How Service Dogs Are Trained

I became interested in service dogs eight years ago when I wanted to do something to make a difference in someone's life. When I saw a segment on Animal Planet about becoming a puppy raise for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), I knew that was what I wanted to do. I filled out an application, went through a screening process, and three months later I had my first puppy, the most beautiful Golden Retriever I had ever seen. I am currently training Puppy #6, a black lab/golden cross.
CCI has a very scientific breeding program at the Training Center in Santa Rosa, California. …