The week of Aug. 2-8 honors International Assistance Dog Week. It just so happens one of our new professors, Justin Malone has an assistance dog we would like to celebrate and introduce to the college. Aptly named, Georgia, we asked Malone about her training and the work she does. Malone is a clinical instructor who will teach American Sign Language for the Department of Learning Sciences and besides telling us about Georgia he also offers tips on how to act around service animals.
Tell us about your service dog.
Her name is Georgia, a Rottweiler and a hearing dog (she functions as my hearing). This will be our second year together. My prior one was with me for three years and developed some health issues.
What was her training like? Does she still train?
Her training was done by me (both of my dogs were). She was trained by positive reinforcement and following commands when needed and recognizing sounds (doorbell, knocking, cars, fire alarm, etc). Hearing dogs are easy to train compared to advance medical dogs such as seizure dogs, etc.
How amazing are service dogs?
They’re a lifesaver for sure, especially when living in a busy city and not being able to hear your surrounding (people walking up behind you, doorbell, knocking on the door, cars passing by, etc).
How should other people who come upon you and the dog behave around the dog?
The most annoying question I always get asked, “I know she’s a service animal (SA) and working, but can I pet her?” If you know she’s working, then clearly you know you cannot pet her. Some people would just reach out to pet her without asking me or being considerate. So for those who do not know, please don’t ask to pet an SA who’s on duty. If you were to distract an SA from working, they will miss the signs that they are supposed to watch out for (this occurs very frequently with those who have an SA to recognize an upcoming seizure). When approaching a person with an SA, don’t stare at them, treat them as a human being and ignore the dog in the room. The dog is there to work, not to get attention from other people. Also, if you’re out and about and you see an SA approaching you, there’s a high chance the SA is trained to get help if their owner is down/not responsive.
When Georgia isn’t working what does she like to do?
Georgia really enjoys going out on boat rides with me. When at home, she likes to nap, play fetch with her toys and work on some puzzling toys to get treats in return. She also loves the fact that she knows she goes everywhere with me. The moment she sees me grabbing my keys, she’s right there by my side ready to go.
And a little bit about you… What is your research focus?
Anything with American Sign Language and Deaf culture really.
Is Georgia involved in any of your research projects?
She’s just a great co-worker.
Where are you from?
Born and raised in Gwinnett County. Moved to D.C. in 2015, and then to Maryland and now back to Georgia.
What brought you to the College of Education & Human Development?
A wonderful job opportunity came up and I applied for the position and was hired. Also, it’s nice to come back home to Georgia after five years up north.