ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you have ever wondered how service dogs are trained to be so well-behaved in public places, like museums, one reason is that they are trained at public places, like The Dali Museum.
Through the galleries, down the stairs, and into the elevators, service dogs from the non-profit organization, Dogs Inc, are receiving real life experience at a museum known for surreal life art.
“Today we have a really fun training route with the service dog team, so we are bringing all of our dogs through the Dali Museum to get practice in new environments, with different people, different sights, smells and sounds, and they just get to practice being good service dogs and general behavior as well,” said trainer Katie Baker.
Dogs Inc., formerly known as Southeastern Guide Dogs, trains about 50 dogs a year. However, they can only do so much at their offices, so they often rely on partners in the community to open their hearts and their doors.
“We’re always happy to work with Dogs Inc. to bring them here to the museum for the training,” said Beth Bell, chief marketing officer with The Dali. “Training is an important part of their program, and we have a unique space to be able to offer them for training for various places. Our atmosphere covers a lot of different things, between gallery space and outdoor space and even a spiral staircase. It’s a great place for them to come and learn.”
Dogs Inc. will take their training out into the community about three times a week, going everywhere from restaurants to stores to movie theaters.
“It’s a huge bonus. A lot of times, we are in dog-friendly environments, and our dogs can act a little silly. They tend to notice when there is a little additional stress, like, ‘Oh we have to be quiet it’s a museum,’” said Baker.
The trainers say the dogs don’t seem to mind going to school in one of Tampa Bay’s most recognized tourist destinations.
“There was a couple of food paintings that I think my dog was drooling over,” said Baker.
“We were looking at the Hallucinogenic Toreador which kind of has a hidden dog within the painting, I said, ‘there it is,’” said Bell.
Once training is complete, most of these service dogs will be matched with veterans from across the country.
For more information on Dogs Inc., visit their website.
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