for giving me the chance to work with your amazing dog. That is truly a blessing, and the experiences I've had have left indelible, life-changing moments for me. Having done fifteen years in prison, I'm sure you can imagine, I've had many jobs in prison. But this job, though it is really hard work, does not feel like a job, rather something I look forward to and love to do. This experience has made me more responsible, caring, and empathetic. My recent dog, whom I loved very much, has made my days go by fast, and almost a year has passed. I cannot believe she is leaving tomorrow, but it is like watching your child go to college for advanced learning, I suppose. I have no children of my own, but I'm truly happy for her. I can't wait to hear updates, for I know she will find a loving home, and anyone who welcomes her will be the richer for it. She will definitely make someone, or some people, happy one day, as she is a happy, loving, helpful, energetic, dog. Thank you, again. For this experience.”
SJ: So that's amazing. I love that.
BH: It was just so, I thought that was such an eloquent summary of the impact that had on one of these handlers so yeah
SJ: Yeah, that is beautiful. Thank you for sharing that. Wow,
BH: Cool. I don't I don't know if I have time for one more…
SJ: You do!
BH: But on the flipside, I did ask one person who had received a dog that was raised at — it’s one of our facilities that unfortunately the pandemic kind of shut down our program there — but if there was a dog that was raised there and graduated and I said, you know, “Would be willing to write a letter about the impact that this dog has had?” Now they graduated from the program, and we placed with her, and, and this woman actually works in a, in a facility where she does a lot of rehabilitation work for a wide range of people with disabilities. That's a part of our program too. So she works in, like, a hospital, healthcare setting. And so she wrote a letter to the puppy raiser.
So she said, “I wish you could see the outcome of all the time, the effort, and the love that you poured into this precious dog while he was in your care.”
Oh, here's where I'm going to go… Okay. Yeah.
“Your commitment and dedication to raising him resulted in a bright-eyed, eager-to-please, and oh, so smart furry friend. You prepared him for success in his advanced professional training, which then allowed him to be in his life of service as a facility dog upon his graduation. He began to work immediately in a rehabilitation center, alongside a physical therapist. Within minutes of his first day on the job, he was encountered by a man who had recently had a stroke, and as a result, he lost the ability to speak and move the right side of his body. The man indicated that he would like to interact with the dog. Once the pup was placed in a visit with his head in the man's lap. He attempted to pet him with his weak arm and whispered the word, “Happy,” as tears rolled down his face. (choking up) Sorry
SJ: Let’s just pull out the tissues guys. Just, oh my gosh…
(26:00) BH: I mean, it’s, it's hard, because I can go in and visit these facilities a few times a year, and I can, you know, kind of speak to these experiences. But the hard part for me is that, you know, these canine handlers put so much work in and they don't, they don't get that typical experience where like, at the end we have, like, a ceremony, you know, and you have the leash, and you hand it over to the person that's receiving their service dog, and you get to meet that person, and you really get an idea of that impact that you've had. So that's why, you know, I ask for letters like this. And we try and at least a few times a year to have some speakers come in that have received our dogs, to go into the facilities and say, you know, “Look, this is what you're doing! This is how you're making the world a better place. Like, what you do is important. So keep it up!” Right?
KS: Fabulous!
SJ: Right. Yeah, actually, just recently, Amanda McCrory came in, and we're hoping to talk to her about it. But it, it was such a big deal! Like, the guys just went on and on and on about what it was like to see, to see her there and to hear her experience and to see her dog and to hear about how they do life together and to feel like, “Yeah. Okay!” You know? “We’re making a difference in the world in a positive way. We made a difference in the world in a negative way in the past. And that's why we're here in person. But we're making a difference in the world in a positive way now." And it’s, I think it's a testimony to the way, to the opportunity for rehabilitation, and to the fact that people can choose to completely turn and go in a different direction, but they need something to help them carry that out. They need some type of programming, some kind of education, some kind of someone to come along side them and the Canine Companions program does such an amazing job of, of doing that.
I just, I’ll close us out with this quick story. So when, before, before my son J was a trainer, a handler, he was new to the pod, and he had some pretty significant emotional stuff going on. Just a really, really bad night, which everybody who's incarcerated has at some point or another. Just an unusually bad night, and a couple of new friends who were puppy trainers saw him on the phone with me, and could tell that he was really struggling. And when we hung up the phone, they came to him with the dog that they were like co-training, or whatever, you know? And they said, “Dude, you need, you need to have a little time with Grant. Grant wants to get to know you.” And so they had him come over, and they sat down on the floor, and Grant lay his lap, and and they just they talked to him about how, you know, the dog. How this is good for the dog’s training, too, and he wasn't taking advantage, or being a pain or whatever. And oh, my goodness, it was so healing for him. And he called me the next day, and he said, “I can't tell you what that dog did for me. Just spending that 20 minutes, it, like, reset everything inside, and then I was okay to get up this morning." And, and that was when he got interested in the program. And that's when he applied and everything. So it's just, it's such a beautiful thing. It's such a beautiful thing. The power of animals to help us with pieces of being human, is — it's really remarkable. So I cannot thank you enough for what you're doing, and also for taking time out from what you're doing to tell us about what you're doing, because it is such a ray of sunshine. So thank you very much!
BH: My pleasure, and thank you for sharing your story, too. That was good for me to hear. And Grant is in professional training right now. So I get to see him sometimes!
SJ: That’s awesome! That's awesome!
BH: Just the level of training that they provide to these dogs! I mean, it's it's, you know, I was trained at Canine Companions for a long time to get dog training work, and that was my first role there, but I'm like, “These guys are the best dog handlers I've ever seen.
SJ: That’s fantastic.
BH: That's a fantastic job skill that hopefully they can carry with them.
SJ: Yes, yeah. I just recently connected with someone who has just started a non-profit in California, trying to pair returning citizens, who have been dog trainers on the inside with training programs on the outside. And with, even with personal clients too. She’s brand new, she's just been at this for a few months, but we're going to try to have her on the podcast and learn more about how they're doing that. So she's trying to help people bring those skills that they've learned while they were serving their sentence and put them to use once they're back on the outside.
BH: Okay, I have to listen to that one!
SJ: Okay. Cool. I'll shoot you information about her.
KS: I’ve got a couple more questions! I don't know if we have time. Do you have?
SJ: I don't care. Becky. Do you have time?
KS: You have time?
BH: Oh absolutely. I can talk about this all day.
SJ: I have to edit out. All the snotty, crying parts anyway so that's going to make it shorter.
BH: Another reason I was asking I'm like, are people going to see me? You know?
SJ: Go for it, Kym.
(30:35) KS: I was just wondering, what’s maybe, like, a day in the life, then maybe a week in the life, cuz I'm not sure what your rhythms are like.
BH: Yeah, every facility is a little bit different. Some of them will do like kind of a training call every day where they get together and work on just kind of like a set like, “Oh, sit, and down, coming when called, and all of that.”
KS: Like, how often do they get to take the dogs outside? And things like that.
BH: Yeah, for most of our facilities there's a lot of outdoor space, so generally whenever they're going from, like, their pod to anywhere else, they’re, they're walking with the dog outside. And then we have several different play areas, like, most of our facilities have multiple play yards for the dogs where they can go exercise the dogs, one-on-one, and play fetch, and you know. Cuz, of course, they need that outlet — everybody needs that outlet. They have playgroups, cuz generally they're not, you know, there's not just one dog at a facility so they can let the dogs interact and romp, learn how to be, you know, how to socialize with other dogs appropriately.
So, you know, a couple of times during the day having some of that time, and then, you know, taking them for a walk on, like, a track area. But then, they may have other jobs that they do. So, you know, a lot of the handlers, that's not their sole job, it isn't actually as a dog handler, a lot of times. So, you know, they work in the metal shop, or the embroidery shop, or something like that. So they'll generally have the dog in their dog crate during that time. In fact, at the military Brig, they have, like, a daycare area. Either a staff person, or one of the handlers, is designated to kind of like, oversee the daycare area, and people come and kind of drop off the dogs, and then they go and do, you know, their other jobs where it’s, like, well, we can't have a dog in the metal shop. That's not really safe. But here's a place where they can be, and then it gives the dogs some nice down time too. So, so they kind of sprinkle in, you know, another job, giving the dog some downtime. And then the dog can generally come with them to any of their, you know, if they have any appointments during the day. And once they're of a certain age, they can come with them to the chow hall as well, and kind of, practice being at a restaurant.
KS: Practice their table manners! Fabulous!
SJ: I know J says that he, at 5 every morning, he takes Lilo out for the first time, and one of the things that's nice is when they're on modified lockdown, and they don't officially have yard time — the guys don't — the dogs still have to have it, and so the trainers still, at least, are getting some fresh air and being outside. So he works very nicely with modified lockdown.
BH: Hey, when the dog's gotta go, the dog’s gotta go! We did used to put the dogs in like, right at eight weeks and, and, you know, occasionally, we'll, we'll do that if we need to, and it's it's workable. But, you know, it's hard with how often the little, the little ones need to go out, and how urgently sometimes, and that's why we usually, another reason that we usually put them in when they're like four to six months old.
(33:50) KS: Yeah, and I guess just for our listeners: so, you have a wealth of training and experience, and everything. Any resources that you like to recommend that would be available for someone? You know, a little, a little bonus for them for listening…a favorite book, or a favorite video, or trainer or somebody that you kind of…
BH: Yeah yeah. I love, I love stuff by Patricia McConnell for people who are into online resources. I love Denise Fenzi’s websites. She's got a lot of awesome webinars. And then Susan Garrett is a great resource for people, also, that are getting a new puppy. She has a lot of YouTube videos that she does. And I just, I just read this book. (Oh, I'm blurred out!) The Year of the Puppy by Alexandra Horowitz. And I thought this was a great book for somebody who maybe is getting a puppy and hasn’t had one in awhile.
KS: Great! Great!
SJ: So, tell people where they can find more about Canine Companions.
BH: Yes. Absolutely. So Canine.org.That's spelled it out C-A-N-I-N-E .org And we also, if you go on YouTube and just search, Canine Companions — our full name is Canine Companions for Independence. We just…that’s a mouthful! So we just say Canine Companions. But there are so many great videos there and actually, if you go to our YouTube and you do a search for prison programs, there are a couple of really excellent videos there. So maybe I can send you a link, and I don't know if that's something you can pop in the show notes.
SJ: Yeah! I’ll put it in the show notes. That would be terrific.
BH: My favorite videos are there.
SJ: Well, thank you very, very much for giving us the time and the insight into what you guys are doing. And we just wish you the very best with all of the future endeavors with Canine Companions. It's great stuff. Thanks, Becky.
BH: Thanks, thank you for inviting me. It was a pleasure.
————————————
SJ: Doesn't that just make your heart happy? It's such a good program. It is truly helping incarcerated people who have committed to the level of training and responsibility and hard work that goes along with this, but it's truly helping them to make a difference in the world in a positive way, after having made a difference in the world in a negative way in the past.
(36:10) You know, we often talk about the fact that incarcerated people are known by their worst moment, known by the worst thing they ever did. And when we give them the opportunity and the tools and the training to do something good, and to be known as a puppy trainer for Canine Companions, that is a profound identity changer. The way that they see themselves, and the way that they are seen by others, is affected in really deep, beautiful ways, and it's something we can really learn from, you know? As Becky told us, this prison model for the training that's been around since at least 1995. So, that's enough years for them to have some serious data to look at it. Is this working well? Is this a good program? Is it something that we thought was going to be a good idea, but it's actually yielding, some unpleasant side effects? And it's just not. It's a GOOD program, and it's stood the test of time. And I really hope that we will learn from what they are doing at Canine Companions and find other ways to offer the same kind of identity-shaping and responsibility-forming and emotionally healing work for people who are incarcerated, and give them the chance to take those steps toward rehabilitation using similar models to what Canine Companions is using.
So, my heart is just so full of gratitude to Becky, and to everyone in her organization. I'm so glad she was willing to take time to share with us on the podcast. And you do want to check out the show notes. We have included information and links that she referred to during our interview.
And as we wrap up this episode, I just want to remind you that your stories matter, that what you are experiencing, either as a compassionate person who is concerned about prisons, or a formerly incarcerated person, or a person who is already working in some other area of care for prison populations, for prison neighborhoods through another non-profit organization, or some sort of prison ministry, or support group… whatever it is that draws you to The PrisonCare Podcast. I am eager to hear your stories, too and perhaps your story, or your organization’s story, is something that would make a great episode here on the podcast. So, please email Sabrina at PrisonCare.org, and share your story. It's encouraging to me to hear what's going on with other people. And honestly, it gives me some great ideas for upcoming interviews here on the podcast! So don't be shy. Cheer for yourself, cheer for your program and what it's doing, cheer for the people that you have found to link arms with! And yeah, tell us all about it.
And, as always, I encourage you to visit the prisoncare.org website to take advantage of the free, downloadable, PDF resources that are there that will help you learn how to care for a prison neighborhood. And a new thing here, at the beginning of 2023 will be a library section of Mental Wellness Resources that, again, are free. You can download PDFs, you can share them with your incarcerated pen pals. You can share them with anybody you know who could use a little encouragement to practice mental wellness skills, to take good care of the mind, and the soul, and the emotions, as well as the body. We all need that, and I think we're more aware of it now than we perhaps even were a few years ago. And certainly people who are living in a prison neighborhood, no matter which uniform they're wearing, they need encouragement and support to practice mental wellness themselves. So visit the website!
And a final reminder that, you know, PrisonCare, Incorporated is 100% funded by compassionate people. And if you want to learn about becoming involved, well, you can do that easily at the PrisonCare.Org website. We're grateful for the support that we’ve received from so many. And we look forward to the exciting things that we're going to be able to do because of that in the coming months. So, as always, I thank you for listening, and thank you, most of all, for caring.
https://canine.org/get-involved/prison-puppy-raising/
https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/
https://susangarrettdogagility.com/
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/670353/the-year-of-the-puppy-by-alexandra-horowitz/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dwBQHkH2uc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SzMq_G0Jqk
Time Markers:
2:30 Meet Becky!
5:00 Community Director, Kym, trains Seeing Eye Puppies
7:10 What kind of training? What kind of Trainers?
13:50 Tell us about the prison puppy training programs
19:10 Inmate Trainers mentoring one another FTW!
23:10 Letters from program participants (grab a tissue!)
26:00 Making a Difference in the World in a POSITIVE WAY
30:35 A Day in the Life of a Lead Trainer and Pup
33:50 Recommended Resources for Dog Training
36:10 Time Tested Success in Rehabilitation
Intro/Outro MUSIC CREDIT:
We've Come A Long Way (No Vocal Version)
Exzel Music Publishing (freemusicpublicdomain.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/