08.02.2024. – Délmagyar – Návay students meet assistance dogs

On Thursday, students of the Makó technical school named after Lajos Návay were introduced to the life and tasks of assistance dogs at an extraordinary sensitization class, courtesy of Enikő Sz. Igaz. The trainer of the Dogs for a Smile Foundation brought along two of her four-legged companions, who gave the enthusiastic youngsters a taste of their skills.

“When people talk about assistance dogs, they usually think of guide dogs, but they can support you in many other ways.”

• Igaz Eniko Sz. explained why it is worth getting to know their work better. She told us that they also make the daily lives of people with disabilities and deaf people easier.

“Last August, after 18 months of training, I handed over a chocolate Labrador named Fahéj to a family in the capital as a permanent helper for a boy with autism.”

• she said.

Azur, a therapy cocker spaniel, and Eben, a certified personal assistance dog, arrived with the trainer for the special classroom lesson. The two dogs charmed the students, who were eager to pet them and, what’s more, took part in the tasks – for example, they high-fived them and some of them stood on their haunches to form a tunnel for the animal to pass underneath.

“These sessions are also good for getting people who might be away from the dogs closer to them.”

• said a specialist from the Dogs for a Smile Foundation.

Enikő has always loved dogs. When she moved away from home and had a family, she became the owner of a large cane corso and, as a responsible pet owner, took him to dog school. There she met trainers who made her love the profession. He passed his exams and the cane corso became her first therapy dog. It is now 10 years ago. The foundation organises regular visits to nurseries and schools – they have already been to a few places around the county this year and will visit dozens more.