We get a lot of questions about our canine advocates so this month we are going to answer some of those questions!
Where do the dogs sleep?

The Canine Advocates live and sleep at home with their Canine Assisted Advocates (handlers).  They each have their own beds, bowls and toys at home.  They come to work every day with their handler.

What do the dogs eat?

The Canine Advocates eat dog food.  Each canine advocate has a specially selected diet to help them be healthy and ready for each day!  The Canine Advocates also eat lots of healthy treats that their handlers make for them.  Some of their favorite ingredients are: Peanut Butter, Tuna fish, and Liver.

What is that box on their collar?

The box on the Canine Advocates’ collars is a Whistle GPS and Fitness tracker.  It is connected to an app on the handler’s phone and tracks their location, movement, licking, scratching and drinking.  Each dog has their own exercise/workout  goal for each day.   They have to move enough to reach their goals each day!

Where else do Canine Advocates Work?

In addition to working at our offices at Center for Victims on the Southside, the canine advocates can also be found working at UPMC Children’s Hospital Child Advocacy Center, UPMC Children’s Hospital, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Criminal Court and Family Court.   Our canine advocates also do community outreach and provide educational presentations to schools, youth groups and other organizations.

How long does it take to train a new trick?

Depending on how tricky the trick is it could take a few minutes up to a few weeks.   Simple tricks like high five which is one motion with the paw are quick and easy to train.   Trickier Tricks like roll over can have up to 6 different motions the dogs have to learn to do in order!   We make sure we make each section of the trick easy for the dog to understand so they can have fun learning new things.   Here is Cooper practicing “Get Small” so he can fit in tight spaces.  He looks like a pretzel!

What other questions would you ask the Canine Advocate Teams?