Visiting CCI's Santa Rosa Campus

In early August, I went to visit the Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) organization, at their National Headquarters and Northwest Region Campus in Santa Rosa, California. I was very impressed by this program.

First, we started off with a tour of the campus. This was delightful, especially when we saw the puppies being socialized in their playgroup under the supervision of several voluncheers (volunteers). 

Wouldn't this be a fun job to volunteer at?

Next, we saw dogs being bathed and groomed. Throughout the tour of the campus, we learned about how Charles and Jean Schulz (of Snoopy and the Peanuts comic strip) donated the land and funds to build the campus. Jean Schulz is still very active with CCI.

Walking all over campus, we saw rope pulls on doors, along with items on the ground such as dropped wallets and cell phones. This is for training dogs to open doors and pick up dropped items. 

At the end of the tour, the tour guide (one of the Hearing Dog trainers) gave us an overview of the program, then had us walk with a dog a short way down a hallway. After we walked with the dog, we all had our individual interviews. My interview went well and addressed my concerns and questions. 

It is a gorgeous campus, and the grounds are meticulous. All of the staff is professional and extremely dedicated to the program, the dogs, and the well-being of the dogs. The dogs I met were well-adjusted, happy and cheerful dogs who behaved very well. 

The agility course. The dog wind vane on the roof is a cute touch and an example of how meticulous the details are.