Service Dog Coach Emily Day offers service dog training and coaching for owner-trained and program-trained service dogs for Outrun Kennel and Dog Training in Ontario, Canada. She also offers pet dog training and behavior modification, as well as board and train services. Emily has a wide breadth of experience in professional dog training, having worked in animal control, animal shelters, and veterinary and dog daycare settings.
In addition to her Service Dog Coach certificate, Emily holds numerous industry credentials and certifications. She is a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner and a Shelter Behavior Affiliate Member of the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants, and she has a Certificate in Applied Animal Behavior from the University of Washington.
What made you decide you wanted to train service dogs?
My own service dog has helped me so much that I wanted to share that with other people. I enjoy helping people and I love working with dogs. I have found that some people connect so well with their dogs that it seems only natural for them to work together as a team.
Tell us about your work training service dogs.
The majority of my service dog clients are owner-trained service dogs in training. As such, I have set up my service dog program to be modular, which allows for the owner to determine which group or private training classes are needed and in which areas they are ready to move straight to testing. Owner-trained service dogs in training in our program are required to pass the same testing as a program dog, but since they require a little less hands-on time with a trainer, it can be more financially attainable for some clients.
Our service dog program dogs come from both breeders and shelters. Since each client has a different set of needs, we select the dogs on a case-by-case basis. Most of our dogs are trained on foundations skills that can be applied to several different tasks, which makes them super-versatile. Free shaping is one of the main training techniques that I use for our service prospects.
Tell us about your dog training business.
Outrun Animal Rehabilitation Center offers a wide range of different services. We provide training services to the public such as board and train — including our puppy start right program, boarding, day care, private training, group classes and coaching. Outrun also works closely with our local rescues, shelters and governing bodies. We provide canine control and pound services to our local township.
Our training clients have described our training programs as a Montessori style in that our programs are flexible based on the learning styles and individual needs of our students.
Outrun also offers a membership program, and when our service clients are ready to begin task work, I encourage them to move from a pay-as-you-go structure to a membership. Similar to a gym membership, clients pay a set monthly fee for access to any group training classes. They also receive a discount on our other services.
Has offering service dog training had an impact on your business? If yes, how?
Offering service dog training has expanded the training options for our clients and broadened our reach to a different demographic. About 25% of our clients are in some stage of service dog training, and we have a few fully trained graduates who now are working on maintaining their dog’s training.
What motivated you to enroll in the SDC course?
I was keen to learn new information about training service dogs and found that Veronica’s training techniques really resonated with me.
What has surprised you about working with service dogs?
It always amazes me how versatile dogs can be and what they are capable of. I also found that learning how to investigate the different service dog requirements of various countries was quite interesting.
What advice would you give to trainers thinking about getting involved in service dog training?
Be open and honest with your clients when delivering information that is important. Not every dog should be in the role of a service dog. Tune in to the needs of both the dogs and the people.
Dog training can be tedious, so part of your job as a coach will be making it exciting for your clients. It doesn’t look like all of those flashy and amazing YouTube videos. Training involves repetition, but that can be done in creative ways. That way it does not feel like drilling and the student feels as though you are practicing a skill in a different manner. If you love seeing the progress of your students and sharing in their successes, then a coaching role will be good for you.