This was supposed to be a blog about my transition from the working world into retirement. It turns out all I’ve posted about has been topics related to service dogs. I was teamed up with Hearing Dog Koogle in June 2022. Since then I’ve become very involved as a volunteer for Canine Companions, where I’ve met both other service dog graduates as well as volunteers and staff members.
You chat with a lot of people when you travel around the country with a dog. Koogle is a real ice breaker. The people we meet have all kinds of questions about service dogs, how they are trained, and how they or a loved on can get one.
Some people (and dogs) we meet can be challenging. We run into fake service dogs or people who refuse to allow us into places where the law says we can go together. It turns out there is a lot of confusion about service dogs, so my hope is that this blog can be a source of information about service dogs and their humans.
Please reach out to us either by comment or by email (jim@jimandhisdog.com) if there is anything you’d like to know about service dogs. We’ll do our best to answer your questions.
Jim Turner is a retired geologist who was born in Plainfield, New Jersey and grew up in Miami, Florida. He earned his undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Florida, and later went on to earn his PhD in geology from The Ohio State University. After completing his education, Jim began a 30-year career with Chevron, where he eventually rose to the position of senior manager. Jim and his wife, Kathleen, have four children and four grandchildren. Jim and Kathleen live in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.
Koogle is a Labrador and Golden Retriever cross who was born in El Dorado Hills, California, but grew up in South Carolina. He began service dog training when he was eighteen months old and graduated from hearing dog school at the Canine Companions Southeast Regional Training Center. Koogle met Jim Turner, at the Canine Companions Southwest Regional Training Center, where they graduated together from team training. Koogle now lives with Jim and Kathleen Turner in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.