The course covers the step by step process for training 4 service dog tasks frequently needed for service dogs helping people with PTSD. The course outline:
- Essential Vocabulary and Task Overview
- Discussion of terms including service dog, therapy dog, emotional support animals and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- Review important distinctions between service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support animals.
- Review ways service dogs are trained to help people with PTSD and the tasks these dogs perform.
- Training an Anxiety Alert
- Step by step process using clicker training
- Alternative alerts
- Caveats and challenges
- Training Nightmare Interruption
- Step by step process using clicker training
- Alternative interruption behaviors
- Caveats and challenges
- Response tasks
- Training Making Space
- Controversial tasks
- Step by step process using clicker training via targeting and also luring
- Caveats and challenges
- Training Deep Pressure Therapy
- Step by step process using several different clicker training strategies
- Caveats and challenges
- Awareness and mitigating dog’s stress
- Alternative options