How Was Robbie Trained?
Robbie came to us with very basic command knowledge. With the help of a local dog trainer, my husband & I worked as a team to teach Robbie basic and advanced obedience, socialization, manners, and public access skills. On my own, I taught him how to do various tasks that I needed to help manage my condition. Robbie was trained over the course of two years, and every day we continue to reinforce what he knows, and teach him new skills along the way. We used balanced training methods to create a well-balanced dog. Check out our Videos section to see short clips of our progress through the years.
Robbie got plenty of free time to go be a dog. We would mix training sessions with play to help him learn faster and to encourage him to enjoy working with me. After every public access adventure, we'd play outside or in the house as a release and reward.
But, with him, training didn't just happen in class. Everything around Robbie, everything that happens can be a teachable moment. Every time I answer the door and ask that Robbie sit or stand patiently by my side without rushing the door or greeting without permission, he is learning. As a service dog, it was and is especially important that his training be woven throughout my day so that he could learn all I needed him to, continues to reinforce what he knows, and so he will be ready to help me in the moment.
When Robbie is out in public, working, he is learning outside of a formal session. There will always be new experiences and new stimuli that your dog will come across on the job, because there is no way to possibly prepare your dog for every single noise, sight, smell, type of people, etc. The way you handle your dog when they come across something new on the job, that is training!
I feel that if he only ever had to listen and learn for 20 minutes 2-3x a day, that that wouldn't really set him up for success, and he would miss a lot of chances throughout the day to do the little things that make up the whole service dog. Formal training sessions are good, but they are only a fraction of the picture. Learning to focus on me, learning to move with me, learning to track me through the house, learning to wait patiently for cues to greet friends or eat meals, and so much more all work together to form a complete working dog. And as much as he is given the chance to learn throughout the day, so am I. Each day I am given the chance to learn more about him, how he thinks, his subtle cues when he needs something, and more.
But, with him, training didn't just happen in class. Everything around Robbie, everything that happens can be a teachable moment. Every time I answer the door and ask that Robbie sit or stand patiently by my side without rushing the door or greeting without permission, he is learning. As a service dog, it was and is especially important that his training be woven throughout my day so that he could learn all I needed him to, continues to reinforce what he knows, and so he will be ready to help me in the moment.
When Robbie is out in public, working, he is learning outside of a formal session. There will always be new experiences and new stimuli that your dog will come across on the job, because there is no way to possibly prepare your dog for every single noise, sight, smell, type of people, etc. The way you handle your dog when they come across something new on the job, that is training!
I feel that if he only ever had to listen and learn for 20 minutes 2-3x a day, that that wouldn't really set him up for success, and he would miss a lot of chances throughout the day to do the little things that make up the whole service dog. Formal training sessions are good, but they are only a fraction of the picture. Learning to focus on me, learning to move with me, learning to track me through the house, learning to wait patiently for cues to greet friends or eat meals, and so much more all work together to form a complete working dog. And as much as he is given the chance to learn throughout the day, so am I. Each day I am given the chance to learn more about him, how he thinks, his subtle cues when he needs something, and more.
Update 2021: Robbie was retired in July of this year due to repetitive shoulder strain. He is living his best retired life exploring on field walks with me, learning to find shed deer antlers, relaxing on soft bedding or by the wood stove in winter, and helping me train my candidate/in-training dog, Austin. Robbie does very light task work at home, on occasion, when he shows me that he feels up to it and offers.
Update 2022: Robbie began the year bouncing through deep snow, insistently helping me with little things when I needed it, and continuing to teach Austin with me. On May 21st, he was bright and happy in the morning, excited to see his friend and all seemed well. That evening, however, I returned from training in town to find him barely able to walk or stand. He was extremely lethargic and refused to eat. The following morning, he was completely unable to stand under his own power. We rushed him to an animal ER and they found several tumors, one of which was very large and had burst. We made the decision to put him down. I held him as he passed, and thanked him for everything he gave me. We buried him on our family's farm. He was only 8 and a half, but we suspected having Dane in him would mean that he would go early, just, not this early. It was all very sudden.
Every day, Robbie & I would wake up and work together throughout the day to accomplish the little things, play games, and strengthen our bond.
For us, anything and everything was a moment to learn.
Open your mind to the idea that everything is training, and you will have a better working relationship with any animal you set out to train.
For us, anything and everything was a moment to learn.
Open your mind to the idea that everything is training, and you will have a better working relationship with any animal you set out to train.