PBS documentary ‘Through a Dog’s Eyes’
A Look at assistance dogs and the people whose lives they have changed
Through a Dog’s Eyes is a documentary based on the book of the same title by author Jennifer Arnold. We have all seen ‘assistance dogs’ before, dogs specifically trained to assist people with disabilities, do everyday tasks. This documentary shows how the training begins with pups, and within just over a year, they are trained well enough to be responsible for someone else’s life. The show highlights the process several children, each with a different disability, goes through in getting an assistant dog from Canine Assistants [1] the training facility in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Aiden Young was one of the canine recipients in the show and he was paired with Nala. Aiden is a six-year-old who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Nala will go to school with Aiden, and his dog will help him in a variety of ways. Some of those will be small, like picking up his pencil if he drops it, but some will be much greater and have a far more reaching impact. Nala’spresence alone will help build Aiden’s self confidence. Nala will also help in making Aiden’s wheelchair invisible, allowing people to get to know him as a person, not as a person with a disability.
The book “Through a Dog’s Eyes” by Jennifer Arnold is available at Amazon.com [2].
Below is the film trailer for this documentary from ShopPBS.org [3]. Watch the full video here [4].
Helpful Articles
- Have You Considered How a Dog Could Enhance Your Child’s Life? [6]
- Service Dogs to the Rescue: Helping to Make Dreams Come True [7]
- Considering a Service Dog? Meet My Monty [8]