The course covers the training process for teaching dogs how to perform many mobility service dog tasks as well as ways to determine which tasks are safe and appropriate for both members of the team, the owner and the dog. Here is the course outline:
- Introduction
- What are mobility impairments
- Range of ways mobility impairments impact people
- Service dogs definition review
- Mobility tasks overview
- Balance and Brace
- Safety risks to person and dog
- How to determine if balance and brace are appropriate
- Veterinary screening
- Training balance support while walking
- Training service dogs to provide balance support on flat surfaces
- Training balance support on stairs
- Accommodation strategies for safety while training
- Training dogs to work in a harness
- Training brace for help getting up from a chair
- Training brace for help getting up from a fall
- Safety risks to person and dog
- Tasks based on Push
- Training service dogs to push cabinets
- Training service dogs to push buttons
- Training service dogs to turn lights on and off
- Different ways to train dogs to reach light switches
- Tasks based on Pull
- Training service dogs to pull and hold on cue
- Training service dogs to pull open doors
- Training dogs to help with dressing and undressing
- Training service dogs to pull clothing
- Training service dogs to pull zippers up and down
- Combining Behavior chains