WAGS puppies are carefully chosen from select breeders based on health and temperament. WAGS finds Golden Retrievers uniquely qualified for service dog work due to their intelligence, temperament and orientation toward humans. WAGS dogs are raised and trained in the homes of volunteer trainers under the guidance and supervision of the WAGS Program Director.
WAGS trains dogs for three service roles; Service Dogs for Individuals, School Service Dogs and Clinical Therapy Dogs.
Service Dogs for Individuals
A WAGS service dog provides practical assistance with activities of daily living, such as retrieving dropped and out of reach items, opening and closing doors, operating light switches and buttons, tugging on/off clothing and providing unconditional love and companionship.
Our client services include training at the WAGS facility and specialized training in a client’s home and other environments. WAGS teaches the entire range of handling skills necessary to ensure the success of each team.
School service dogs bring advanced obedience and social skills to provide clinical support to school students in a variety of ways. Paired with a school clinician such as a nurse, reading/language specialist or social worker, school service dogs help with reading, offer emotional comfort to kids in distress, provide grief support, and participate in group therapy sessions, immunization clinics, critical response and more.
WAGS dogs have positively impacted the lives of thousands of school students since the inception of the School Service Dog Program. WAGS is committed to placing more dogs in schools in our area and through a formal partnership with the Madison Metropolitan School District.
Clinical Therapy Dogs are paired with clinician handlers and other individuals to provide support to patients and clients in a variety of therapeutic settings, including but not limited to hospitals and clinics, psychotherapy sessions, nursing homes and senior centers.
