(This is a combination of my articles in both the MidRivers and West Newsmagazine just posted Nov. 11 since one puppy raiser lives in O'Fallon and the other in Manchester.)
Those who volunteer as puppy raisers generally believe in the old adage, “Happiness is a warm puppy.”
But those who volunteer for CHAMP Assistance Dogs know that what they do means so much more. They know they're training a new generation of public access service dogs, home service dogs, home companion dogs and facility dogs. They guide the puppies with love and encouragement, and train them in basic and advanced skills using proven positive-based methods.
It's a vital service for the Creve Coeur-based nonprofit that was founded in 1998.
“Puppy raising is such an important job,” explained CHAMP Executive Director Pam Budke. “It’s 24/7 and a lot of work, but it’s so rewarding. For those puppy raisers, everybody always asks me, ‘Is it hard for them to give up a dog?’ Yes, it is, and as one of the puppy raisers said, ‘I’ve never had a puppy and not cried when it was time to give it up. But once you get to meet those clients the dog lives with, it makes it all worth it.’ ”
The demand is high, Budke said, noting that CHAMP is expanding the number of dogs its training. CHAMP, by the way, stands for Canine Helpers Allow More Possibilities!
Service dogs are best known for helping people with disabilities lead lives of greater independence, but CHAMP dogs also assist in healthcare facilities and children’s advocacy centers. Most of CHAMP's placements are within 50 miles of its headquarters. And once a dog is placed that's not the end of the road.
“What we’re really proud of is we stay in touch with our clients for the life of the partnership. We visit them at least once a year,” Budke said. “We also tell them if they ever have any kind of issue or problem, they should call us immediately. We’ll go in their home and work with them until that issue is fixed. If years later, one of our client’s health is deteriorating, and they need the dog to learn new skills to help them, they can call us and we’ll go to work with them until that dog is solid to help that client. We are there for the life of the partnership.”
Life of a puppy trainer
Mark Arado, of O’Fallon, and his wife, Tammy, are raising a yellow lab named Primrose, better known as “Rosie.”
The pup, who was born in March 2021, is the Arados' third service-dog-in-training.
He said they’ve always been a dog family, so nearly a decade ago, he checked on the need for training service dogs. That's when he reached out to CHAMP.
Puppy raisers are taught to use specific words for housebreaking and ones for correction. Socialization is also important.
“The thing I’m supposed to do is take extra steps to get them comfortable with as many things as possible,” Mark said. “When I got Rosie in March, the Fourth of July wasn’t too far away. When I knew the fireworks would start going up soon, I brought her to a bowling alley where you hear the pins crashing. We would also ride out to the Marriott by the airport alone or with my friend who was ex-military. We’d take the Marriott shuttle there and sometimes there’d be flight crews on it. She got used to being on a bus, then we’d go into the USO and donate to the troops. They’d allow us to have a short visit with them, so she got to meet a lot of people in different uniforms and cultures.”
Mark said they also got Rosie ready for Halloween by going to big costume stores, where creatures would “come to life” and scare any living soul at the press of a button. The main thing is to train the dogs so they’re not afraid or timid.
Rosie and Mark also take frequent trips to crowded stores for socializing. People were allowed to pet Rosie until she was about 1 years old but at a certain point, the dogs have to be switched to non-petting when they have their work vests on.
Since Mark and Tammy live close to Fort Zumwalt West High, Mark takes Rosie there to watch volleyball, tennis, girls softball and football games. That gives her added experience with crowds of different people to help get her comfortable in any setting. He said Assistant Principal Dr. Samantha Sutton is very receptive to their visits.
“Dr. Sutton knows I have a service dog, so if anyone has questions, I can talk with her because it’s good to get the high school kids aware of CHAMP, service dogs and the wonderful services they provide,” Mark said.
He usually takes Rosie on walks of about 3 miles a day and he loves to tell people along the way about CHAMP as well as how smart service dogs are and what they can do for people. Periodically, they attend training sessions at CHAMP's headquarters, 1968 Craig Road in the Westport area, where they review what they've done and get ready for the next training step.
“Tammy is exceptionally good at the homework drills,” Arado said. “There’s one where she sets down the food bowl and the dog doesn’t eat until you use the word ‘free.’ The dog looks at you and may hear you say something similar like ‘freezer’ or ‘frisbee.’ But they don’t eat until they actually hear the word ‘free.’ You start off with a few seconds, then build on that over time. Rosie can probably go up to 45 seconds or a minute now.”
Tammy also does drills like getting Rosie to go down underneath a chair so she can get used to being underneath someone watching TV or doing an activity.
“Rosie’s really good about training and adapting to the skills,” Mark said. “At CHAMP, they’ll have her put her nose in a mini basket like a basketball hoop. Over time, they’ll give her a command with a clicker and she’ll go and stick her nose in the hoop, turn around and look at you for her reward. If the dog struggles, you redo it because you always want to end on a good note with that positive reinforcement. Then, it’s on to the next part of training. It could even be for someone who might not be able to pick up their own clothing, and the dog will pick it up and put it in a hamper.”
He said he can see Tammy and him continuing to raise CHAMP puppies long into the future.
“The program is a way to give something back, and for me, it’s doing something I enjoy,” he said. “I also know it’s helping another human being … (someone who is) ex-military or whatever it may be. The dogs just create such a comfort for people.
“Also, just appreciating animals and understanding how they can benefit everyone’s life is so incredible! I love it!
Manchester resident Sara Stanley is a relatively new puppy raiser. She has a degree in special education and is currently a para educator at Hannah Woods Elementary.
“My two passions in life are working with individuals who are disabled and animals,” Stanley said. “This has always been a bucket list thing for me … having a dog that can change somebody’s life. It’s absolutely amazing!”
A friend she grew up with and followed for years was a puppy raiser. When the time was right, she connected with CHAMP. But her husband had reservations. She his reaction was “‘This is going to be a lot of work. Are you sure you want to do it?’”
“But he’s currently deployed (in Kuwait) with the Army National Guard,” she said. “He knew he was going to be gone pretty much all this year. So, it was perfect timing and it gave me something to do while he’s been gone.”
After she completed the application process and met the qualifications standards, she was given a date for getting her first puppy.
At a CHAMP meeting, they went over a variety of puppy basics, which were drastically different from how she had raised her own dogs. She said when they first tell you the things they do, you’re not quite sure. Then it all falls into place and it’s absolutely fascinating.
About five months ago, Stanley brought home 6-week-old River, a black lab. On day one, she learned to use specific words for housebreaking and ones for correction. She also immediately started socializing him. River picked up on the training quickly and learned how to help owners with tasks and support.
“They call him methodical because he thinks through things where most dogs are more impulsive and reactive,” Stanley said. “You can see him stop and think about what he’s doing.”
Training sessions for the volunteers and puppies take place in CHAMP's headquarters at 1968 Craig Road. Stanley said they have been incredible. Her assessment includes being able to see where puppies have barriers and where the trainers can bridge those gaps.
While River is often content to stay at home, once he is out, he’s the life of the party and a social butterfly who loves men, women and children. That’s excellent because one of the most frequent places they visit is Stanley's son’s Parkway Central swim practices, where he is well known. He’s kind of become the little team mascot, Stanley said.
“Since River is so adorable, I constantly have people ask me, ‘How can you give him up?’ I tell them, ‘Just knowing that he’s going to be somebody’s everything some day is enough.’ I went into it knowing that would be the end result,” Stanley said. She'll have to give him up sometime in 2024. “He’s amazing, and I think every day about who will be lucky enough to get him and what he’ll do for his life.
“I would highly recommend anyone to do this because every puppy that’s raised is another person who gets helped out. I know there’s such a need. They just can’t raise them fast enough.”
Other opportunities to help
In addition to service dogs, CHAMP currently has nearly 100 therapy dog teams that have racked up close to 35,000 total visits to those in need.
In total, volunteers make up some 96% of the organization’s workers. They help out in a wide variety of operations and programs from just a few hours to the 24/7 lifestyle of a puppy raiser. Each volunteer must be at least 18 years of age to volunteer unsupervised.
“I think we’ve come a long way in the last 11 years,” Budke said. “I am so thankful and grateful for all the people who have helped us get there, especially our volunteers and donors. It’s just remarkable all the changes that we have made in people’s lives. It’s amazing the difference these dogs can make … like therapy dogs that go out and visit people who are isolated or ill. I’m very, very happy with how the organization is moving forward.”
Budke joined CHAMP in November 2011 after previously working for the Animal Protection Agency (APA) of Missouri and the Wildlife Rescue Center where she was executive director.
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