Meet the Two Sides of a Service Dog!

Yogi and Brady Enjoying a Weekend Ride Together

A great service dog has something akin to a split personality. On the one hand, a service animal represents the paradigm of sterling behavior and excellent performance. They are disciplined pups that perform critical duties for handlers in need. On the other hand, service dogs are also … well, dogs. They want to romp and play and get a belly rub just like any other canine.

The Serious Side: A Source of Confidence

Brady with his Service Dog, Yogi

Take Yogi for example. He’s been Brady Helm’s service dog for about four months. Yogi is a handsome beast – with his brown, black and white coat, he’s 70 pounds of Standard Poodle pulchritude. Accessorized with his custom leather harness, he’s the height of service dog fashion.

Brady has a prosthetic limb and other mobility and sight issues. He had a long career in motorsports, from motocross and off-road racing to the NASCAR Truck Series. Brady’s been through many surgeries from crashes, accidents and an action/adventure lifestyle.

That’s where Yogi comes in. He’s strong enough to give Brady the physical support he needs to be mobile in spite of an array of orthopedic and other injuries.

“I’m pretty independent, and reaching out for help was a big step. But I figured that just toughing it out would not work long-term. I smiled and put up a good front, but having Yogi gives me confidence to do the day-to-day stuff, like just going to the mailbox. I used to fall about once a week – now, I can move around with confidence because I have Yogi to literally lean on.”

Like all great service dogs, Yogi also channels his Poodle intuition: “I can communicate without saying anything. He knows my routines,” Brady explains.

The Playful Side: Feeling the Burn

Yogi the Service Dog Has a Fun Side too!

But Yogi also has a playful side! Yogi and Brady play fetch in an enclosed tennis court, just to make sure the ball doesn’t get away from them. Brady describes Yogi as “a bottle of Tabasco – he’s mild-mannered until it’s time to play, and then you feel the burn. When the harness comes off and the ball comes out, it’s time for fun. But when the harness goes back on, he’s all business.”

How do people respond to Yogi when they see him doing his job out in the world? A common reaction, Brady says is, “Oh my gosh, he’s so beautiful.” Brady describes Yogi as having “a huge, caring heart.. He wants to say hello to everyone, and a lot of people want to pet him, but he’s learning restraint.”

“Dogs aren’t robots – they can’t just turn off the emotional side. And lots of people want to give him a treat, which can confuse him and, if he gets excited, cause a collision.”

Brady has plans to augment Yogi’s harness with a notice that identifies him as a “dog at work.” As MobilityDog trainer Anna tells the handlers, it’s OK to ask people not to interfere when the animal and the handler are working.

Hitting It Off from the Start!

Brady & Yogi Make a Great Service Dog Team!

Brady and Yogi seemed destined to be a team from their first meeting. “Yogi was excited to meet me right from our first contact,” Brady says. But Yogi didn’t just come to Brady as a bundle of poochy love – he was also a highly educated professional service dog ready to go to work.

“The level of training he came with was impressive. He had such a great foundation that’s it’s been easy to teach him the specifics he needs to know to help me.”

MobilityDog has continued to provide Brady assistance as he and Yogi have gotten to know each other and established their relationship: “The level of support has been unbelievable.”

Advice for Prospective Handlers: Find the Right Organization!

Yogi is Brady's Trusty Service Dog!

Brady expresses great appreciation for the help he’s received from MobilityDog, and he urges anyone considering a service dog to make sure to get the same level of assistance.

“The right organization will work with you to get insights into your needs and make sure you understand what having a service dog entails.”

Moreover, for all the benefits it provides, having a service animal also confers a set of important responsibilities: “You have to remember that you’ll have a dog on your hip all the time. You’re now in charge of a 70-pound animal, with all the obligations that brings.” It’s worked well for Brady: “It’s been great to have the support, the extra set of eyes.”

Brady says he’d be happy to speak with anyone considering taking on a service dog.