When Ball State University student Judy Julius's fibromyalgia makes it difficult for her to find her balance, Sgt. O'Riley is there to help.
He accompanies her on airplane flights and car trips, to Civil War reenactment sites and helps her recover from falls.
Sgt. O'Riley, or Riley for short, is Julius's 8-year-old golden retriever service dog.
Julius, 50, a non-traditional student, was introduced to her companion through Midwest Assistance Dogs Inc. six years ago. Riley's birthday was unknown, so Julius chose one for him December 25.
"It's a miracle that Christ was born and it's a miracle that Riley was born," she said.
With Riley and her husband's dog, Abigail, as inspiration the couple has started an organization called Step by Step, which will retrain shelter dogs and place them with disabled owners.
Julius said they look at animal shelters between Fort Wayne and Indianapolis to find potential dogs. While golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers and German shepherds are usually the most common breeds used as service dogs, Julius said they don't discriminate among breeds.
Instead, she said, they look for personality traits such as intelligence and an eagerness to please.
Step by Step trains dogs for use as therapy dogs, hearing dogs, for emotional support and for help in emergency situations. Because of this wide range of services, Julius said, even small lap dogs can be trained as companions.
After undergoing a physical and basic obedience training, Julius said, she assesses each dog's natural skills and personality to identify with what services it will be most successful.
If owners have already been identified, Julius said she tries to incorporate them into the training process.
She said the amount of time it takes to teach a dog special skills varies, but the average is between six months and a year.
"It's so rewarding to know that the dog you're training is helping someone," Julius said. "You've got people that would not even do things on their own. They'll do things that maybe they'd never considered before."
Julius also said a good relationship between an owner and dog can take up to a year to cement, but the bond between her and Riley was immediate.
"I look out for him and he looks out for me," she said.
Several years after receiving Riley, her husband's hearing began to wear down. The couple decided to take it upon themselves to train a dog for him. They found Abigail, a timid golden retriever, Labrador retriever, Great Pyrenees mix at a shelter and began building a trusting relationship with her.
Julius said the director from Midwest Assistance supported her during the training, which consisted of learning social skills, obedience training and specialized skills.
Julius said it was a thrill to watch Abigail blossom from a meek, unhealthy dog into an energetic one with a big personality.
Abigail's progress was such a success that the couple decided to keep their newfound hobby. Over the past three years, Julius said she has trained about six service dogs.
The couple is now working with three dogs - Cory, Teddy and Payton.
The dogs enjoy rewards of hot dog pieces seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper during their training, Julius said.
Cory is a 7-month-old border collie, chow mix who is being trained to work with a diabetic patient. Julius said she is working with him to fetch medicine and on other social skills.
Teddy, a seven-month-old chow, border collie, husky mix, will be paired with a patient who has heart, lung and back problems. To accommodate this person's needs, Julius said, Teddy will need to be able to retrieve medicine and assist with walking.
The prospective owner of Payton, an 8-year-old golden retriever, has muscular problems. She is being trained to help stabilize her owner and to drag objects, such as laundry baskets. Payton's age makes her an unusual candidate for a service dog. Despite Payton's decline in hearing, Julius said she saw potential in the dog's face and decided to give her a chance. To overcome her hearing loss, Payton has begun to learn and respond to hand signal commands.
Once these dogs are trained, they are sold for $3,000. Julius said the entire community benefits from Step by Step because leftover money from the sale will go toward local projects and groups, such as rescue missions, shelters and food pantries.
Julius said ultimately their goal for Step by Step is to find good homes for dogs and provide a service to people in need.
Right now, she is working to get information about the program out to local doctors who can recommend patients in need of service dogs. They also hope to put together a monthly newsletter for new owners, offering helpful tips and encouragement, she said.
"Don't worry," Julius tells clients. "Leave that to me."
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