Sunday, August 13, 2023

Action vs Reaction

 

It is easy to spend your time reacting to your dog's unwanted behavior. For   Example...

·         Yelling "No!" after he has tipped over the trash

·         Calling "Come here, boy" after he sprints out the door

·         Commanding "Off, off, off" after the dog's paws are up around your   shoulders

After is too late.

You need to anticipate your dog's behavior and take action accordingly. Your   puppy is predictable. You know that he will jump on guests, pull you out the   door and try to steal the cat food. This is not news. That being the case, why   not make a plan for success?

Train your puppy.  There are common behaviors that puppies exhibit and will continue exhibiting throughout their lives if they are not taught differently.  Learn about these common behaviors and how to teach a puppy about them and what you expect instead.

There are also common reactions from humans in response to common puppy  behaviors.  Train yourself in how to respond when you see your dog/puppy doing something you don’t want, always remembering that (especially in a younger dog) that behavior is most likely normal and not your dog being “bad”.

Are you part of the problem?

Before you blame your dog for his behavior, take a close look at your own.   What he learns is up to you. How he behaves is up to you. If you want him to   change his behavior, you will have to change yours first. Over the   years, I have noticed a few common mistakes people make with their dogs. These   mistakes often lead to problem behavior. Let's look at some of these before we   start trying to work with the dog. Have you:

Been over emotional?

I remind clients all the time to relax. Housebreaking mistakes or jumping up   may be annoying but they aren't felonies. Take a breath. To teach you need to be   calm, relaxed, enthused, and clear. If you're not, don't expect the dog to   respond the way you want. Yelling, screaming, and hitting are not helpful. They   invariably make matters worse, adding new problems to the list you already have.   Dogs may respond temporarily out of surprise, intimidation, or fear, but they   have not been taught exactly what you want so they will make the mistake again.

Been inconsistent?

How can you expect consistency from your dog, if you can't get it from   yourself? Are you consistent about your word usage or are you a bit casual?   Maybe giving the command "sit" one time, "sit down" the next? How about your   expectations? You say sit and he lies down but you let it slide? How about your   praise? When he grabs his leash and tugs on Saturday morning you laugh but when   he does it on Monday morning you get annoyed? Do you praise your dog when he   does listen? Your dog will never know what you want without praise. Decide which   behaviors you want and which you don't want and then stick to that decision. If   you do your part, he'll do his.

Been exercising him enough?

If your dog is behaving poorly, up his exercise. This is especially true for   Sporting, Terrier and Nordic breeds and mixes (Nordic includes the sled dogs:   Huskies, Malamutes, Samoyeds). Many dogs need an hour or more of hard running a   day to behave like civilized pets.

Been complaining more than practicing?

It's easy to complain about your dog. It is much harder to take action.   Training is not magic. It takes work. Dog training is wonderful. Work effectively with the dog and he'll improve. If you're working frequently but not seeing the desired results, question your methods, not your dog’s abilities.

Misinterpreting his actions?

Be absolutely sure you understand why he is doing something before you try to   change his behavior. Once I walked into a home and the unneutered male Yorkie   immediately clamped onto my leg, humping madly. The owner cooed "Oh, isn't that   sweet? He's hugging you." This is not an affectionate gesture. It is an   extremely assertive act, especially to a stranger, and points to serious   aggression present or brewing.

Here are some behaviors that are commonly misinterpreted.

Submissive wetting

Dog means: So sorry. Owner thinks: "Spiteful!"

Growling

Dog means: Back off. Owner thinks: "He's talking" or "He doesn't really mean it."

Pulling on lead

Dog means: Let me get away from this choking feeling. Owner thinks: "He must be stupid if he's choking himself like that."

Chewing your favorite pair of shoes

Dog means: I'm frightened. This smells good, like my owner. Owner   thinks: "He's getting me back for leaving him "alone."

Repeating Yourself?

If you repeat commands, you are begging to be ignored. Obedience on the first   command is not optional. It may save his life and it will certainly simplify   yours. Give the command once. Enforce it immediately. Praise him right away.

Bored?

If you are bored, surely your dog will be. You set the tone for your dog.   Having fun is not just a nice idea, it's necessary. Praise him, surprise him,  enjoy yourself! Both dogs and people learn quickly when the teaching is fun!

 

 

Thursday, August 12, 2021

I AM A SERVICE DOG

 

The adventures of Caoimhe (Keeva), the medical alert service dog.

What is a Service Dog

According to law (2011 American’s With Disabilities Act from the Department of Justice):

"Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities."

The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability.

A service dog is specifically trained to help people who have disabilities, such as visual or hearing impairments, mental illnesses, seizure disorder, mobility issues, autism, allergies and diabetes.

Service Dogs are not servants. Trained correctly, a service dog joyfully and intently does its job helping its handler.

A service dog is specifically trained to help people who have disabilities, such as visual impairment, hearing impairments, mental illnesses (such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), seizure disorder, mobility impairment, and diabetes.

Service dogs bring freedom to their partners every hour of every day.

A person with a service dog has the same rights as anyone as granted by federal law (The Americans With Disabilities Act), which allows them to take their dog into all public facilities.

Service dogs should never be separated from their handlers! It can take 2 years to fully train a service dog.

Service dogs must be physically health, behaviorally stable, and should enjoy working with their partner.

What Does a Service Dogs Do?

Service Dogs have changed a lot over the last 20 years.

In the last 2 decades, the things that service dogs can do have grown 1000 times. Much more than just guiding the blind.

Just about any disability a person could have a dog could help with. From diabetes, to PTSD, from blood pressure issues to fainting.

Service Dogs are amazing.

Medical Detection and Alert Dogs sense bio-chemical changes in your body that indicate disease.

Hearing dogs alert their owners to common sounds like doorbells and point out the sound to their owner.

Mobility dogs do bracing, pulling, leading, crowd control, balance assistance, preventing falling and fainting Injuries, finding exits, finding the car, finding help safely, and much more!

Helping Others

Sophie is a mini–Australian Shepherd. She helps her owner hear. Whenever a sound happens near her owner, she bumps her owner’s thigh and then points to the sound with her nose. Some service dogs can do more than one thing. Sophie can also tell her owner when her blood sugar isn't optimal.

PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOG TRAINING

PTSD, Panic Disorders, Autism, and a host of other mental health issues can benefit from having a service dog.

Here is Bear. Bear is an Australian Shepherd. He helps his owner with anxiety, panic attacks, depression and blood sugar levels.

Where Can Service Dogs Go?

Service Dogs can go just about anywhere. They can go anywhere their owner can go, even into the hospital.

There are rules about being in certain places, but as long as the Service Dog doesn't bother anyone or cause people to work harder, they can go there if their owner can.

Many people use a service animal in order to fully participate in everyday life. Dogs can be trained to perform many important tasks to assist people with disabilities live a fuller life.

The ADA requires State and local government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations that provide goods or services to the public to make "reasonable modifications" in their policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to accommodate people with disabilities.

ADA 2010 Guidelines About Public Access

Inquiries, Exclusions, Charges, and Other Specific Rules Related to Service Animals

The Department of Justice published revised final regulations implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for title II (State and local government services) and title III (public accommodations and commercial facilities) on September 15, 2010, in the Federal Register. These requirements, or rules, contain updated requirements, including the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design (2010 Standards).

Overview

This publication provides guidance on the term “service animal” and the service animal provisions in the Department’s regulations.

Beginning on March 15, 2011, only dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA.

A service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.

Generally, title II and title III entities must permit service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go.

How “Service Animal” Is Defined

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act.

Some State and local laws also define service animal more broadly than the ADA does. Information about such laws can be obtained from the relevant State attorney general’s office.

Where Service Animals Are Allowed

Under the ADA, State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is allowed to go. For example, in a hospital it usually would be inappropriate to exclude a service animal from areas such as patient rooms, clinics, cafeterias, or examination rooms. However, it may be appropriate to exclude a service animal from operating rooms or burn units where the animal’s presence may compromise a sterile environment.

Service Animals Must Be Under Control

A service animal must be under the control of its handler. Under the ADA, service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered, unless the individual’s disability prevents using these devices or these devices interfere with the service animal's safe, effective performance of tasks. In that case, the individual must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective controls.

Inquiries, Exclusions, Charges, and Other Specific Rules Related to Service Animals

When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, only limited inquiries are allowed. Staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform. Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations within the room or different rooms in the facility.

A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken. When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, staff must offer the person with the disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence.

Establishments that sell or prepare food must generally allow service animals in public areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.

People with disabilities who use service animals cannot be isolated from other patrons, treated less favorably than other patrons, or charged fees that are not charged to other patrons without animals. In addition, if a business requires a deposit or fee to be paid by patrons with pets, it must waive the charge for service animals.

If a business such as a hotel normally charges guests for damage that they cause, a customer with a disability may also be charged for damage caused by himself or his service animal.

Staff are not required to provide care for or supervision of a service animal.

Miniature Horses

In addition to the provisions about service dogs, the Department’s ADA regulations have a separate provision about miniature horses that have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. (Miniature horses generally range in height from 24 inches to 34 inches measured to the shoulders and generally weigh between 70 and 100 pounds.) Entities covered by the ADA must modify their policies to permit miniature horses where reasonable. The regulations set out four assessment factors to assist entities in determining whether miniature horses can be accommodated in their facility. The assessment factors are (1) whether the miniature horse is housebroken; (2) whether the miniature horse is under the owner’s control; (3) whether the facility can accommodate the miniature horse’s type, size, and weight; and (4) whether the miniature horse’s presence will not compromise legitimate safety requirements necessary for safe operation of the facility.

For more information about the ADA, please visit our website or call our toll-free number.

ADA Website

www.ADA.gov

To receive e-mail notifications when new ADA information is available,

visit the ADA Website’s home page to sign up for email updates.

ADA Information Line

800-514-0301 (Voice) and 800-514-0383 (TTY)

24 hours a day to order publications by mail.

M-W, F 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Th 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

to speak with an ADA Specialist. All calls are confidential.

For persons with disabilities, this publication is available in alternate formats.

Duplication of this document is encouraged.

The Americans with Disabilities Act authorizes the Department of Justice (the Department) to provide technical assistance to individuals and entities that have rights or responsibilities under the Act. This document provides informal guidance to assist you in understanding the ADA and the Department's regulations.

This guidance document is not intended to be a final agency action, has no legally binding effect, and may be rescinded or modified in the Department's complete discretion, in accordance with applicable laws. The Department's guidance documents, including this guidance, do not establish legally enforceable responsibilities beyond what is required by the terms of the applicable statutes, regulations, or binding judicial precedent.

Originally issued: July 12, 2011

Last updated: February 24, 2020

Keeva's Adventures

Keeva is a Boxer / Afghan mix. She was originally trained to detect Cancer, Kidney Disease and watch Blood Sugar levels.

She is now trained to detect levels of chemicals produced by mast cells in her owners’ body that could cause a medical emergency.

Keeva is the star of two 90-minute documentaries - one in Germany and one in Japan. She has been the subject of many news programs, magazine articles and numerous blog posts.

Here is the Japanese film crew getting video of Keeva. She got so use to the cameras, the GoPro's attached to her collar, the foreign languages and 100's of people watching, that she just treated it like normal life.

Testimonial From Keeva’s Owner’s Mother

"[XXX] had the opportunity to go out with friends to a coffee shop in the area. While standing in line, a woman remarked loudly to her companion “what is a DOG doing in here!” Her companion replied “it’s a service dog.” The woman said “I don’t care that’s disgusting and gross!!!” [XXX] briefly glanced over but was focused on getting her drink and treat and spending quality time with friends. Then she and her friends found a table and Keeva became almost invisible under the table but remained vigilant to alert [XXX] to triggers which could be deadly to her.

[XXX] was able to sit and socialize with friends. I wish this woman could see what we see when we see [XXX] and her amazing Keeva with her. We see freedom and a chance for her to have a more normal life! She is able to socialize and to freely go about her business and focus on other things besides her illness. We see less trips to the ER and less time in isolation. We see professionalism, with every alert Keeva makes, her pulling [XXX] to safer places, finding exits for her, and getting help as needed. And we see joy!!! Joy in breathing, living, experiencing life the way any teenager should!!!

How much people miss out on when they don’t see, really see, the experience of others and they remain in their own narrow, angry world. So thankful for this amazing, beautiful, wonder dog!!! "

Can I Have A Service Dog?

First test: do you have a disability?

It is important to remember that in the context of the ADA, “disability” is a legal term rather than a medical one.

The ADA defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.

THE ADA LIST OF DISABILITIES defines “disability” very broadly and does not limit the type of disability for which a service animal can be used.

The essence of the law states that if you have any condition that makes it difficult to perform or limits an important life activity, you are qualified. You are not required to have a doctor’s prescription.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability as an individual with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

To break down this definition:

The person must have a record and/or be regarded as having the impairment, which can include having difficulty hearing, seeing, walking, and learning, as well as a loss of physical or mental function

Major life activities including activities that are essential to a person’s life, such as performing manual tasks.

This does not mean that every disabled person can use a service dog. There must be tasks the dog can do for you that directly relate to your loss of physical or mental function.

But the list of tasks that dogs can be trained for are getting longer every year as creative trainers figure out how to train a new task.

Can I Pet A Service Dog?

In short, the answer is no. If you see a dog wearing a harness, vest, or cape, assume it’s working. Service dogs provide mobility, guidance, medical alert, and assistance for their handlers and interfering with what the team is doing could result in a dangerous situation.

You wouldn’t try to distract your parent while driving a car, would you? No! That would be dangerous. The same goes for a service dog. When you see a service dog, assume it’s working to prevent any harm to it's handler.

This means:

  • NO petting
  • NO talking to
  • NO saying his/her name
  • NO eye contact
  • NO action in an attempt to get the dog’s attention

Just Pretend The Dog Is Not There

When it comes to Service Dogs, the rule is NO DISTRACTION. No touch, no talk, no eye contact. Why? Because distracting a service dog is like putting a blanket over your mom's face when she is driving the car!

Invisible Disabilities

Not all disabilities are visible and not all disabled people ride in wheelchairs or navigate with a cane.

Not all Service Dogs wear vests or capes or other identification.

So your job is to always ask. You should never pet any dog, no matter whether it is a service dog or not, without getting permissions from the dog's handler.

Training A Service Dog

Public Access

Obedience Training: a dog must master the basic obedience skills: "Sit, Stay, Come, Down, Heel" and a dropped leash recall in a store in response to verbal commands and/or hand signals.

Manners: a dog must acquire proper social behavior skills. Leave it, stop, no jumping, potty trained, no barking or biting and no pulling on the leash unless it is a specific task trained for specific circumstances.

Assistance Tasks

A basic retrieve skill is a must no matter what the disability specific tasks might be. This would include knowing directions (left, right, forward, back), and being able to target an object.

Door chores, pushing buttons, dropping objects in a receptacle, taking objects out of a receptacle and many other simple tasks

Disability Specific Tasks

Other than guide dogs and hearing dogs, most other service dogs either do mobility and assistance or medical alert, support and response. Even psychiatric service dogs are doing medical alert, response and support.

18 Months of Training

It takes time and effort to train a service dog. They must be bomb proof in public, have discrimination skills and know when and how to do their job.

A service dog must also have a deep bond with his handler.

You Can Train Your Own Dog

There are no rules or laws on how a dog is trained, who trains the dog, or even what is trained other than the task specific behaviors.

If you want to train your own dog, go right ahead.

Raising A Service Puppy

 

Raising A Service Puppy

hen you raise a puppy to be a service dog, you are ensuring that the puppy grows up prepared for the work that is necessary.

For years, puppies have been raised as service dogs for the blind. But today, puppies are raised to assist the deaf, injured military veterans, children with autism and people with disabilities of all kinds, according to the American Disabilities Act.

Raising a service dog requires you to spend time socializing and training the dog for the first 12 to 18 months of his life. The goal of this training is to raise a puppy who can bring a higher quality of life to his disabled owner.

Not all dogs have the temperament or disposition to be service animals. Make sure you always consult a qualified trainer/behavior consultant before accepting a puppy, or an older dog, for service dog training.

Meeting Puppy Needs

Any particular dog has many instinctive motivations to do what they do - finding food, finding mates, feeling safe during rest, not wasting energy on unproductive activities and interaction with others. He consciously or unconsciously controls his environment in order to provide for himself the necessities of survival. Living with humans is an artificial environment and most of the necessities of survival are provided by the humans - usually in abundance.

Conservation of energy plays a huge part of what I train a potential service dogl. Most dogs, when confronted by a human that has food in their hand and keeps withholding it, will try jumping, lunging, biting, barking and many other strategies for getting that food - mostly assertive methods.

These are not very energy conscious types of activities. But these methods are what are hard wired into a puppy in order to get an adult to feed them by vomiting up whatever they ate that day. Eventually, the adult dogs teach the puppy to tend to his own necessities and those methods of "begging" are extinguished.

Not so in the human world. Humans tend to let a pup continue those activities and then complain about them when the pup is a 90 lb menace. Humans need to show their pups the same thing they would be learning from the adult dogs in their social group - how to provide for themselves with the least amount of energy expended. In our world that means learning manners about food, doors, cars, walks, guests, cats and other things found in the human existence. The pup needs to learn how to use its energy to control this environment in order to get its needs met.

Observing the Obvious

How do you teach somebody to see what is actually there? Too many people see only what their upbringing, experiences and prejudices allow them to see. And too many also see what there isn’t, made up to either make sense of what is there are because the person can't see something without fear and so doesn't see it consciously.

The art of actual observation is tremendously neglected in our society.

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." - Sherlock Holmes 

Observation of the world, your community, the weather and the environment were natural from childhood.

It's the only way you ever see anything; you observe the obvious.

I know a lot of people who have issues with the CBS show "The Mentalist." What happens on that show is someone who sees what is there, the minutia as well as the larger things. The character in this show, as he says over and over, isn't clairvoyant, he just notices things. Everything, in fact.

Most of us don't do that. With images and information constantly buzzing around us, we've conditioned ourselves to "grazing," to picking out only the bits that are most interesting and ignoring the rest.

Understanding Context

Dogs however see everything. Dogs are very contextual. It often surprises me that the word "generalization" came into being in the dog training world. It should be specialization since what is actually happening with training is that the dog learns that the environment is not part of any particular action (like sit). The dog learns that actions are separate from the environment instead of being a part of it.

But in seeing everything and including everything in the environment as part of any action or experience, dogs also have specific responses when something goes wrong. Just like learning a new behavior, having things go wrong include everything that was there at the moment of the trauma.

Learn this about your dog. They see and remember everything, especially during a traumatic experience. Learn to help a dog separate the trauma from the environment in much the same way you help a dog learn that sit means put the rear on the ground and doesn't include your favorite chair in the living room.

“Perfection is the lowest standard a human could ever take on because it is unattainable therefore you ultimately have no standard at all. You are preparing for failure, because that is your ultimate expectation.” - Anthony Robbins

Seeking Perfection

The desire to be perfect burdens many people and ironically dooms them to unhappiness. At first, we might think that trying to be prefect is desirable.

Perfection suggests a state of flawlessness, without any defects. Seeking perfection at a particular task might be achievable and certainly students can strive to attain a perfect grade or you can try to accomplish a perfect job at something. Yet, the goal of being perfect in everything is altogether a different story.

The closest thing to perfection is in the ability to be fully present. Without any distracting thoughts, measuring or grading ourselves, we're free to really be in the moment. It's in that moment that we're truly alive. Yet, the perfectionist isn't typically present as they're either busy critiquing the past and replaying their every decision or worrying about the future. So, you see the perfectionist is never really present. Isn't that ironic?

Dogs live in the present. There is no “worry” about the future other than that necessary for survival and since we provide that, not much worry is accomplished. There is no measuring of past actions by a dog, what’s past is done unless it may trigger the possibility of trauma, but it’s not examined. So in many ways, our dog are already more perfect than we are in their natural state.

What Is Perfection

Being present also means not worrying about what others think. Being present means not worrying about whether you are going to make a mistake, taking the pressure off so that mistakes have a much lesser chance of happening.

Our dogs make mistakes for similar reasons to why humans do:

  • Lack of training - don't assume your dog is only being stubborn.
  • Poor communication – the dog doesn't know what you want.
  • Sudden Environmental Changes – the startle factor can really mess up a performance
  • Emotional Pressure – That pressure, which in most cases causes the dog to want to move faster, creates mistakes – missed behaviors, sloppy behaviors and refused behaviors.
  • Complexity – the dog has been asked to do something that has been poorly trained or not trained.
  • 7 areas in your relationship with your dog that require patience and attention - not seeking perfection.
  • Your dog’s and your own health and fitness
  • The emotional relationship you have with your dog and how s/he reflects you
  • Your perception of your relationship with your dog
  • Time and focus
  • Goals in life, working and sport with your dog
  • The value of the exchange medium you have with your dog
  • Celebrating success and contributing to your dog’s understanding of that success

Remember these and your journey with your service dog prospect will be filled with joy, not frustration due to unreal expectations.

6 vital areas of training a service puppy

Enrichment - Meeting the needs of the DOG and following the path of growth as close to naturally as possible.

Husbandry - Showing the puppy that being handled, poked, prodded, groomed and just cuddled is all fun.

Environment - Secure space, species appropriate food, water, space to grow, remove dangerous substances.

Socialization - Not just exposure to the world, but fun, trauma free, interaction. Learn to read stress in your puppy.

Impulse Control and Self-Control - Teach what mama dog would teach - patience, understanding, communication and boundaries, and you will have impulse control.

Engagement - Your pup needs to learn to engage with you before any other engagement and to focus on what you are teaching and eventually on the tasks that the puppy will be doing to help you.

Equipment Makes A Difference

There are a zillion pieces of equipment out there purportedly for training our dogs.

Service dogs, especially assistance dogs, require training for opening and shutting doors, turning lights on and off, and other various tasks.

Training these tasks takes equipment. But for basic obedience and most foundation training the equipment needed is only dependent on where you are training.

No tools are required to train any dog for anything. Activity required equipment is necessary, but you can train a naked dog easier then hanging all kinds of things from his body.

Once the dog knows what to do without any extraneous tools, putting a leash, collar, and harness on him is a piece of cake.

Consult Your Dog's Understanding

Self-control is much more important than the human control of "obedience". Jamie Robinson

Most methods of training are about controlling the dog; ensuring that the dog does what you ask, when you ask and how you ask him to do it.

Most of those methods also use some form of avoidance to achieve a level of control over the dog and have fanciful and complicated tools to create this control.

Those tools generally deliver to the dog pain or discomfort that must be avoided. The dog learns how to avoid what the tools deliver by doing the actions you "command".

Some "obedience" is necessary with a service dog, but most areas that service dogs are trained for need "intelligent disobedience".

Training with pain, intimidation, unnecessary force, compulsion or discomfort does not allow any disobedience at all. It also doesn't teach the dog what to do when you and your tools aren't around.

Intelligent disobedience is necessary with a service dog and the only way to train it is by consulting your dog's understanding of what is being taught.

I have a great picture of Micah being totally upset with me. He alerted on a low blood sugar, I said "thank you", and because I was outside with all the pups in training, did not have my meter on me.

He is trained to stop alerting when I test myself with the glucose meter. When he saw that I did not test, he tried to alert again (persistence). I said "enough" and he got upset.

This is intelligent disobedience at work. A dog trained with compulsion would have just accepted the initial "thank you" and gone away.

Games for your puppy that teach the six basics

A Game of Enrichment

A sensory garden appeals to a dog’s strongest sense: smell. Scientists estimate a dog’s nose to be tens of thousands of times more sensitive to odor than ours. If their eyes were as strong as their noses, what a human can see at a third of a mile, a dog could see more than 3,000 miles away. And the part of their brain that’s devoted to analyzing those smells is, 40 times greater than ours.

So get a dog sniffing, and you get his mind working.

It doesn't matter how big or small the space you have to "garden" in is. Big or small, your dog is entertained, mentally and physically challenged and allowed to indulge in the basic sense - smell.

Environmental enrichment basically means making an animal's space more interesting and more fulfilling of its needs.

Consider your dog’s personality when you create a sensory garden. Look at your pet as an individual, and decide what they need, If they’re really hyper, attracting birds for them to bark at isn’t the way to go.”

A Game Of Scent and Understanding

This is going to be a bit different from the normal scavenger hunt where you just hide your dog’s food or toys and have her find them. In this game you are going to be asking your dog to make a choice between items each time she finds a stash. Each stash should have food, toys and household objects that you don’t ever want her to interact with.

Create a stash of one treat, one toy and one object in the living room while your dog is either in a down stay in the kitchen or playing with another human in another room. Call your dog and tell her “find it”.

You must be ready to body block both the food and the object so that her only valid choice is the toy. This is a game of how motivating toys are for her, but she is not to choose the food or the household object.

Repeat this game in most rooms of the house. Each room should have one treat, one toy and a household object that is common for that room, such as a frying pan for the kitchen.

A series of games for focus and engagement, prediction and rhythm.

Beginning Find My Face

Wait for your dog to be in front of you, sit/stand/down, it doesn't matter and don’t ask for any specific behavior. Throw a cookie on the floor and then wait. Your dog will go for the treat and eventually look up at you to see if more is coming. Give your marker (click or say "yes") and throw another treat on the floor. Keep this up until you have a great rhythm going. Fifty repetitions of this should only take about 5 minutes once you have a rhythm going.

Advanced Find My Face

On the next throw, instead of throwing the treat straight down as in game 1, throw the treat about 5 feet to your left making sure that you have enough leash so the dog doesn't end up tugging on it to get to the treat. At the instant your dog makes the decision to turn back toward you, just like the whiplash turn, mark the behavior and throw the next treat 5 feet to your right. Again, get a great rhythm going on this so the dog is actually predicting where the next treat is going to be. Don't make it "interesting", it's a pattern with a rhythm. The dog cannot learn to predict his environment and understand that he can do so if you are constantly changing the game. Keep it simple and try to put the treats in the same place on each throw.

Expert Find My Face

Throw a treat our in front of you. As your dog goes to get it, turn around so your back is facing your dog. He must come around and find your face.

Some dogs have a problem with coming all the way around, so make your first turns half way instead of a full turn.

Continue this game for at least 50 repetitions.

A Game of Self Control and Calm - Do Nothing

There are instructions galore out there for teaching a dog to relax. Place, settle, relaxed downs. But it's all on cue; rarely does the dog make the actual association that the cue means the dog can actually relax. Cues have side effects.

I'm not saying that all methods of teaching a settle don't work, all I'm saying is that in order for the dog actually to be relaxed, it needs to be the dogs understanding and choice. If they truly can't relax, then it’s possible there are other reasons than a lack of training.

So instead of cueing our dogs with this exercise, we are going to do NOTHING. This game works best during times when you are sitting watching TV, on the computer, knitting, or reading a book. This won't stop your dog from getting up and following you to the loo, or investigating the refrigerator with you, but s/he will settle again once you do.

To start, put your dog on a leash, sit down and start doing something quiet as listed above. When your dog sits, reward on the floor, do not put the food in the dog's mouth. This will of course cause him to stand up to get the food. Rinse and repeat increasing the time between the sit and the treat EACH time. It may only be an increase of 2 seconds, but it must be increased each time.

Eventually, somewhere around 20 seconds between sit and treat, your dog will lay down. Two treats. At this point the dog shouldn't need to get up. The treats should be between the dog's paws so that s/he doesn't have to get up. S/he may get up anyway, so just keep waiting for the down.

When you get to 3 minutes, move to a different spot in the house. You can do the same activity, or you can change the activity.

Pet With Purpose - A Game of Handling and Grooming

There are ways to create and/or to strengthen the bond you have with your dog. One of the easiest ways is to just be there with your dog. No other agenda, no checking your friends status on Facebook or sitting in front of the TV.

A great thing you can do to deepen your bond with your dog is to pet him with purpose. Don't just pet your dog absentmindedly when you're staring at your computer, talking to a family member, or watching TV. Let your dog see that you really care about him by petting him while looking him in the eyes.

You can even call him toward you to begin the petting session. Using his name as you pet him reinforces your bond with your dog.

Petting has many forms. There is the quick scritch or pat on the head, the hard stroke down the head or the back, the absent-minded circles somewhere on the dog's body and the full-blown rub down. Each of these touches says something to your dog.

Start with long slow strokes from head to tail, from head down the legs and around the belly always starting from the head. Target specific areas by scratching behind the ears, cheeks, under the chin, bridge of the nose, chest (Asher's favorite spot), and between the eyes (Micah's favorite spot).

Gently rub only the skin, not the underlying muscle, in a circular motion with three fingers, going down the neck and around the shoulders; then keep the motion going from the buttocks down the thighs.

Give gentle lifts and squeezes down each leg starting at the top of the leg and finishing near the feet. Walk your thumb and forefinger down each side of the spine, with circular motions about the size of a quarter, to the base of the tail.

Lastly, to finish this off, put your hands on your dogs shoulders and lightly brush down to the elbows. Move down the spine so you're doing the brushing stroke from the spine around the chest and then the belly area finishing off with the hips and thighs.

A Game For the Environment - Name That

Start with an object your dog actually likes whose name is already familiar to your dog, such as a ball. Lay it in a clear area alongside two other objects, such as a hairdryer and hairbrush. Point to the first object and tell your dog to "Find the xxxx".

Mark and reward all successful attempts even if he goes to the known object last.

Repeat this until your dog is reliably going to the known object first.

Add another familiar object to the set, one whose name is familiar to your dog like his bowl. Alternate asking your dog to find each of the two familiar objects.

Mix up the positions of the objects between every trial and repeat until your dog is reliably finding the object named without needing to inspect the other objects.

Two Game For Socialization

Pass The Puppy

Divide your puppy’s meal of kibble into small plastic bags, one bag for each person visiting. Before starting the game, if necessary, explain to everyone how to properly hold the puppy by supporting her rear end. The first person then picks up the puppy and gives her a piece of kibble. The person touches one of her paws, gives her a piece of kibble.

Touches another paw, gives a piece of kibble. Touches her ears, gives a piece of kibble. Touches her tail, gives a piece of kibble. Looks at her teeth, gives a piece of kibble. Then the person passes the puppy on to the next person, who goes through the same routine.

Puppy Recalls

Divide your puppy’s meal of kibble into small plastic bags, one bag for each person visiting. Have everyone sit in a circle on the floor, with the puppy in the center of the circle. One person calls the puppy to come and holds out the piece of kibble. When the puppy goes to the person, she gets the kibble and lots of petting and praising. Then someone else in the circle repeats the routine. This game teaches your puppy that it’s rewarding to approach people in a calm manner.

Preparing For Your Puppy

Anything within reach is fair game for puppy’s teeth. To puppy proof your home:

  • Pick up or secure trashcans, hampers, books, magazines and breakables.
  • Put household cleaners, poisons, pesticides and medications behind secure cabinet doors or out of reach.
  • Run electrical cords through conduit or attach them onto baseboards
  • Rid the house and garden of toxic plants and poisons (see Chapter on Puppy’s health).
  • Keep cigarettes and ashtrays out of reach.
  • Dispose of bones and keep trash out of your puppy’s reach.
  • Close bathroom doors or toilet lids especially when cleaners or deodorants are used in the toilet bowl.
  • Keep screens or windows shut especially in upper story rooms.
  • Keep holiday ornaments out of reach - shiny glass bulbs and tinsel are attractive and dangerous.
  • Keep scented candles out of reach. They may smell and taste good, but can cause intestinal distress and make the puppy very sick.

Equipment Needed For a New Puppy

  • Food and Water Dishes: We recommend stainless steel bowls. They are durable and can be thoroughly cleansed.
  • Food: Service Dog pups require a quality puppy food. You can expect your puppy to eat 40 lbs or more of puppy food before switching to adult food.
  • Leashes and Collars: A buckle collar to hang tags on is best as it will grow best with the pup. A leather leash will get you started.

Essential Equipment

Crates and Gates: We recommend a portable crate that will last the entire time you are raising puppies. It should fit your puppy as an adult dog. The typical size is 24-26” wide, 36-38”deep and 32-34” tall. You can purchase a plastic molded crate or a metal wire crate. The wire crate folds down and travels in less space, provides more ventilation and your puppy can see things going on around him. Plastic crates are lighter weight, provide more privacy and puppies are not likely to pull or push things through the side openings.

Each has its benefits and drawbacks, so choose the one that best fits your lifestyle. Your crate is an essential tool for safe puppy raising, and an important investment.

Baby gates help to keep your puppy safely confined and assist with house training. You may want to buy, make or borrow several.

Good Toys: There are many toys on the market today, so how do you decide which are safe and which could prove to be fatal? Toys that have a reputation for being sturdy are the Nylabone toys, however we do not recommend them as puppies have a tendency to chew off pieces and swallow them.

There are some of the Nylabone toys that are not as dangerous. The Kong toys or the similar Pet Planet or Goodie Ship have a long life but must be watched for wear and tear.

ALL TOYS SHOULD BE CHECKED FOR RIPS OR TEARS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THROW AWAY TOYS AS SOON AS THEY BECOME WORN TO THE POINT THAT THEY ARE UNSAFE.

Bringing Your Puppy Home

Try to prevent inappropriate behavior, or redirect your puppy with a toy or food and show him better things to do – it is much easier than trying to correct problem behavior once it has become a bad habit. - Jamie Robinson

Allow plenty of time to let your puppy bond a bit with you before heading home.

On your way home, have a safe place for the puppy to travel. A small crate is necessary unless you have passengers to hold him.

When you arrive home, take the puppy to his designated “potty” area. Give the cue for him to potty. Once he does his business, give immediate praise, letting your puppy know he has done well.

You are now ready to take the puppy into his home and slowly introduce him to his new surroundings.

Limit your puppy to just a room or two at first. Allowing your puppy too much freedom in the house greatly increases the probability of “accidents”.

Introduce your puppy to all the things in “his” room. When he finds something inappropriate (he will!), distract him by calling his name, and then reward him with food, a toy or a quick game.

Your new puppy will investigate everything, and his attention span is very short. Temporarily put up or remove anything that could be dangerous to him.

A puppy is learning, he doesn’t yet know the rules. Teach him. It’s easier on you and him if you concentrate on what you DO want and not the zillion things you DON’T want.

Punishment and corrections are only good for a moment. Reinforcement and rewards are good for life.

Slowly introduce your puppy to each room in the house over the next few days or weeks.

Remember to distract/redirect him from inappropriate activity and praise him for good behavior. Never leave him loose and unattended for at least the first month or two.

Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas are parasitic insects, which live on blood from your pet. When it comes to fleas, an ounce of prevention is worth many pounds of cure. We recommend that you use a topical flea spray, powder or dip during warm months. Apply the repellent to your puppy each time you take him away from home, or as often as directed by the product label.

Monthly topical ointments, such as BioSpot, Advantage, Frontline or Revolution can be used once puppies are old enough, based on the product label. Read the labels for these types of products very carefully.

Should you ever find fleas on your pets or in your home, you will need to go through a complete flea removal regimen. Remove and wash or throw out all pet bedding. Thoroughly vacuum your house, paying special attention to dark out-of-the-way areas and along walls, where fleas prefer to lay their eggs. Throw the vacuum bag away. Use a premise spray or bomb, paying special attention to those dark corners. Your outdoor puppy play area should be sprayed or bombed.

Thoroughly clean and spray any area your pets frequent. Don’t forget your car. Use a topical ointment on your puppy and any other family cats or dogs. All these things must be done at the same time, and the premise spray must be repeated again in two weeks to kill any eggs that may not have been affected by the original treatment. It is a good idea to have a stool sample tested soon after fleas are diagnosed since fleas are common carriers of tapeworms. A complete flea treatment can cost $100.00 or more. Need we say more about the value of prevention?

Vaccinations

Your puppy most likely received his first set of immunizations shortly after weaning to help prevent some common viral and bacterial diseases. The vaccines usually include components for distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, kennel cough (parainfluenza, adenovirus, Bordetella), parvovirus, canine corona virus and rabies.

These vaccines must be repeated at specific intervals for maximum immunity.

Intestinal Parasites

Intestinal parasites can cause serious illness if left untreated.

Common intestinal parasites found in dogs include roundworms, tapeworms, whipworms, and hookworms.

Protozoa infestations can include giardia, coccidia and toxoplasmosis.

Your puppy was treated for worms and had a fecal test just before you took him home.

Take a stool sample with you when your puppy sees the vet for vaccinations and heartworm tests. If caught early, intestinal parasites are easily treated and will do no lasting damage.

In most cases, Ivermectin will kill all internal parasites. But always consult your veterinarian before giving your puppy anything.

A New Look At Socialization

Positive socialization experiences are so important if you want your little one to enjoy a lifetime of confident, friendly communication with the world around him.

Socialization means learning to be part of society. When we talk about socializing puppies, it means helping them learn to be comfortable as possible within human society-a society that includes many different types of people, environments, buildings, sights, noises, smells, animals and other dogs.

True learning first starts in an environment that both members of the human/dog team can concentrate – at home! With Savvy online videos, you can train your dog or pup away from over-stimulating or terrifying environments, setting it up so both you and your dog can succeed.

You want your puppy to see the world as a friendly place, and the people and animals he shares it with as his friends. To make sure this happens, it's important to introduce him to as many new and different people, sights, sounds, smells and situations as possible... and as early as is safe and practical.

Puppy socialization helps build confident, friendly puppies who mature into well-behaved, calm and sociable dogs.

An important part of puppy socialization is getting your pup to feel comfortable in strange or unfamiliar surroundings. Make sure that each of the socialization events are pleasant and non-threatening, but still interactive. Just being exposed is not socialization.

Most vets will tell you not to take your puppy out until fully vaccinated. The American Veterinary Medical Association says to get socialization started after the first shots. You can read their statement here: https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2008-10-01/behavior-society-supports-early-puppy-socialization

Your Responsibilities In Public

Stores and other businesses that grant access to service puppies are truly invaluable partners to you, as we invest a year of our lives in raising each pup.

Business owners and citizens will want to know why you have a puppy with you, and as you explain the puppy-raising program, you and your puppy will be ambassadors for service dogs everywhere. We are counting on you to be courteous and responsible with your puppy in public.

Always bring clean up equipment. Even if it’s just a short trip or your puppy just did his business, accidents happen when you least expect them. Always have plastic bags, paper towels and a cleaning solution with you.

Responsible puppy raisers are welcome to return, while irresponsibility ruins it for others and leaves a poor impression of all service dogs.

Remember to ask permission before arriving. Service Dog puppies DO NOT have automatic access rights. Asking for permission ahead of time allows business owners to consider the request without pressure.

Consider providing the business with a copy of the Americans With Disabilities Act rulings on service dogs and also your state laws on public access.

Remember that your puppy is still a puppy. Select age appropriate outings and activities, and don’t expect very young puppies to be perfect. If you are having a difficult time with your puppy in a store, be considerate of others, and leave. Come back another day when things are going better.

Be friendly and answer questions. Many people will want to know about your puppy, and working dogs. Some will just want to tell you about their own dog. If you must ask them not to pet your puppy, do so in a positive way. Let them know about the important job your puppy is being raised for.

Copyright 2021 Jamie Robinson. All Rights Reserved

Action vs Reaction

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