Duo Dogs

Assistance dog program: assistance Dogs are bred, whelped, raised and trained to assistance dog international standards at the Duo Dogs facility to become service Dogs. Once trained, the Dogs can assist with mobility and hearing related tasks such as retrieving items, opening and closing doors, and alerting to sounds. Ptsd assistance Dogs serve local veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder reorienting a client to time and place, reducing anxiety, intervening during nightmares or night terrors, and providing a social bridge for positive interactions in the community. A facility dog is trained and placed with an individual who is an employee of a facility that works with at risk populations. Typically, the dog is used as a therapeutic tool by the handler, helping to initiate a response from the residents, patients or clients of the facility. These Dogs have exceptional patience and temperament for working around all types of individuals. Courthouse facility Dogs are placed with individuals who work with children and adults who have been mentally, physically and/or sexually abused. The Dogs are used as part of the forensic interview process to help gather information from the victim. If necessary, the dog will accompany the victim to court if testimony is required. Duo Dogs monitors the relationship between the person and dog throughout the relationship. Assistance Dogs are provided at no cost to the individual or facility.

Paws for reading: the paws for reading program places Duo touch therapy teams in a classroom or library setting in the st. louis metropolitan area. The Dogs act as an incentive for the children to increase their reading and improve their reading skills. Dogs are viewed as a non-judgmental entity to promote reading, writing, and increased interaction and social skills in the child. As a result, children experience higher reading levels, higher levels of word recognition, and increased reading comprehension. This past fiscal year, volunteer paws for reading teams spent more than 495 hours reaching over 9,290 children in local elementary classrooms and local public libraries. All services are provided at no cost to the individuals or facilities.

Touch therapy: program trains and certifies volunteers and their own Dogs to visit facilities throughout the st. louis region where the patients, residents, families and care providers can benefit from a visit with a well-trained canine. The touch program is not breed specific. The Dogs are accepted based on their temperment and their willingness to be touched and interact with people. Over 285 certified volunteer teams, that include a handler and their personal dog, visited approximately 247,000 people in over 120 different facilities. All services are provided at no cost to the individuals or facilities.