by Heather Berner
Since September is National Service Dog Month, I wanted to take a moment to share my experience and express my gratitude for service dogs and how they’ve enriched my life.
I received my first service dog (SD) in 2016, a beautiful Golden Retriever who gave my life new meaning and purpose. Sadly, I lost him to cancer in 2023. After grieving his loss, I knew it was time for another SD. I was in dire need of the help my first SD had given me, especially as my health had declined even more.
After extensive research, I found an organization that went beyond my expectations—Do Unto Others Assistance Dogs (DUO). They helped me find a breeder with two dogs that had passed all the SD testing required. I was fortunate to purchase one of them and named her Halo. Halo is now my next helper, giving me the ability to accomplish things I could never do on my own: picking up dropped objects, opening doors and cabinets, helping me stand by bracing next to me, steadying me when I feel like I’m about to fall and helping me lift my legs up on my bed and the list goes on and on. Halo is a beautiful, happy, loving Golden Retriever who has already brought so much joy to my life.
Training a service dog (known as a Service Dog in Training or SDIT) is a lengthy and expensive process, taking at least two years, but it is worth every moment for someone like me, who relies on a service dog for independence.
One of the reasons I chose D.U.O. is because they integrate you into the training process. You get regular pictures, videos, and visits with your SDIT. As training progresses, you may even have your dog for weekends which enriches the bonding process. I've also sent recording of my voice and videos so Halo can remain familiar with my voice. I can’t begin to describe the excitement of getting new photos or videos of Halo; it feels like opening a birthday present every time!
Halo began with Amy as part of the puppy team and she gave Halo a great start! Halo has been training in Virginia with her trainer, Wendy. She has taught her so much in a short period of time. Wendy is a true "Dog Whisperer" and has taken Halo on all sorts of adventures, from planes and cars to lakes, pools, paddle boards, fundraisers and even weddings. It’s so thrilling to hear everything she is doing with her all the while adding training into it. Each experience makes Halo a more confident and capable SD, all while being specifically trained to meet my needs.
This December will mark one year of Halo’s training journey, and we still have another year of exciting adventures ahead. I can’t wait until she’s back in Florida, and I can see her again. The anticipation of her help and companionship makes the wait so worthwhile.
Halo is my sweet, intelligent, helping angel on Earth, and I’m so grateful for this life-enriching journey.
