Can Do Canines

Since 1987, Can Do Canines (formerly Hearing and Service Dogs of Minnesota) has placed 362 Hearing, Mobility, Diabetes, Seizure, and Autism Assist dogs. In 2010 we placed 30 assistance dogs and anticipate placing 40 in 2011.

Programs

Can Do Canines trains and provides the following types of assistance dogs:

• Autism Assist Dogs provide safety, a calming influence and peace of mind for children with autism and their families.
• Hearing Assist Dogs alert a deaf or hard-of-hearing person by making physical contact and leading the person to the source of the sound. An oven timer, a smoke alarm, a doorbell, a telephone ring, as well as a name being called or a baby’s cry are just a few examples of sounds a Hearing Assist Dog can alert an individual to after training.
• Mobility Assist Dogs pick up and carry objects, pull wheelchairs, retrieve a cordless phone, open doors and perform other daily tasks for people with physical disabilities.
• Diabetes Assist Dogs smell the client’s breath to check and alert them to extreme blood sugar levels in Type 1 diabetics with hypoglycemia unawareness, as well as retrieve medication or food.
• Seizure Assist Dogs perform tasks for people with seizure disorders, such as carrying medication and medical alert information, retrieving a phone, lying down on the person to provide stability and pressure during a seizure, and licking the person’s face to help to bring them out of their seizure.

In identifying potential assistance dogs, we are committed to using shelter dogs whenever possible. Being trained as an assistance dog gives shelter dogs a second chance. However, as the demand for more specially trained assistance dogs increases, we are using a larger number of dogs from breeders and also from our own breeding program that we began in 2009. Whether a shelter dog or obtained from a breeder, when a dog cannot complete training our policy is to find a new loving home for the dog.

While most of our assistance dogs are raised as puppies in the homes of individual volunteers, an increasing number are being raised by prisoners through the restorative justice Prison Dog Program. Our partners for this program are the Minnesota Department of Corrections with puppy raisers at the Faribault facility, as well as the Federal Bureau of Prisons with puppy raisers at the Federal Correctional Institution in Waseca, MN.

Community Need

The benefits of an assistance dog are evident by the increased diversity of specialized tasks being performed by our assistance dogs. Five years ago, our assistance dogs were primarily hearing and service dogs (e.g., working with individuals living with a hearing and/or mobility disability). Today, our assistance dogs are helping individuals better manage their diabetes, as well as helping individuals with seizure disorders and children with autism spectrum disorder.

The value of an assistance dog and community demand can also be seen in the increased number of assistance dogs we train each year. Just ten years ago, we placed 11 assistance dogs in one year and expect to place 40 in 2011. Additionally we have a consistent wait list for the various types of assistance dogs we provide. For example, we currently have 84 families on our waiting list for an Autism Assist Dog.

A few quotes from our graduates will say more about the value of an assistance dog than we can ever say:

Autism Assist Dog Testimonial

"Before acquiring Monty, our Autism Assist Dog from Can Do Canines, Austin bolted from his classroom, ran out of the school building and onto a busy street. That’s a phone call no parent ever wants to get. Now that we have Monty, we know Austin is so much safer.” -Kim (Austin’s Mom)

Seizure Response Dog Testimonial

"Years ago, I suffered a brain stem injury on the job while performing my duties as a police officer…After more than 4 years of therapy, I was left with debilitating seizures. There are no warning signs to these grand mal episodes. My life is so much richer with Brody, my assistance dog from Can Do Canines. He wears a magnet in his collar and they trained him to activate my VNS implant. As a result my 30 to 45 minute seizures are now reduced to 3 to 5 minutes. He is also starting to alert me to the seizure prior to them happening. He brings me a portable phone, assists me in getting off the ground and many other helpful tasks. Brody’s impact on my life is invaluable." Terri K.