Check out the Educated Canines Assisting with Disabilities (ECAD) Puppy Cam and get ready for a cuteness overload! ECAD welcomed a new litter of puppies, and it’s hard to imagine anything more adorable than those puppy faces!
Before long, the sweet puppies will embark on a significant journey, training to become Service Dogs that will eventually enable individuals living with disabilities to live a more independent life.
Proud mom Gertie is a descendent of ECAD’s foundation line, a fifth-generation offspring of SKY, a female Golden Retriever. She’s busy taking care of her babies, but it won’t be long before they begin training.
But before these bundles of joy begin their extensive training to learn how to perform tasks like pulling wheelchairs, opening doors, picking up objects, or turning light switches on or off, they need names. That’s where you come in.
Here’s how it works: You make a tax-deductible donation to bid on a chance to name one of the puppies. The lucky winners will submit a name based on the year's theme. If the theme was “potatoes”, you might suggest “Idaho” or “Mash” or “Tater.” Hey, we don’t want to give away all of our ideas, but you get the gist!
Join our mailing list to be notified when the next Puppy Naming Auction goes live!
Let the Training Begin!
The ECAD journey starts with its unique breeding program. At just eight weeks, the puppies develop several skills, including traveling in vehicles, learning house manners, and becoming accustomed to home environment activities. They also begin to learn basic commands—sit, come, stay, etc. By the time they reach their first birthday, they will know as many as 60 commands!
You can even tune in on Tuesdays, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, to view the future Service Dogs live training sessions that teach foundation skills that will one day become skills to help people living with disabilities. In addition to observing the training, you can chat online to ask the ECAD team questions or make comments.
Eventually, when the dogs reach 18 to 24 months, they’re matched with people based on their skills and temperaments. The Service Dog and owner then receive specialized training to fit each individual’s specific needs.
The Impact of Service Dogs
It’s impossible to understate a Service Dog’s impact on the approximately 40 million Americans who live with disabilities. Service Dogs help with everything from daily tasks to performing life-saving functions. Participating in the ECAD Puppy Naming Auction is only one of the ways you can make a difference in the lives of people living with disabilities. Start bidding today!
Learn first-hand about the invaluable work of Service Dogs and how they transform the lives of people with disabilities. Your support makes it possible for ECAD to offer various programs. For example, Project HealⓇ delivers hope for veterans suffering from combat-related physical and psychiatric disabilities. In addition, Canine Magic enhances physical safety for children with Autism, and Open Doors provides Service Dogs and Skilled Companion Dogs for those in need.
Training service dogs is incredibly demanding in time and cost for any organization. The cost of care and training of Service Dogs is high. Thanks to our generous supporters, we can provide Service Dogs to those who need them; however, the waitlist is long. There are several ways you can change the life of someone who needs a Service Dog, including cash donations, bequests, and planned giving, and providing supplies on our wish list. Even sharing this blog can help!