Training a dog to carry medication without dropping it, assist with dressing, alert to changes in blood sugar or pull a door open with a tether are all important tasks, requiring a level of precision that can be challenging to train. Even positive reinforcement training can create pressure—especially when you’re working on complex service dog tasks like these.
While the R+ approach makes training fun, the process can still be intense for the dog. However, there are simple ways to reduce that pressure and keep training productive and enjoyable for both the trainer and the service dog.
Set Criteria for Clarity and Success
Before starting any training session, take time to plan. Set criteria that are broken down into small, manageable steps to set the dog up to succeed. Be prepared to adjust your criteria based on how the session unfolds, and also to stop and reassess if things are not working out smoothly.
Indications that you need to revisit your criteria:
Infrequent clicking and rewarding. A common mistake is to set criteria too high. For instance, when teaching the dog to grab a dumbbell, trainers may wait for the dog to fully grab it early in the session. Count seconds in your head as you begin to train, if you have not found anything to click within about five seconds then you might need to change the criteria or revisit your training approach. In this instance, you could click and reward for the dog simply approaching the dumbbell or nudging it with their nose.
Needing to prompt the dog to get the behavior. It’s normal to have some moments where you simply need to wait a little for the dog to offer the behavior. If you find there are frequent periods of time where you are waiting so long that you are tempted to verbally or visually prompt the dog, that’s a clue that you might need to reduce your criteria or change the training approach.
The dog seems frustrated or is not engaged. If you are marking and rewarding frequently and your criteria are appropriate for the dog, the dog will remain engaged and continue offering new behaviors. If the dog stops offering behaviors or shows signs of stress in the session, it may be an indication that you need to simplify your criteria.
Work on Your Training Mechanics
Strong training mechanics are just as important as a solid plan. Pay attention to your timing, treat delivery and body position to make things as clear and stress-free as possible for your dog. All professional trainers benefit from coaching; it is invaluable to find a colleague you respect to take occasional lessons from and brush up. Alternatively, you can find a Service Dog Coach here. Many would be happy to offer a professional coaching session.
Keep Training Sessions Brief
It’s easy to let training sessions go on too long. Using a timer can help you prevent overworking your dog. A few minutes of quality training is far more effective than a long, drawn-out session that ends in frustration or fatigue. Too often as trainers, we get enthusiastic and want to push just a little bit further. As George Costanza reminded us, it’s smart to quit when you are ahead. It reduces pressure on the dog and helps keep training fun!
Choose the Right Environment
When you’re introducing new or challenging behaviors, the environment matters. Start in a calm, quiet place where the dog feels safe and is able to focus. This means there should be enough space to move around easily, the flooring should not be slippery, and there should not be interesting things to look at or smell.
As your dog gains confidence and understanding, you can slowly introduce more distractions to help generalize the behavior to different settings.
Train at Their Level — Literally
Your physical posture can create unintended pressure during training, especially with retrieves or close-contact tasks. Trainers may unintentionally hover over the dog while holding a dumbbell or stand bending over the dog to deliver a treat. This is intimidating for some dogs. Sitting in a chair can help reduce this. For some dogs, sitting on the floor may be even better. Consider putting small dogs on a couch or platform.
Additionally, be mindful of your hand and body movements in training. Avoid moving into the dog’s space; instead move back, away from the dog or to the side. If you are presenting an object for the dog to grab, hold the object away from your body and to the side. When the dog gains confidence about what’s expected, these modifications will not be necessary, but they can make a big difference when working on new behaviors that are challenging and require precision, improving the dog’s comfort and confidence, and even enhancing the behaviors offered in the training session.
Use Treat Tosses to Reset and Decompress
Trainers often deliver treats by tossing them to set up a smooth reset in training sessions. This also may help in reducing the dog’s stress level and prompting more energy and movement.
There are also times where tossing a small handful of treats can help by giving the dog a longer moment to decompress mid-session. This is useful if the dog is showing signs of stress or seems a bit too aroused in training. Additionally, I’ve used this to help myself in sessions when I needed a moment to consider the next steps or changes I wanted to make in the session.
Mix in Play
Play is not just a break from training — it can be incorporated in the session as I’ve discussed in detail here. Your own movement and tone matter here: Use a playful voice and movements, watch the dog’s responses and don’t be afraid to be silly.
Final Thoughts
Precision training is essential for service dogs — but it doesn’t have to be stressful. By planning your sessions thoughtfully, managing the environment, being aware of your body language, and incorporating movement and play, you can reduce pressure and support the service dog’s emotional wellbeing. The result? A service dog who is confident, engaged and enjoys performing tasks to help their handler.