C Mag: What kind of dog do you have and what does she want to do?

Erik Schubert: My mother is currently training a purebred yellow lab named Zola. She is seven months old. Her dream is to go on search and rescue missions and maybe even work with law enforcement. Right now my mom is training her by herself at a very basic level, and Zola will hopefully pursue higher service education in the future, which might lead to a career in search and rescue.

C: What is the training like for Zola?

ES: Currently, she attends some basic obedience classes because she is still very young.      The class meets once a week, and mostly just lays the foundation for being a service dog. Afterwards, we are hopeful that we will be able to get her into CARDA.

C: What is CARDA?

ES: CARDA stands for California Rescue Dog Association. It’s this organization that will turn Zola from a relatively obedient and energetic dog into a certified search and rescue dog. CARDA is also completely volunteer based, which is really cool. However, even after aspiring service dogs get into CARDA, they have to pass lots of tests to become a certified service dog. I estimate there’s about a one in ten chance that dogs will graduate from CARDA, but the ones that do are the best in the field.

C: What do you like about having Zola?

ES: Zola is really amazing because in between the hyperactive moments, she’s super relaxed. We watch “The Office” after my long day of school and her long day of training. She also loves playing fetch and messing with her favorite toy, Mr. Monkey. Right now, I am simply a playfriend of the dog. But when she grows up, it will be really amazing to know that I helped her become so talented.