At the Bergin College of Canine Studies, there’s only one subject: service dogs.
According to their website, Bergin College’s goal “is to advance the human-canine partnership through research and education by offering quality instruction in human and canine studies”. The College is split into two schools: the Assistance Dog Institute and the School of Business and Companion Dogs. The school offers degrees spanning from certificates to a Master of Science in Canine Studies.
Built by a service dog pioneer
Currently located in Penngrove, California, the college is named after Dr. Bonnie Bergin. Importantly, Dr. Bergin is credited with creating the term service dog and is a pioneer in expanding the rights of disabled people who use assistance dogs.
Incredibly, Dr. Bergin had the idea in 1975 “after observing the beneficial role that donkeys played with helping disabled individuals abroad”. After returning home to California, Dr. Bergin got to work training service dogs. Shortly afterward, she also started a nonprofit to connect trained dogs with people in need.
“When I created the service dog, I created Canine Companions to place the dogs,” Bergin told the Press Democrat. However, the number of requests Dr. Bergin received quickly overwhelmed her. As a result, in 1991, Dr. Bergin opened the Assistance Dog Institute as a nonprofit. Over time, the Institute grew to become what is now Bergin College.
The school has a puppy room where students and volunteers potty train and socialize young dogs. However, the school also adopts dogs from shelters across Sonoma County to help teach future dog trainers and also helps place them in forever homes. For the puppies, training begins when they are as young as four weeks. By their second birthday, the dogs are on campus full-time learning basic commands and continuing to socialize. Amazingly, the dogs will learn 112 commands by the time they’re done.
Significantly, the school’s structure allows them to offer service dogs at relatively low prices. Compared to the tens of thousands of dollars people spend elsewhere, Bergin’s dogs cost $2,200 plus $558 for a two-week intensive course with the dog and their new owner.
Hard times are forcing the college to look ahead
Unfortunately, between the COVID pandemic, rising costs of living, and climate disasters in California, Bergin’s future is uncertain. Notably, the school maintains strict COVID policies, including a mask mandate, even as most of the country has ended theirs.
Regardless, even as college enrollments decline, Bergin’s unique focus has attracted enough support for the school to plan a permanent move to Oregon. Significantly, the move will allow the school to construct a larger campus that can also accommodate student housing. Hopefully, this will secure the school’s future, as the value of service dogs is immeasurable for the people who need them.
