Introducing Elmer

Armed with the skills to protect wounded warriors, Puppy Jake service dogs learn to “block,” “watch,” and perform other maneuvers that help protect veterans against post-traumatic stress triggers. Their training takes them into diverse environments to prepare for their jobs, anticipating and reacting to challenges on behalf of their human charges.

Osceola residents will have a chance to get involved with one English lab’s journey through the program thanks to local foster mom Shanna Davenport.

Elmer is only 12-weeks-old, but he’s already well on his way to becoming an American hero. His classes started Tuesday, April 4.

“We’ve learned our name, and we’re doing crate training,” said Davenport. “They have to learn to go to the bathroom on command. We give them one minute to ‘get busy,’ they call it.”

Through the next 18 to 24 months, Elmer will go on trips to from coast to coast to acclimate himself to various terrain and social situations. He'll be required to "get busy" without pause, whether on the beach or in a parking lot. The program utilizes clicker training and positive reinforcement to guide the dogs into learning what they have to do.

“It’s been so different from what I have done before,” said Davenport. “We have to kind of let them figure it out. I can’t tell him. We have to let him work through it.”

“We don’t teach dogs, we do what’s called shaping,” said Nancy Saltzstein, who manages the office for the Puppy Jake Foundation in Urbandale, as well as fostering. “Basically, letting the dog figure something out on its own.”

To aid in this special training, all of the dogs are fed by hand until they are 10- or 11- months-old. Kibble is rewarded whenever the puppy completes a task as expected.

“You force them to think about what’s getting the reward,” said Saltzstein. “That’s so, if they sense their veteran is getting nervous, they can find a way to make things better. It teaches them to think. That’s why it takes two years to train a dog.”

Sessions start out short, sweet and in multitude. As dogs get older and become more intuitive, training changes to more intense, in-depth sessions fewer times each day.

“My dog in training right now is 17 months,” said Saltzstein. “We might train once a day by going to a mall for an hour."

The process is the foster parent's biggest challenge.

"You have to have the patience to let the dog learn at its own speed,” she said.

Elmer has at least one four-legged friend to help show him the ropes. If there’s any dog capable of demonstrating how to be a good canine citizen, it’s Elmer’s new big sister. Davenport’s six-year-old wirehaired pointing griffon, Gemma, is a trained therapy dog, but she isn’t quite sure about being a big sister just yet. Having a new baby in the house has been a big adjustment.

“She is getting right with it,” said Davenport. “At first, she would not even look at me.”

Davenport’s job at pet-friendly Boyt Harness Company allows Elmer to accompany her to work, just as Gemma did as a puppy. He's spent the first few weeks getting more than his fair share of snuggling — as well as going around town to meet new friends.

“I’ve stopped at a couple of businesses and talked to them personally about service dogs,” said Davenport. “That’s another reason [I got involved.] I wanted more exposure down here.”

The Puppy Jake Foundation has booths at popular pet stops throughout the Metro area. They have a booth at the Iowa State Fair and the Pet EXPO each year. Word is slowly getting out, and training is going well. In just four years, the group has trained and delivered 13 dogs and continued training veterans to make sure the pairs bond.

“Our mission statement is 'providing well-trained and well-socialized dogs to veterans for PTSD and mobility issues,'” said Saltzstein. “We’re on track to place 11 a year, which doesn’t even scratch the surface.”

Because of the need for ongoing training, Puppy Jake focuses on helping wounded warriors in the Midwest. Veterans interested in the program apply for a service dog and go through orientation.

“That’s one of the things that’s different about us,” said Saltzstein. “It’s all done by a matching process. They don’t know what dog they’re going to get. As fosters, we don’t know which veteran our dog is going to get. We do everything in our power not to create disappointment.”

As with any service dog training program, much depends on the individual traits of each animal and what they can do for a veteran. Some are better at creating barriers to give a veteran the space they need to feel comfortable, while others excel at anticipating physical needs, such as helping someone who has fallen.

“Every dog will let you know,” Saltzstein said.

Also unique is the fact that none of the cost is passed on to the veteran. Each dog placed is worth around $20,000. Corporate sponsorships help tremendously, but every donation benefits the foundation.

Becky Beach started the Puppy Jake Foundation in early 2013 to help veterans suffering from the after-effects of service. After a long and successful career working with politicians, she returned to Iowa for retirement. Her combined passions lead her to create the program in an attempt to curb the difficulties some veterans face once they return home.

Davenport wants to spread the word about the organization and all the different ways volunteers can get involved — from fostering or puppy sitting so a foster parent can get a night off to fundraising and helping out at events.

Get involved or donate to the cause at http://www.puppyjakefoundation.org, and be sure to follow Elmer’s progress in upcoming issues of the Osceola Sentinel-Tribune.