DCD Graduation 14th Nov 2024, Bathurst by Cathy Harper

An air of anticipation, excitement, greetings, salutations, sunshine welcomed us upon entering the Girl Guides building in Bathurst on Thursday 14^th November 2024 for the Defence Community Dogs Graduation Ceremony.

People were milling around in various locations inside and outside the building. Family members, Inmates with their dogs, Correctional Service staff, DCD Managing Director, previous Veteran recipients with their dogs, new Veterans waiting to be presented with their DCD.

Taking our seats in a prime viewing location with Jan-Maree, Sue N and her daughter, in preparation for the start of the ceremony. You know if Jan-Maree is there then there must be a secret sneaky reason.

The Acting Governor of Bathurst Correctional Centre came up and introduced himself and asked us basically who we were and why we were there. Jan-Maree explained that there was going to be a surprise quilt presentation later in the proceedings. He shared that this was his first time at a graduation ceremony, so it was new for him as well as for Sue and me.

A Correctional staff member began the proceedings by introducing himself, Acknowledgment of Country and then handing over to an inmate who introduced the team and did a fabulous job of being MC and explaining the training program with the best models who gave us demonstrations of all the things they can do.

From the back of the hall and down the side came the parade of proud inmates with their dogs. We were introduced to Isabel or Izzie, Jenna, Willa, Turbo, Yvette, Jazzie, Will, Flora, Lilly and Tyson. Only one black Lab the rest were yellows. We were delighted to see the presentation of the skills the dogs are taught. We gained a greater understanding of this amazing program which is through the Bathurst Correctional Centre.

The team stood up and were guided by fellow member of the DCD team giving a very informative, detailed and interesting explanation of what they do in the program. The handlers and their dogs stood in a row, and we were shown the basic commands the dogs learn- sit, drop/down, wait/stay, round and return to heel position. 

One handler demonstrated putting his dog in a down position, giving the stay command and stepping away to the side and the dog had to wait then. He then returned to the side of the dog and then the release word is given. All inmates wear a special uniform with DCD logo on their shirts, on their right hip they have their treat pouch which contains Blackhawk kibble, part of the dog’s daily food intake, a dog bone poop bag container with bags and a small hand towel for them to wipe their hand on.

The audience was asked to be part of the demonstration of their training in stability for the dogs and they had to not react to noise. The team were all seated with their dogs next to them facing the audience. We had to clap and cheer, and the dogs of course sat calm and watched their handler.

Our MC explained how they go out into the community, down the main street for the socialisation of the dogs. He spoke about the support of the community given with donations to Defence Bank and words of encouragement to them and what they do while out and about. They also go to schools and nursing homes.

Of course, with any production there is the backstage crew of prop master and his assistant. In came a member of the team with a trolley walking past the dogs and handlers banging his trolley up and down. Of course, the dogs were calm and relaxed.

We were in for a real treat as the complex skills were demonstrated by a range of handlers and their dogs.

The only black Lab showed how he could wiggle backwards while in a down position.

You may have watched Dancing with the Stars on TV we had our own special dancing dog. From behind and in between their handlers legs the dog put their paws on his feet and they danced together.  

Another gorgeous girl showed us she can be shy. She bowed and put her paw across her face.

An important skill the dog needs to learn is the rest position. This is where the dog rests their head on the handler’s or Veterans leg. The weight of their head is to help calm them when the handler/Veteran gets anxious.

Two inmates came forward with their dogs and chairs and sat chatting about things that are part of everyday life. They showed us things the dog can do that help around the house. “I think I should do some washing”. The clever DCD dog went over to the washing machine and pulled on the handle, put the clothes in and closed the door.

 ”Oh, I think I heard the post man”. The props team had set up the mailbox with the newspaper in it.

Continuing their conversation, one handler asked if you would like a drink and the highly trained Turbo went to the fridge, opened the door, retrieved the bottle of water, took it over to his handler and then went back to close the fridge door as he hadn’t closed it properly in the first instance. Well done, Turbo.

Other complex skills that the dogs are taught are when the Veteran is asleep and could have night terrors. The props team brought in a fold up bed for the handler to lie on. His dog was on the stay mat. The handler simulated a night terror with arms and legs flapping. The dog immediately got up from the stay mat and came over and placed their front legs and their upper body on his chest. This is to break the bad dream, cause the Veteran to wake up where they can then put calming strategies in place.

The whole time with all these different scenarios the dogs work in a calm controlled manner to be there to support their Veteran. They are amazing!

The props team came and laid out a blanket on the floor with one corner turned over. The clever DCD showed us how she grabbed the corner of the blanket then rolled herself up in the blanket ready for sleep.

Two handlers came forward with their dogs and one of them lifted their paw and started to limp showing they had an injury. In came the prop team with a wheelchair for the injured dog. Her canine mate concerned about her welfare wasn’t going to leave her and helped push her in the wheelchair. This was adorable.

Some of the dogs and handlers came forward and showed us how they can bow and also with crossed leg bow.

Other important skills that were demonstrated were the front and back block. Here the dog is trained to stand parallel behind the Veteran for when they are in a queue such as in a bank and to prevent the Veteran from being startled. The front block where the dog places their body parallel to the Veterans legs to give them space from others.  

Another complex skill is when the Veteran may become anxious. This was demonstrated by them wringing their hands to this the dog responded by placing their paw on their foot. This is to help ground them and remind them they are there for them.

To conclude the demonstrations, we were shown how the dog can back up to the wall and do like a reverse downward dog position. If you were at the Friday night gathering on the annual Thank You Dinner weekend you would have seen Alma demonstrating this position.

A rousing applause was given to the handlers and their brilliant dogs. They all deserved an Oscar. All that they demonstrated showed the care, effort and commitment they had put into training these dogs. The dogs had great respect and love for their handlers. The bond, trust and admiration between handler and dog was clearly evident. The training program is positive and gentle. The way the inmates love, care and treat their dog and work hard to get the best out of the dog is commendable. A minimum of 250 hours goes into their training. Speaking with an inmate later, he explained it was much more than that. Usually, a year or more of training is required before they graduate. The trainers Tenika and Alison go Monday to Thursday to run training sessions and offer guidance and support. The other days the inmates put in hard work continuing the training and reinforcing the skills needed. The dogs come from Guide Dogs and several representatives from Guide Dogs were in attendance, Boarder Force and Labrador Retriever Rescue.

After the fabulous demonstration it was time to move onto the life changing proceedings. This was the graduation of some of the dogs and the handing over of the dog to their Veteran. The inmates came and spoke about their dog and shared some of their experiences. Each one was vulnerable, and it was a very emotional time for them and us sitting listening. Tissues were definitely needed. The trainers Tenika and Alison came up and presented their graduation certificates from the program with lots of hugs and tears.

First up was Mark with Lilly. Mark spoke about the positive and impactful care the trainers had for them, and they were there for them for anything that arose. Mark said the trainers got the best out of them which helped them to get the best out of the dog. Lilly was in training for 16 months. She was presented to Michael who had served 25 years in the ADF.

Adam and Turbo came up and Adam thanked his parents for being there and spoke about Turbo. His love for him was clearly evident. He had only been training Turbo for 3 months. His previous trainer was Phil who was there supporting him. Turbo is known as Turb or big teddy bear. This was Adams’ second graduation. Turbo was in training for 12 months. Turbo was presented to Veteran Kelly. When Turbo saw Kelly, his bum started wiggling and his tail was wagging. Kelly refers to him as Scooby Doo.

The process to receive a dog is lengthy. The first stage is the completion of an application form. From there lots of zoom meetings occur with the trainers. This is a chance for more information gathering about their lifestyle or things they want to do. For example, as explained to me by speaking with our MC inmate at the conclusion of the ceremony he was telling me that if the Veteran did kayaking, then the team would go out and work on kayaking skills and see how the dogs respond to this situation to determine a best fit. When Turbo met Kelly, he was instantly drawn to her. The following day after the graduation, they were on a flight home to South Australia for them to begin their new life together.

The last dog to graduate was Jenna with her trainer Peter or referred to as Polish. Jenna appeared in many of the complex demonstrations that we enjoyed. As there were already two other Peters in the program, and as he was from Poland hence the name Polish to differentiate between them. This was Peter’s 4^th dog to graduate. Jenna was the quietest and calmest of all the dogs and Peter put in lots of extra hours to build her confidence. He is the only single handler that has graduated all his dogs. Jenna was his last dog, as he is to be released soon to take up a new job in the hospitality industry.

Veteran Richard was presented with Jenna. He spoke about how once he got his dog, how much better he felt and that he felt welcome.

The trainers train humans, not dogs, to be dog handlers. Prior to the graduation ceremony the receiving Veteran goes to Bathurst for an 8-day training program. After the first day of meeting and working with their handler the next and every day from then on, they take the dog back with them each night to where they are staying. Each day they return and work with the DCD trainers and their handler who has put so much love and care into training these beautiful dogs. This helps the Veteran feel confident and comfortable and provides the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the individual personality of their new DCD dog as well as the commands and signals.    

Leanne, the Managing Director of DCD spoke briefly about the work the inmates do, how AHQ supports the program with stay mats and the impact this program has on Veterans. She sang the praises for all involved and the hard work they all do in training these dogs to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Jan-Maree then addressed the audience, introducing herself and AHQ. She thanked the inmates for all that they do and encouraged them to believe that what they do is very important and has saved lives.

Jan-Maree went onto to explain that they had something special to present to the recipient. She called out his name and asked him to come up. The recipient was stunned. Sue N presented him with his quilt. He was so taken aback. He was there to support the Veterans who were receiving their dogs today. He never thought that he would be centre stage on the receiving end.

The recipient was so overwhelmed as he unfolded his quilt and took a look. He could not take it in and was overcome with emotion, he could not speak.

This concluded the graduation ceremony, and we were invited to sample scones jam and cream and to speak with the people present.

I took the opportunity to speak to and thank the inmates for all their hard work and the MC for his informative and well-presented commentary of the program and the skills that were demonstrated. I learnt more about what they do and how they care for the dogs. He explained they live in a two-story building in rooms. He described it as like a cheap motel with a bathroom at the end of the corridor. This allowed them to take the dogs out at any time day or night to the toilet in the enclosed yard. Within this area is a fenced in yard where the dogs can go an play. He said there is a lot of trust in the compound where they live.

They are given $40 a week for food, and they can purchase food and cook in a kitchen in their building, or they can choose to eat with the others.

I spoke to him about our guest speaker at our recent Friday night gathering at the Thank You Dinner weekend in Canberra and the impact the dog had on him. When I mentioned his name, Adam and Alma, his face lit up with a big smile. He knew them and said Richo is a good bloke. I was able to encourage him that in Adam’s speech he stated that due to Alma he was able to remain in the Army and continue doing what he loved.  

Speaking with Adam who presented Turbo to his Veteran I asked him how they do it? Hand over the dog who they clearly love and have an emotional attachment to. He said we know when we sign up for the program, but it was still hard. He had recently received a new dog, Gordon, to train. So, he was not alone. Being able to encourage them with what they do and have a chat was such a positive experience. Adam explained that the dogs can go on and have a PAT assessment (Public Access Test), the trainers that work with them can administer the test. Once the dog gains the PAT qualification this allows them to travel in the cabin of an aircraft with their Veteran.

Speaking with Tenika, one of the trainers, I asked what qualifications she held to do this job. She had been a trainer with Guide Dogs and had gone on and added tertiary qualifications to her skill set.

We discussed training methods as we had a common ground and understanding of positive training methods and a renowned positive world champion trainer. They use a combination of methods. Luring is used with food to teach the dog to weave in between the handlers’ legs which was demonstrated. Toys and tug games are used at times for positive reinforcement.

The other method of training is shaping. Shaping creates a “thinking dog” whose understanding of what the behaviour we want is. Training is layered and reinforcement is given for great choices in a timely fashion. With shaping, the dog is in control of the learning.

Training with shaping creates thinking dogs who can reach their full potential of brilliance.

Speaking with her I asked what benefits the inmates take away from this program. She said some are doing an animal husbandry course through TAFE. While they do not necessarily work with animals after leaving, what they learn assists them in their lives, with families they may have in terms of consistency, follow-through and how to handle situations. It was so insightful to learn more about the how and the wider benefits of the program.

The DCD program has a 100% success rate with inmates who do not reoffend.

The program is a win-win for all.

Win for the inmates- its positive, develops lifelong skills, is a source of encouragement and respect, they are doing something very worthwhile and rewarding, they develop strong bonds and support each other, they receive unconditional love from their canine companion and are recognised, encouraged and supported by the community.

Win for Correctional staff members- they develop mutual respect and trust with the inmates. It is something very positive in their work life, it is recognised and appreciated.

Win for Veterans-they have a life changing experience born out of the kind actions of many. It can and has been lifesaving. The unconditional love of their dog brings joy, lifts their spirits, enables them to reengage with life and do things they used to do and have a fulfilling life. Enables Veterans to continue with their work life. Supports them when their symptoms may flare up. Gives them a purpose.

The experience was informative, emotional, encouraging, so very positive and an honour to be present. DCD is an amazing program!

 

DCD changing lives one paw at a time.

Great report, thanks Cathy!!!

Till next time.... keep spreading the word and happy stitching! 

Jan-Maree xx