Service dogs need to pull to perform tasks like opening a door, opening a drawer, pulling a zipper and helping their owner take off a jacket. Pulling is useful for handlers with disabilities, and it …
Four Ways to Prepare Service Dogs for Retrieve Training
Many service dog handlers need their dogs to perform tasks that involve retrieving, such as picking up dropped items, retrieving medications or bringing an emergency phone. The components of this …
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Three Important Tips for Anxiety Alert Training
An anxiety alert is a commonly needed task for service dogs trained to help people with PTSD, other mental illnesses and conditions that cause anxiety. By performing an anxiety alert quickly, a …
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Helping Clients with Timing
In the dog training world, we often discuss the importance of timing, whether it is clicking precisely or delivering the reward promptly. Excellent timing can be difficult or even impossible for some …
Troubleshooting the Retrieve
The retrieve is an important task for most service dogs, and the uses for this behavior go far beyond picking up dropped objects. The components of the retrieve — taking, holding, carrying and …
Selecting Tasks for PTSD Service Dogs
I receive many questions about service dogs for people with Post Traumatic Stress. However, trainers are often surprised to learn that there is not a clear consensus on which tasks are appropriate for …
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