Training a service dog will allow the dog to help others.
Training your dog to be a service dog will allow you and your pet to help people who are in need of assistance. A good service dog knows all the basic commands as well as other tricks designed to help a special human. Service dogs are used to assist the blind, the disabled, the elderly and autistic children with their everyday needs. Training a service dog will help the dog learn to help others.
Instructions
1. Find the type of dog who willingly learns tricks and is motivated by food and praise. The best breed for service dogs is the golden retriever, however, as long as your dog is willing to learn and works hard, she will make a good service dog.
2. Socialize your dog by exposing her to the public and letting her interact with various types of people. A service dog needs to be well-socialized so she will not become defensive or insecure in new situations. Start socializing the potential service dog early in life so that she is comfortable in different situations.
3. Train your dog to learn basic commands by enrolling her in obedience classes. Practice these commands daily and make sure that the dog has them down pat. Join an agility class so your dog will learn tricks. She will get used to learning new things and will look forward to it. These steps will help your dog become an easier to train service dog.
4. Praise your dog whenever she exhibits a new service command correctly. Reward her with treats and attention when she does something right, and ignore her if she does something wrong. Never hit or hurt the dog when she displays bad behavior. A dog learns best by being praised for her actions.
5. Fit the dog with any adaptive equipment she may need to service humans in need. This equipment includes special halters or leashes they may have to wear as they work with their partner. Equipment also may include vests to show that they are service dogs or vests with pockets to carry items for their human partners. Help the dog to become comfortable with these extras before she has to use them.
Work with your dog to develop trust in the new equipment so that she knows she does not have to be frightened by it. You can do this by showing the equipment to her and letting her sniff it. Rustle the equipment so your dog becomes familiar with its sounds. Reward her when she lets you place the vest on her back, or lets you hook up a harness onto her.
6. Volunteer at schools and nursing homes to expose your dog to a wide variety of people. Use your dog as a teaching tool for children and let them know that they are never to run up and pet a service dog when she is working. Nursing homes love visiting dogs because they provide therapy for the seniors who live there. Call the nursing home or school ahead of time and make sure that your animal will have a warm welcome before you bring her to the facility.
7. Join your local service dog organization. The organization will have further recommendations and training ideas to help you continue to train your service dog. The website Wolfpacks.com has a list of national service dog schools. CompanionTraining.com not only allows interested service dog trainers to sign up for classes if in the Boise, Idaho, area, but also provides e-training classes online, as well as telephone classes and consults. TopDogUSA.org provides training for those who do not have any local training facilities.
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