Whether your dog is working, or off-duty, you want to make sure that you can get your dog's attention. Other animals such as dogs, cats, squirrels, and rabbits, can easily steal away your dog's attention, which can be dangerous for you if you suddenly need your service dog to help you. When your dog has their gear on, you should be able to be confident that they have their "working brain" engaged and won't try to chase or play with another animal, but when they are off-duty and possibly off-leash (in your own yard), you may be concerned that your dog will be more inclined to ignore you. In this post, I'll talk a bit about why high focus on other animals can be disastrous, how to work with your dog to improve their focus on you no matter what tempting animal is nearby, and my progress with Robbie regarding this challenge.
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This is not a post about what gear to use, types of gear, or meant to criticize people who work their dogs without gear. This is merely an informative post about the pros and cons of choosing to work your dog in gear or without gear. This topic can cause confusion for handlers and the general public alike, and controversy regarding certain breeds, a sense of professionalism, and public image. I aim to clear up some of the confusion, and provide an overview of both sides of the discussion. What ADA (Federal) Law RequiresThe Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is the set of laws and regulations that every service dog handler should be very familiar with, as they explain the legal aspects of life with a service animal, including where we, the handlers, are to be allowed access in public, and how our teams should act. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is the governing body a handler should contact if they have a problem. A common source of confusion between teams and the general public seems to be on whether a team must be wearing gear or have some form of ID in order to be considered a real team.
What It Takes to Have a Dog THIS Well-Trained
From time to time, our service dogs need us to brave. What do I mean by this? How can a dog need us to be something? They are the ones that we need, not the other way around... right? Nope. Besides the obvious things like needing us to feed them, care for them, and be patient with them, there are times where they need us to be extremely brave & confident in our decisions regarding them. Difficult Decisions We Might or Will Encounter
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My Name is Sally...I have a condition called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. This blog is about my journey training Robbie, a dog who helped me regain independence, confidence, and achieve the impossible in the face of my disability. It continues on with the training of Austin, Robbie's successor. Check Out... - "More than a Dog" was published on a site called The Mighty Categories
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