This morning, scrolling through articles online, I stumbled upon an article about another service dog team being harassed by someone who thinks they have a natural born right to pet every dog they meet, no matter what the handler says, what kind of dog it is - pet or service dog, what the dog's body language is saying, or what else is going on at the same time. Behavior like this is irritating and sadly, far too prevalent. More and more, people are speaking out, pet owners, dog trainers, and service dog teams alike. We want to be able to socialize our dogs to the world without having to worry about some stranger invading our dog's personal space or ours, demanding things that they have no right to ask. Why Go in Public At All? Why Not Prevent These Situations By Avoiding Public Spaces?All dogs need to have some real-world training sessions to proof their basic commands and manners around all sorts of distractions. Going in public, to outdoor places and pet-friendly establishments, are great sources for distraction. This type of training is crucial for service dogs because it helps build up their confidence in public before they begin working in even more distracting environments like the mall, a grocery store, or a workplace. Anyone training a dog deserves to have their personal space, and that of their dog's respected by other people. Oncoming strangers have no idea why that dog is being trained, what the trainer's goal is, what the disposition of the dog is, likely can't read dog body language cues, and would most certainly be an interruption in whatever conversation between dog & handler is currently happening. Interruptions Can Be Good or BadInterruptions should always be expected when you're training a dog in public. Learn to expect it, learn to split your focus between your dog and what's going on around you, and accept it as fact. Interruptions can be of three types: the ones you want & actively invite, the ones you don't invite but help you make progress, the ones that make everything go sideways.
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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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