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Dog at Work
Jinx handles many tasks for owner Gina Goldblatt, including opening doors (above) and carrying money to a cashier at the Tysons Corner mall food court (right). The harness and sign on the yellow Lab indicates that he is on duty.
(Carol Guzy - Twp)
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Marta Goldblatt, Gina's mom, says anyone can learn to help with the training, even kids. "The only thing they have to know," she said, "is that you have to part with [the dog] after a year. That is one of the hard parts."
If the dog then passes a series of tests, it is sent to the Canine Partners school in Pennsylvania to learn to be a service dog. After a year of this specialized training, the dog is matched with someone who is disabled.
Like guide dogs for the blind, service dogs wear harnesses or backpacks when working so that people will know the animals are on duty. If you see a working service dog, Gina Goldblatt said, don't distract it.
"Don't assume it is okay to pet it," she said. Ask first. "And don't be offended if [the owner] says no. Jinks needs to be focused on me."
But Jinks isn't all business all the time. As soon as his harness comes off, he knows he's off duty and romps around like any other dog.
"Jinks loves the water," Goldblatt said. "When he is allowed to, he'll even jump off the diving board!"
-- Amy Orndorff
