Service Dog Coach Diane Marshall offers assistance dog training in Glasgow, Scotland, through her business, Assistance Dogs Glasgow. She also holds a professional dog trainer credential through the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (IMDT) and the Dog Training College.
What made you decide you wanted to train assistance dogs?
I had been a member of two or three training organizations and was looking for ways to get my continued professional development (CPD) credits. I was scrolling through the IMDT courses and webinars, and I came across a webinar on service dog training by Veronica. This was something that I was interested in but thought that assistance dog training would be too specialized for me. Well, I watched the webinar and realized that this could be a great opportunity to add to my already established dog training business, so I signed up for the course and, as they say, the rest is history!
Tell us about your work training assistance dogs.
I have to admit that when I first started to offer assistance dog training, I had a case of imposter syndrome that took me a while to get over, because I was so used to training puppies and working with dogs with behavioral problems. I also needed to make some business changes, including getting a different business name to reflect my new services, so I created Assistance Dogs Glasgow.
I started off with just a couple of clients and have continued to grow to a point where the majority of my work is now assistance dog training, and this is where I get the most enjoyment from my job. I have clients who have multiple issues medically, emotionally and/or physically. I have met people I otherwise would not have, and I have made some amazing friends.
The dogs I train have been as small as a toy breed for a person with complex medical issues including Raynaud’s syndrome. We have trained the tiny dog to lie down on the handler’s hands on their lap, and pull a blanket over them on cue. I have also trained a large-breed dog for a person with memory and mental health conditions. My clients have a wide range of disabilities including multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, paralysis due to cancer, PTSD, seizure disorders and autism. I have been fortunate to enjoy good health, a supportive husband and three children. I feel incredibly lucky and take great pride in the work I am able to do with such amazing clients and their incredible dogs.
I can’t fully express the joy I feel when training these dogs to perform specific tasks for their handlers and when I see the difference the dog is making in their lives.
One of the achievements I’m most proud of so far is training dogs to work in schools with children who struggle to deal with class sizes, noise levels or even just being in the school environment. The dogs have a positive effect not only on helping the children be calmer, but also on the teachers too, so they have been a huge win for everyone. Having dogs in schools is something that is very new here in Scotland, and it’s something that I would like to focus on more this year.
Tell us about your pet dog training business.
I started in 2017 with some training courses with reputable training companies who adopted force-free positive reinforcement programs and courses, as this was very important to me. I read many books and completed many courses before I felt adequately qualified to begin helping others. I started off small, just getting a group of friends together so that I could practice my training techniques. They enjoyed my classes so much that they started to spread the word, and that is how my pet dog training business, A Dog’s Best Friend, began to grow. To date, my clients for my puppy training classes are all word-of-mouth or repeat customers. Now I do my one-on-one service dog training during the day, and I have group training sessions for beginner and intermediate obedience in the evenings. I also offer classes in Hoopers, a low-impact sport for dogs and handlers (which I also compete in with my two black Labradors). I feel very comfortable and happy with where I am currently with my business.
Has offering assistance dog training had an impact on your business?
Providing assistance dog training has transformed my business completely. Training puppies and dealing with behavioral work is enjoyable but can be very repetitive. I find that the majority of the assistance dog training is so specific to the handler’s needs that the work is always different. I enjoy assistance dog training so much that it has become the majority of my business.
What motivated you to enroll in the SDC course?
When I watched Veronica’s service dog coaching webinar, I found it very engaging and informative. It definitely left me wanting to know more. It was something new and refreshing, a type of dog training that I thought could only be done through charities. With the webinar being endorsed on the IMDT website, I knew that Cooperative Paws had been vetted and was a company that was highly recommended, which cut out a lot of time and research on my part.
What did you like the most about the SDC course?
When I looked into enrolling in the course, there were a number of things that I was impressed by: first and foremost, Veronica herself, then the fact that the course was a mixture of theory and practical sections. The practical sections were not just about showing that you could copy the training techniques Veronica had shown, but you also went out and learned about disability organizations in your community. This is more than most online courses require, which made me feel that Cooperative Paws, as a company, was far more interested in the students’ learning, rather than just being a list of tick boxes and a quiz at the end. In order to pass, you need to put in the time and energy. Also, I found it fantastic that when you put your assignments in to be marked, the feedback was so good. It was obvious that Veronica had spent time checking and dissecting the written or video work and came back with feedback on how good it was or where slight corrections could be made. All assignments had a time window, which meant that you needed to stay on top of the workload, but you could contact Veronica if there was anything you were unsure of. I found Veronica to be very professional and also very personable, which made the course even better.
What has surprised you about working with assistance dogs?
I work with dogs almost every day, and I love it when the handler gets the “aha!” moment, but it’s even better when the dog gets the “aha!” moment too! I am constantly in awe of dogs: what they can learn and do for their handlers and how they are able to transform their handler’s life, always for the better. We can all learn so much from our dogs, how intuitive they are, that some are able to help their handlers without having learned a cue for that behavior. Also, what has surprised me is that we can train dogs to do almost anything, especially when we use the right training methods and equipment.
What advice would you give to trainers thinking about getting involved in assistance dog training?
I would say, just do it! For me, financially it was a large initial outlay, but it didn’t take long before I had recouped that money. Also, once I qualified, I have never looked back. My business has gone from strength to strength, and I am at my happiest when I am training assistance dogs. I think this is where you get so much back, not just in monetary terms but in self-worth, to be able to help change someone’s life for the better. I don’t think a job can be better than that. They say “Don’t turn your passion into your job, because it will cease to be your passion,” but I beg to differ. Dogs have always been my passion since I was a little girl and, to date, they are still so very much so. I love my job so much that it never really feels like work; to me it feels like I’m always out with my friends and their best friend! I feel very lucky to be able to do what I do.