Categories: PETS

Elizabethtown College students train service dogs

DOGS HAS GROWN NOW ON CAMPUS. SAMANTHA MATT MOORE AND KATIE WICKENHEISER HAVE A HARD TIME CROSSING THE ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE CAMPUS WITH THEIR SERVICE DOGS, FARMER AND NAOMI. WITHOUT BEING STOPPED. I GET STOPPED ALL THE TIME. CAN I PET NAOMI? PEOPLE LOVE THE DOGS. WE FIRST MET SAMANTHA IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023, WHEN SHE BECAME THE FIRST PUPPY RAISER TO TRAIN A SERVICE DOG AT THE COLLEGE, PARTNERING WITH SUSQUEHANNA SERVICE DOGS. WE SAY THEY’RE THE DOG WHISPERERS. THE STUDENTS AND THEIR PUPS GO THROUGH TRAINING, STAY. GOOD BOY. SO RIGHT NOW, ONE THAT SHE’S BEEN WORKING ON AND SHE LOVES DEEP PRESSURE THERAPY. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHE HAS WORKED ON AND WE TRAIN ALL THE TIME ON THIS. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE USED FOR SOMEBODY WHO MAYBE HAS PTSD OR MAYBE A CHILD WITH AUTISM. ANOTHER STUDENT, LEANDRA MCMAHON, AND HER DOG CONNEAUT LAKE, ARE ALSO PART OF THE PROGRAM. WE’VE GOOD JOB. THE STUDENTS SAY TRAINING DOGS WHO WILL EVENTUALLY HELP SOMEONE WITH A PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL NEED IS INCREDIBLY REWARDING. THIS EXPERIENCE WAS AS CHEESY AS IT SOUNDS, LIFE CHANGING. WHAT A GIFT INDEPENDENCE CAN TRULY BE FOR SOMEONE. THE STUDENT PUPPY RAISERS WILL TRAIN THE DOGS FOR 18 MONTHS. THEN THEY’LL GO BACK TO SUSQUEHANNA SERVICE DOGS, WHERE THEY’LL GET ADVANCED TRAINING AND ULTIMATELY BE PARTNERED WITH SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY. THAT WILL BE MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT OF MY WHOLE ENTIRE LIFE. EVERYONE ALWAYS SAYS, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GIVE AWAY THIS SWEET THING? AND I LOOK AT THEM AND I SAID, THERE’S SOMEBODY OUT THERE WHO YOU KNOW, CAN’T GO TO THE STORE BY THEMSELVES. SAMANTHA FINISHED HER TRAINING WITH FARMER, BUT HE STILL COMES TO VISIT. I HAVE MISSED HIM A LOT. I GOT A LITTLE TEARY WHEN I PICKED HIM UP FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE STUDENTS ARE LEADERS IN CREATING A LASTING LEGACY ON CAMPUS. THIS PROGRAM HOPEFULLY WILL CONTINUE TO STAND FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO

Puppy raisers train service dogs at Elizabethtown College

Samantha Machmer became Elizabethtown College's first puppy raiser in 2023. She trained a Black Labrador puppy named Farmer to become a service dog. It's part of a program at Susquehanna Service Dogs to get college students involved as volunteers.Machmer spent 18 months training Farmer to sit, perform other tasks and learn manners. He's since gone back to Susquehanna Service Dogs for advanced training before helping a member of the community with a physical, mental or emotional disability.Farmer still visits Machmer on campus.”This experience was, as cheesy as it sounds, life-changing. I learned a lot about myself. I've learned a lot about patience, what a gift independence can be for someone,” Machmer said. Machmer has inspired other students to become puppy raisers.Kaity Wickenheiser trains Naiomi and Leandra; McMahon works with Cannoli. The student trainers take courses at Susquehanna Service Dogs.Wickeneiser said when her training is done, it will be “my greatest accomplishment.””Everyone says how can you give away that sweet thing at the end, but knowing there is somebody out there who can't go to the store themselves,” Wickeneiser said. Both students hope to leave a lasting legacy, and the service dog program nicknamed Dogs at the Dell will grow and be around for years to come.

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. —

Machmer spent 18 months training Farmer to sit, perform other tasks and learn manners. He's since gone back to Susquehanna Service Dogs for advanced training before helping a member of the community with a physical, mental or emotional disability.

Farmer still visits Machmer on campus.

“This experience was, as cheesy as it sounds, life-changing. I learned a lot about myself. I've learned a lot about patience, what a gift independence can be for someone,” Machmer said.

Machmer has inspired other students to become puppy raisers.

Kaity Wickenheiser trains Naiomi and Leandra; McMahon works with Cannoli. The student trainers take courses at Susquehanna Service Dogs.

Wickeneiser said when her training is done, it will be “my greatest accomplishment.”

“Everyone says how can you give away that sweet thing at the end, but knowing there is somebody out there who can't go to the store themselves,” Wickeneiser said.

Both students hope to leave a lasting legacy, and the service dog program nicknamed Dogs at the Dell will grow and be around for years to come.

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Doggone Well Staff