Editor鈥檚 note: This is part of an occasional series following Handi-Dogs鈥 first pairing through its Rescue to Service program, which matches dogs who need homes with people who have disabilities.
Doug Mueller鈥檚 new roommate is a little challenging.
He鈥檚 messy and leaves his stuff everywhere. Then there鈥檚 his total lack of boundaries.
His first day at Mueller鈥檚 house, he just barged in and made himself at home.
鈥淗e came right on in, he tried getting on the couch,鈥 Mueller recalled. 鈥淲e had a chat about that.鈥
Mueller鈥檚 roomie is Chazz, a big 鈥 80 pounds, to be exact 鈥 sweet-faced, brown dog with a black-tipped tail. He鈥檚 Mueller鈥檚 new buddy and may one day also be his service dog.
Mueller, 74, and Chazz, 2, are part of a pilot program by Handi-Dogs that trains abandoned dogs to become service animals. Called , it aims to save canine lives that may very well one day return the favor 鈥 or at the very least, make life a lot easier for their human companions.
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The program, which began in January, partners Handi-Dogs with Pima Animal Care Center, the Humane Society of Southern 蜜柚直播 and 蜜柚直播 Greyhound Rescue. Mueller and Chazz are the program鈥檚 first match.
Mueller, who has epilepsy and suffers from neuropathy, was ready to get a Doberman pinscher puppy to train as a service dog. When things fell through, he started noodling around the internet and landed on Handi-Dogs鈥 website.
鈥淵ou can save a dog, which I think is cool 鈥 I didn鈥檛 realize I was going to be the first person through the program,鈥 said Mueller, a married father of four and grandpa to six, with a good-natured chuckle.
A retired computer engineer, Mueller relocated to 蜜柚直播 five years ago for his health. He needs a 鈥渂race鈥 dog, one he can train to stay still when he needs support to steady himself or get up from a fall. He鈥檇 also like his four-legged companion to know how to push the red button on his med-alert device if he needs help.
Everyone thinks Chazz can be that dog. Time 鈥 and lots of training 鈥 will tell.
The inaugural Rescue to Service class started with six potential trainees. Two washed out early on, one suffered from severe separation anxiety and the other was too high energy for someone with a disability to handle. That left Kush, Buster, Trick and Chazz, who landed at the Humane Society of Southern 蜜柚直播 after his family moved to an apartment and couldn鈥檛 take him.
Chazz looked like a strong candidate because of his confidence and willingness to learn, said Glenda Laird, Handi-Dogs training manager.
鈥淗e鈥檚 very people oriented,鈥 said Laird, and then laughed because who should charge in during that very point of the interview but Chazz, reporting for training class. He immediately launched himself onto the 鈥 no surprise here 鈥 sofa.
鈥淗is manners are still to be worked on,鈥 she said, as she fixed the paperwork he sent flying over the cushions.
To further evaluate Chazz鈥檚 potential as a service animal, he moved in with a foster 鈥渕om,鈥 Nancy McDonald, a former certified public accountant-turned canine massage therapist whose job was to teach Chazz obedience basics. A dog lover, McDonald has long had pooches as pets, but this was her first time fostering. When she first met him, McDonald, who鈥檚 petite, wasn鈥檛 sure she could handle Chazz.
鈥淚 never had a dog that big,鈥 McDonald said. 鈥淗e came up to me, and he was wagging his tail. He leaned on me 鈥 my heart just opened up. I thought, 鈥極K, I can do this.鈥欌
Chazz adores people but does tend to be more reserved with men, so McDonald was heartened when he naturally gravitated toward Mueller during their first meeting. Even the electric cart Mueller relies on outside his home didn鈥檛 faze him. In fact, Chazz has been known to shimmy up onto the cart to get into better ear-scratching position.
Since Mueller, who adopted Chazz from the Humane Society, took custody in early August, the duo have been taking trips around the neighborhood, practicing loose-leash walking. With the help of Handi-Dogs trainer Rama Heisey, they鈥檙e fine-tuning basic commands like 鈥渟it鈥 and 鈥渢ouch.鈥 Chazz, who enjoys riding a shuttle with Mueller to get around, is also learning to contain himself when faced with the incredibly exciting prospect of meeting new people.
Mueller and Chazz鈥檚 first step toward becoming a service team is passing the American Kennel Club鈥檚 Canine Good Citizen test, a certification program that evaluates dogs in simulated everyday situations. After that, they鈥檒l begin task-based service training. It can take about a year to a year and a half to train a service dog, which charges program participants roughly $1,200-$1,600, about a third of what it costs Handi-Dogs, according to JoAnn Turnbull, Handi-Dogs鈥 president and CEO. The organization relies on community donations to supplement the cost, she said.
In the meantime, Mueller and Chazz are still getting to know each other and their quirks. For instance, Chazz is an early riser, as in 5:30 a.m. early. It鈥檚 been an adjustment for Mueller, but a nice one.
鈥淎ctually, I鈥檓 enjoying it,鈥 Mueller said. 鈥淚 love it 鈥 it鈥檚 so nice out.鈥
And even though the couch is off-limits to Chazz, Mueller relented on another piece of furniture, 鈥淚 let him on the bed.鈥
