Canine Companions volunteer outlines service-dog training, public etiquette at Flower Mound Animal Services Board

Lori Ann Cash, an executive assistant in Flower Mound’s Development Services who volunteers as a puppy raiser for Canine Companions, told the Animal Services Board on Aug. 27 that future service dogs spend roughly 15 to 20 months in community training before professional campus training and that volunteers bear their own costs while raising the animals.

"This is a volunteer role. And what that means is the town pays for none of this. I pay all of it out of my pocket," Cash said, describing food, veterinary care and equipment expenses.

Cash, who brought a puppy named Strudel to the meeting, described the training stages used by Canine Companions and related organizations and explained how cues taught by volunteer raisers become task-specific skills during formal training. She said future service dogs learn foundational cues in the community and then typically receive an additional six to nine months of professional training on…