The Hearts of Gold Service Dog Training Program was established jointly between West Virginia University (WVU) and Human Animal Bond, Inc. (HAB) in 2006 and has been conducted under a “train the trainer” model.
All dogs are temperamentally and physically screened to ensure working ability and are trained tactically using the most humane methods.
To see the tasks our dogs are specifically trained to perform for their handlers visit our "Service Dog Tasks" page linked below.
See Service Dog TasksOUR LEAD TRAINER
The lead trainer, Lindsay Livengood, Ph.D., ACABC, APDT, received her service dog training certificate from Bergin University, formerly the Assistance Dog Institute, Santa Rosa, CA. Mrs. Livengood has a psychology BA, an applied behavior analysis MA, and a PhD in Animal Sciences, all from West Virginia University.
OUR FACILITIES & TRAINING METHODS
There are two training facilities for this program. The first is located at the WVU Animal Sciences farm, off WVU Animal Sciences Farm Road Morgantown, WV 26505. This training location is ADA-compliant and is comprised of 3 large sections. The first section is a room with an open floor plan, designed and furnished to look like a house. It includes an ADA-compliant bathroom, a transfer bench, a toilet with assistance bars, and a wheelchair-accessible sink. There is a laundry area with front-loading machines with pulls designed for animal opening, an accessible kitchen, living room, office, and dining areas. The second section is an open training area equipped for day-to-day training. The third section of the building contains kennels, which house the assistance dogs throughout the day. It includes a grooming station with a tub and table, and an examination area. A door from the kennel area leads to a 4800 sq. ft. fenced exercise lot.
The second facility is within FCI Morgantown, a minimum security federal correctional institution with a detention center. The facility sits on 321 acres and contains seven housing units that have dormitories, cubicles, and double rooms. Each trainer has a cubicle equipped with a dog gate across the front, a single bed, a small closet, and a dog crate. There is a grooming station in the unit, three enclosed recreational rooms in the unit that allow for off-leash socialization with other inmates, and a training center for the dogs. It is equipped with training equipment, including wheelchairs and other assistive devices, light switchboards, refrigerators, cabinets and agility equipment. There is an onsite retail store, laundry facility, medical complex, and cafeterias that provide a wide variety of settings for the socialization of the dogs and also allow for the socialization of the dogs with institution workers. Dogs are taken to visitation days for socialization with children and outside individuals.
A 9-passenger van is available on-site to acclimate the dogs to riding in a vehicle. A stream runs through the property, and a resident population of ducks and geese allows for work on extinguishing prey drive in the dogs. At least once weekly, dogs are picked up by WVU students involved in university service dog training classes and taken on community outings, including interactions with children, to promote socialization further.
OUR UNIVERSITY Training COURSES
The university training courses that are a part of the program include Service Dog Training (A&VS 276), Service Dog Training Lab (A&VS 277). The Service Dog Training class and associated Service Dog Training Lab teach the basics of training dogs to be service animals both theoretically in the classroom and hands-on at the Hearts of Gold Training Facility. These two courses serve both as college courses for students interested in learning to train service dogs and as the training provided to clients in preparation for receiving a service dog trained in the Hearts of Gold Program. Disabled student Veterans may take these 2 courses and help to train a service dog for themselves.
How We Train You
Student Service Members and/or Veterans, may enroll in the WVU Courses A&VS 276 and A&VS 277 to learn about service dog training. Non-student veterans are provided service dogs and required training for free.
Federal Corrections Institute Course
As an outgrowth of the Hearts of Gold on-campus university program, a Veterans-to-Veterans training program was established at the Federal Corrections Institute in Morgantown, WV, a minimum security federal prison. The course material and training methods in this program are similar in format to the university courses, and the Department of Labor accepted this program as an approved apprenticeship program. Incarcerated Veterans assist in training dogs for placement with disabled Veterans.