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Dogs in Medford are helping people with disabilities regain their independence.

Canine Companions for Independence in Medford gave News 12 an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how exceptional dogs are matched up with students and then trained to live a life of service.

Students waited almost two years on a long candidate list to get partnered with a dog. Then, they lived with their dogs in dorms for two weeks during an intense boot camp training.

The service dogs learned up to 50 commands.

Students and their obedient four-legged friends graduated after the two-week training session.

Canine Companions for Independence doesn't charge for the dogs, training or follow-up classes.

For more on the dogs, watch the clip to the left or click News 12 Extra on Optimum TV channel 612.

Dogs in Medford are helping people with disabilities regain their independence.    Canine Companions for Independence in Medford gave News 12 an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how exceptional dogs

Long Island

LI | Weather

LIFORECAST

Be a little bit of a Scrooge this weekend for some holiday plans, not a wash out, but we're going to get wet. Yeah, it's gonna be gray. Tomorrow will definitely be the day for some of that fun. It'll be in the fifties so not too cold. You can do it. Yeah, we'll take it tomorrow and then on Sunday that's the wet day. So we are expecting rainfall on and off through the day on Sunday. So take advantage of your Saturday 56. It doesn't really feel like the holidays. It's pretty warm, but we will cool down for next week in 54 on Sunday. In the morning, light showers, most of the heavier rainfall on Sunday will get here for the afternoon and evening, but most of the day will be kind of wet. We've had the rain this evening, but the back edge is now approaching Long Island. So it will get out of here tonight. Lots of clouds. Tonight, we have warmer weather moving in. Even at this hour, we're seeing some forties and fifties southwest. It's pretty warm for this time of the year and those fifties will make their way towards Long Island tomorrow in the morning it's dry but there will be some low cloudiness around. We could have fog for the first half of the day. I think we'll see a few peaks of sunshine in the afternoon. It's not bad at all. Three o'clock, 53 Montauk and 54 in Hewlett. Now at night, after about 8 to 9 o'clock, the showers will return. It's going to be a light rain tomorrow night. Little bit of a break. Sunday morning, you can get out for your morning jog if you have to if you have anything planned. But after lunchtime you see that wet weather coming through the brighter colors that shows us there could be some pockets of heavier rainfall and this is up until about 89 o'clock at night. Our weather will start to dry out by Monday. Rainfall totals half an inch to an inch in many spots. This will be through Monday morning. So healthy little dose of rain rolling through. Then we've got a dry stretch coming up for you. Monday, 52 cooler, Tuesday at 46 much of next week will be cooler with sun and clouds.

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Canine Companions for Independence in Medford trains dogs to help disabled regain their independence