Will a Dog Change My Life?

It was a chilly fall night, and 8-year-old Oliver was excited.  

He wasn’t thinking about his favorite baseball team winning its next game. He wasn’t dreaming about the new Nintendo Switch game he wanted to play with his little brother. No, Oliver was excitedly waiting for a phone call.

BUZZZZ.

Oliver grabbed his mom’s phone and tossed it to her. After what seemed like forever, his mom hung up and smiled. “It’s happening!” she shouted.

Oliver pumped his fist in the air. He’d been waiting for this call for years. He was finally going to get the chance to meet a group of dogs. These weren’t just any dogs. They were service dogs. 

And one of them could change Oliver’s life.

It was a chilly fall night. Eight-year-old Oliver was excited.  

He wasn’t thinking about his favorite baseball team. He wasn’t dreaming about playing a new Nintendo Switch game with his brother. No. Oliver was excitedly waiting for a phone call.

BUZZZZ.

Oliver grabbed his mom’s phone. He tossed it to her. After what seemed like forever, his mom hung up. She smiled. “It’s happening!” she shouted.

Oliver pumped his fist in the air. He’d been waiting for this call for years. He was finally going to get the chance to meet a group of dogs. These weren’t just any dogs. They were service dogs. 

And one of them could change Oliver’s life.

Eight-year-old Oliver was waiting for a phone call. 

BUZZZZ.

His mom picked up the phone. “It’s happening!” she shouted.

Oliver pumped his fist in the air. He was about to meet a group of dogs. And one of them could change his life.

Being in a wheelchair doesn’t stop Oliver from doing what he loves. It does make some tasks more challenging for him though. 

That’s where a service dog would come in. The pup could help Oliver pick up objects, open doors, and more.

Oliver wanted a service dog so badly. He had waited a long time to be invited to Canine Companions. This special place pairs service dogs with people who need them. But not everyone who wants a service dog gets one. Oliver would need to find a service dog that was right for him.

Oliver couldn’t wait to meet the dogs. Would he find the right one? Or would he go home with no dog at all?

Being in a wheelchair doesn’t stop Oliver from doing what he loves. It does make some tasks harder for him though. 

That’s where a service dog would come in. The pup could help Oliver pick up objects, open doors, and more.

Oliver wanted a service dog so badly. He had waited a long time to be invited to Canine Companions. That’s a special place where people get paired with service dogs. But not everyone who wants a service dog gets one. Oliver would need to find the right service dog for him.

Oliver couldn’t wait to meet the dogs. Would he find the right one? Or would he go home with no dog at all?

Oliver and his family went to Canine Companions that summer. It was time to meet the service dogs. A dog named Ziti burst into the room. Ziti had big brown eyes and floppy ears. Oliver was in love!

Oliver and Ziti were paired together. The two had to learn to work as a team. They practiced together for a week. Ziti learned to focus on Oliver and ignore other smells and sounds around him. 

At the end of the week, Oliver and Ziti had to pass a test at a busy store together. A trainer named Aubree was there for the test. She dropped dog food on the floor. But Ziti didn’t sniff it. He walked right past it. Then Aubree dropped a pencil on the floor. Oliver told Ziti to pick it up. Ziti listened. He picked up the pencil. Oliver smiled widely. Ziti had passed the test!

The next day, Oliver’s dream came true. Ziti was now Oliver’s service dog! 

Today Ziti still helps Oliver. Best of all, Ziti is Oliver’s best friend. “I can’t imagine life without him,” Oliver says. 

Oliver and his family traveled to Irving, Texas, that summer. It was time to meet the service dogs! A trainer named Aubree lined up the pups.

Arf! Arf! 

Oliver could hear the little barks coming from the hallway. He laughed as an energetic puppy named Ziti burst into the room. Ziti had big brown eyes, golden brown fur, and floppy ears. Oliver instantly fell in love.

Some kids let their parents give the first instruction. But not Oliver.

“Ziti, sit,” he said.

Ziti sat and wagged his tail.

“Good dog!” Oliver said, smiling.

That night, as he lay in bed, Oliver thought about all the dogs he had met. But only one dog, with big brown eyes, stuck with him as he drifted off to sleep.

Oliver and his family went to Irving, Texas, that summer. It was time to meet the service dogs! A trainer named Aubree lined up the pups.

Arf! Arf! 

Oliver could hear the little barks coming from the hallway. He laughed. An energetic puppy named Ziti ran into the room. Ziti had big brown eyes, golden brown fur, and floppy ears. Oliver fell in love right away.

Some kids let their parents give the first instruction. But not Oliver.

“Ziti, sit,” he said.

Ziti sat and wagged his tail.

“Good dog!” Oliver said, smiling.

That night Oliver lay in bed. He thought about all the dogs he had met. But only one dog stuck with him as he fell asleep: the dog with big brown eyes.

The next morning, the trainers paired each kid with a service dog. Oliver crossed his fingers as the dogs lined up outside. He hoped he would be paired with Ziti!

Then, with a loud WOOF, Ziti raced into the room. He ran straight to Oliver. Aubree smiled and shared the good news: Oliver and Ziti were paired together!

But Ziti couldn’t go home with Oliver yet­. Even though Ziti had already trained to be a service dog, he still had to prove that he could help Oliver. The two had to learn to work as a team. 

Over the next week, Oliver and Ziti trained together. Aubree watched the pair closely. She had to be sure that Ziti would be able to help Oliver every day—and that Oliver would be a good owner.   

“I needed to make sure they were the perfect match,” explains Aubree.

At the end of the week, Oliver and Ziti had to pass a test at a busy store together. They went to Target that week to practice.  

Sniff, sniff. 

Ziti kept sniffing the floor. He was distracted by the yummy food smells there. But he kept practicing. Oliver helped Ziti ignore the smells and noises in the store. Ziti tried to focus only on Oliver. Would Ziti pass the test?

The next morning, the trainers paired each kid with a service dog. The dogs lined up outside. Oliver crossed his fingers. He hoped to be paired with Ziti!

There was a loud WOOF. Ziti raced into the room. He ran straight to Oliver. Aubree smiled and shared the good news: Oliver and Ziti were paired together!

But Ziti couldn’t go home with Oliver yet­. Ziti had already trained to be a service dog. But he still had to prove that he could help Oliver. The two had to learn to work as a team. 

Over the next week, Oliver and Ziti trained together. Aubree watched the pair closely. She had to be sure that Ziti would be able to help Oliver every day. And she had to be sure that Oliver would be a good owner.   

“I needed to make sure they were the perfect match,” says Aubree.

At the end of the week, Oliver and Ziti had to pass a test at a busy store together. They went to Target to practice.

Sniff, sniff. 

Ziti kept sniffing the floor. He was distracted by the yummy food smells there. But he kept practicing. Oliver helped Ziti ignore the smells and noises in the store. Ziti tried to focus only on Oliver. Would Ziti pass the test?