Seven service dogs graduated from Medicine Hat College. (Kevin Kyle/CHAT News)

By Eli J. Ridder | @EliRidder

Inaugural class of service dogs graduate Medicine Hat College program

Nov 28, 2023 | 5:04 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – After 14 months of training from service dog and canine studies management students, seven service dogs-in-training graduated from their time at Medicine Hat College.

The college’s two-year service dog program is brand new.

Last year, students in the inaugural class were split into groups of two or three and assigned a dog to train and take care of.

Program coordinator Marissa Jordan said the new program has started off well.

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“It’s very busy having both canine students and human students on campus,” Jordan told CHAT News.

“Now we have two cohorts; we’ve got our second years which are getting ready to head off to their work integrated placements and our first years who just started and received puppies mid-October.”

For students like Katelyn Lowes, taking care of her assigned dog Shelby has given her appreciation for the career she’s embarking on.

“I think its encouraged a lot of us to take a step back and realize all the good that this work actually does,” Lowes said.

“I think all of us came in loving dogs but all of us came out loving the industry.”

For Peyton Sanders, working with Pluto has been an important learning experience before the next step in her education.

“There’s been so much hands-on learning that you’ve really gained all the knowledge by working with the dogs,” Sanders said.

“Housing the dogs, you see them go through every milestone so you see them growing as a dog each day.”

Next week, ths students will need to let go of the service dogs they’ve spent over a year with as the dogs move onto their final leg of training.

Sanders says it makes it easier to let Pluto go because of the important work that lies ahead of him.

“There’s been so much hands-on learning that you’ve really gained all the knowledge by working with the dogs. Housing the dogs, you see them go through every milestone so you see them growing as a dog each day.”

Jordan said the dogs will head off to complete their training at various organizations.

“They are going to be going back to their service dog organizations, so we have some going back to the Lions Foundation of Canada guide dogs, some going to Aspen Service Dogs in Edmonton and then Summit Service Dogs which is local here in Medicine Hat.”

As for the canine studies students, they will move on to work placements in the service dog industry before graduating in the spring.