Hearts Beating as One!
We rely deeply on our bond and communication with dogs for them to do their job as service dogs. New research reveals fascinating insights into the bond between dogs and their people. A study published in Scientific Reports shows that a dog’s heart rate adjusts to match their owner’s during interactions, suggesting that emotional states are shared between the two. Read about this groundbreaking study and what it means for our understanding of the human-canine connection.
Welcome to Our Newest Atlas Team in Training
Please join us in sending a warm welcome to Rebecca and Charlie, our newest team in the Atlas Client Certification Program! Did you know that 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. is living with a disability, yet less than 1% have access to a service dog? Waitlists of up to 5 years and costs reaching $40,000 put these life-changing partnerships out of reach for many. Atlas is working to change that by helping people like Rebecca train their own service dogs.
“I am so excited to participate in the Atlas program to stay accountable, learn from our facilitator, and continue to fine-tune our skills! Atlas will give us the confidence to be a successful team, and we are so excited to be part of the program!” – Rebecca
Trainer Spotlight: Meet Sasha!
Atlas is dedicated to expanding the pool of qualified and ethical trainers who can work with service dog teams using positive training methods. Sasha S. Philip is one of our newest Trainer Academy graduates. Sasha got involved with Atlas in 2022 when she enrolled in the Client Certification Program. She went on to become an Atlas Team Facilitator, helping other Atlas clients train their service dogs. She joined the Atlas Board of Directors last year and is now an Atlas Certified Trainer!
“I am passionate about making service dogs accessible to historically underserved populations. As a service dog handler with multiple invisible disabilities, I have experienced how time-consuming, expensive, and emotionally draining it can be to train your own service dog. While my role as a trainer is to help and support the human end of the leash, the dog’s well-being is equally important. My goal is to build a working team whose bond is based on love, trust, and understanding.” – Sasha
The Challenges of Traveling with a Service Dog
A challenge our clients often face is using ride-share services. It is not uncommon for drivers to cancel rides when they see a service dog. To address this, Uber has rolled out a new feature to improve the experience for passengers with disabilities who travel with service animals. This update lets customers voluntarily identify as service animal owners, giving drivers a clearer heads-up. The feature also reminds drivers to refrain from canceling rides or discriminating against passengers with service animals. Thank you to Uber for this needed change!
