What I didn't know about dog training when I started working with Robbie in 2015 could've filled a dump truck. What I learned about dog training, dog wellness, and a service dog's needs through my own educational pursuits could've filled two. In my pursuit to be a more informed dog trainer, ready to help answer any question my clients might throw at me, and to be able to help them more accurately select a dog right for the job, I've uncovered several points of information that feel pretty important to the overall success of a service dog. The problem is that in all of the conversations I've had with other trainers, other teams, and other professionals in the service dog community, these topics simply aren't covered. The primary topics of interest are, understandably, task training, what gear to use, public access etiquette, socialization, and handler rights. After spending the last 6 years dedicating my life to building up and maintaining a service dog for the long haul, I've learned that more went into his success than what most trainers talk about. A good service dog is the product of multiple components working in concert over time, in addition to early considerations that helps to shape the final dog. I will uncover 7 topics that seem to go unsaid (or mentioned infrequently), that I've found to have a valuable place in any service dog's training & management plan for life, and why they should matter enough to be openly discussed and planned for as a part of any service dog team's training and management.
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A service dog team is made up of two components, dog and handler. Sometimes, an additional person, but for simplicity's sake, let's stick to one dog, one handler. Often, people zero in on the dog's training, the dog's skill set, the dog's capabilities, and the dog's temperament/drive, and assume the handler is simply along for the ride. It's my belief, that that miscalculation might just be why so many teams struggle to overcome challenges they face in the real world or never make it to the upper stages of training. For service dog training to be successful, we need to consider the dog's training, the dog's skill set, the dog's capabilities, the dog's temperament/drive AND the handler's training, the handler's skill set, the handler's capabilities, and the handler's temperament/drive. There must be balance. We're called "handler" for a reason. We're the tiller, our service dog is the boat keeping us afloat. Most people in the dog community have heard of a test called the Canine Good Citizen exam, and they probably understand that it means your dog is not a complete raging monster, but beyond that you may or may not know what the test is all about. More over, if you're looking into training your own service dog, you may be wondering if this test or the others that the AKC offer are mandatory for your dog to be considered a real service dog. In this post, I'll delve into a what each of these tests are and how they mesh with a service dog's training. This year, our team underwent a huge change to our sense of normal. Our landlords set in motion the process of renovating our home. During this time, we were displaced from our home, had to do laundry at family's home, had our normal routines turned upside down, and eventually had to return to the house to finish the work ourselves, effectively living in a whole new chaos. Going into this, I knew it would likely be difficult for Robbie, and wanted to do everything in my power to make it go more smoothly for him. Read on to learn how I accomplished this, and my tips for other teams or general dog owners if you have house renovations in your future. When I was younger, I tried on my older sister's high heels. I wasn't very girly back then (or now) and had always been scared to try something that had a heel taller than riding boots. I wobbled all over the place in her fancy heels, almost falling down multiple times! My sister laughed but remained patient. She told me to walk as if I'd been walking in heels all my life. To walk with confidence and purpose. To walk like I believed I could walk without falling. She said that if I believed it enough, I'd find my balance. It surprised me - how could shoes tell if I was confident in my step or not? But, here's the crazy thing - it worked. Only for a few steps before I lost my balance again, but for those few steps, I stopped worrying about wearing heels and walked with pride. Heels never really caught on for me, but I did try them again in college. I remembered what my sister said and was able to wear 2" heels out for several girls' nights out without falling or stumbling. Confidence was the key. I bet you're wondering what the heck high heels could possibly have to do with service dogs. Keep reading!
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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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