What is Team Training?

Team Training at the Indiana Women’s Prison

When an Indiana Canine Assistant Network (ICAN) service dog is ready to graduate, there’s a lot for their new client to learn. And who better to teach them everything about their new service dog partner than the people who know the dog best – the incarcerated handlers who have spent approximately two years training them.

This intensive six-day training, known as Team Training, is held twice a year at one of three Indiana correctional facilities: Indiana Women’s Prison, Pendleton Correctional Facility, and the Correctional Industrial Facility.

During this experience, clients receiving a service dog are paired with a dedicated team of incarcerated handlers. The trainers lead the client and dog through activities, instructing and answering questions both one-on-one and in a group setting.

Team Training at Correctional Industrial Facility

Clients learn not only the specialized skills their dog is trained to perform but also valuable information about topics like The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), grooming, and medical care for their new canine companion.

In addition to time at the prison, clients go out in public for the first time during Team Training with their new service dog and ICAN staff to practice what they’ve learned in real-world situations, such as restaurants and stores.

At the end of Team Training, the incarcerated handler presents the new team with an official service dog vest, transitioning the dog from a green “in-training” vest to a blue vest, signifying the dog has officially graduated.

Team Training at Pendleton Correctional Facility; “Handing over the vest.”

For ICAN’s incarcerated trainers, Team Training is an opportunity to practice interacting with someone beyond the prison. They gain valuable social and professional skills like practicing eye contact, polite conversation, and public speaking – important skills needed to successfully reintegrate into society after their release from prison.  

ICAN’s Training Manager, Hannah Sauce, explained, “For the incarcerated handlers to actually see the client who needs the dog they are training is incredibly eye-opening. They get to see that their hard work truly matters. It’s so powerful.”  

Team Training at Pendleton Correctional Facility

For the clients, the impact of Team Training goes beyond receiving a life-changing service dog – it also offers a shift in perspective. Many arrive nervous about working with incarcerated individuals, but after just the first day, they are often surprised to discover that the handlers are not only professional but also compassionate and kind.

Team Training isn't just about the dog – it’s about fostering connections, building life skills, and changing perceptions on both ends of the leash.

If you’d like to learn more about ICAN’s prison program, click here.