Cooperative Paws
Service dog education for dog trainers
When we think of basic training for service dogs, we often think of teaching cues like sit, down and coming when called — in short, the same behaviors taught to many pet dogs. In many ways, basic …
Continue Reading about Not-So-Basic Basic Training for Service Dog Candidates →
I’ve been training professionally since the early 1990s, and much has changed in the industry during that time. When I first started, positive training methods were largely focused on lure-reward. Of …
Continue Reading about Barking Up a Different Tree: How My Training Has Changed Over Time →
While training a service dog is important and serious work, incorporating play into the training process benefits both members of the team. Play can be helpful in everything from training tasks to …
Continue Reading about Incorporating Play in Service Dog Training →
People with disabilities can have health changes that make training their service dog difficult. They may experience a health flare-up or require hospitalization. Situations like this can throw off …
Continue Reading about Supporting Owner-Trainers Through Health Fluctuations →
Neurodiversity is a concept that acknowledges the diversity of human brains and minds. It recognizes that people experience the world in various ways, and that these differences should be embraced. …
Continue Reading about Working with Neurodivergent Service Dog Handlers →
While training loose leash walking to a service dog may not seem to be different from training this behavior to a pet dog, there are some important distinctions. First, service dogs need to be able to …
Continue Reading about Loose Leash Walking for Service Dogs →
