Giving and Getting...Project POOCH

So, I finally found a volunteer opportunity that fits my busy life and I am so excited about it! I’m giving a little bit of time each month to Project POOCH at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Center in Woodburn, OR.

Project POOCH pairs homeless pets with incarcerated youth who care for and train the dogs before sending them off to a forever home. Before the dogs are released to their new homes, the dog and handler must pass all ten items on the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test. This is where I come in. As a certified CGC Evaluator, I will be going out to the facility to administer the test at least once per month.

I found it strange that so many people asked me last week if I was nervous about my first visit to MacLaren. My answer was, “No, I’ve given the test many times and I’ve been around plenty of shelter dogs.” Apparently they thought I was supposed to be nervous about the handlers. I wasn’t.

I'll admit that I did become just a tad intimidated by they barbed wire surrounding the facility. I then felt a little odd going through the guarded metal detector. That was followed by a few gates and we were out in the yard. It's a huge place and there were several boys walking around.

I chalked up my nervousness to being in an unfamiliar environment. However, any nervousness I felt melted away quickly when I started meeting the youth and their dogs. I could tell right away that the first two handler and dog teams I met were actual teams. They had a connection, a relationship.

In fact, several of the boys were much gentler and concerned dog handlers than some of the people I’ve seen in my group classes. Maybe it's because of what the dogs mean to these boys. These dogs are not a burden, but an opportunity. Just as their handlers are an opportunity for the dogs.

One youth in particular really tugged at my heartstrings. His dog was very distracted and obviously not performing as well he would have liked. This happens in group classes and CGC tests all the time. However, I’ve never seen anyone handle it quite as gently as he did. Instead of getting upset with the dog and showing his frustration, he gently cupped the dogs muzzle in his hands, touched foreheads with it and quietly asked, “What’s the matter? Are you okay? You can do this.”

I could have cried when the boy said, "Let's try again." The underlying attitude here, the one that has less to do with anger and embarrassment and everything to do with empathy and understanding is something that I have to work very hard to instill in my average training student.

I’m looking forward to helping Project POOCH as much as I can in as many ways as I can, but I can already tell that I’m going to get more from it than I’ll be able to give.

Please visit www.pooch.org to find out more about this amazing program. As a non-profit that doesn’t receive government funding, Project POOCH relies on public donations. Please help if you can!