Selecting a Breed for Service Work In the service dog community, the phrase the “Fab Four” is used to refer to four breeds often chosen for service work: 1. Labrador Retrievers2. Golden …
Selecting a Service Dog Candidate: Key Traits, Behaviors and Public Access Suitability (Part 1)
Choosing a dog for service work is one of the most important — and challenging — decisions a service dog trainer can make. Service dogs must navigate complex environments, often in high-stress …
Challenging Conversations
When working with owner-trainers, service dog trainers may unfortunately find that clients have chosen a dog who is not appropriate to train for public access work. In some cases, the dog may be able …
Behavior Problems in Service Dog Candidates
One of the most difficult aspects of service dog work is trying to determine whether a behavior problem is something that can be addressed successfully or whether to career-change the service dog …
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PTSD Service Dogs: Choosing the Right Candidate
There has been tremendous growth in service dogs working to help people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As with other service dog specialties, there are some specific tasks people with …
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Helping Clients Choose the Right Service Dog Candidate
Occasionally clients approach a professional dog trainer for guidance in choosing the right dog to train for service work. This is wonderful, because the client has recognized the importance of …
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