Service dog handler lobby

[lostforgottensoul]

we load up in the car without vest

I can't do this as I have a small 2 door car that is a stick shift so he can't be in the front passenger seat as he steps all over the gear shift and almost caused an accident once that way. Even with his seat belt clip on. So what I do is vest him just before we go out to the car. It is the last thing I put on him and right away we are walking outside.

Normally, the first thing I do when I come in is take his vest off but had a handful and just forgot. I am sure it will become second nature to us both and I'm sure I will do that again many times. But I can see how it works in the brain as I know that dogs connect things like a vest, a harness, a collar to working just like they do with a leash going out or really many things. And if they can lounge in it, how that will make them lax off on the job.

At this point he isn't connecting it with anything as we are just starting public access and putting it on. And he isn't yet alerting much out. I am just trying to get him comfortable with being out so that he can start to do alerts and other tasks out. And him just being with me helps.

None of this is super easy or obvious.

No! I agree there! It's actually very hard but the benefits out weigh it by 10 fold!

 

[Sophie's Daddy]

New I'll start with a question I really want to ask of other people who have issues with being non-verbal under stress: I know several people mentioned using hand signals. I'm curious to know two things:

What signals you use (hand signals or other cues) and whether this was intuitive or you found/were taught a specific system
And
What two or three commands do you feel you couldn't do without. Don't have to be tasks.

What a terrific response to this thread. As a left arm amputee, I've trained my dog to primarily respond to voice commands and my facial expressions to free my "good" arm for other things.

Down, Release and Gentle are perhaps our biggest, depending on where we're working on a given day.

After almost nine years of being together, with seven of those spent working together, I am grateful to have her.

She's long developed the nuances of my needs and my commands -and her responsibilities, too.

Going from our training environment at the house out into public was initially tenuous, but the reinforcement we'd worked on in developing her need to walk, stop and stay with me- then to look at me for further direction eased that tension.

That said, I also quickly learned that bystanders who wish to say "Oh, what a beautiful dog" are more likely to approach carefully, or maybe not at all.

Getting a harness or vest that reads "Service Dog In Training" has also been instrumental this way. It's an important consideration for any handler out there.

My disability isn't always readily visible, especially for people approaching from my right side. That somehow adds up to an invitation for them to ask "Can I pet her?"

Of course, dealing with such interruptions takes time and patience, and you have to be as committed and enthused about training as you can for your dog to respond to your emotional state when your more down than up.

Bottom line:

As someone above stated of their dog, "..:he's a special guy." I agree, and that special relationship takes time, and remains part of our continual training process.

I'm actually envious of any handler training a service dog to work for them or for someone needing it's assistance.

Since I've seen how dogs - any dogs - respond to the energy of their handler and their environment, watching my dog calming me and knowing she's also watching my back, the cycle of calming I get from her gives me, in turn a greater quality of life I'd never have without her.

Best wishes to you as you continue your training work.

 

[JustBe]

I agree @Sophie's Daddy ,

I've learned to calm myself in order to keep the good energy flowing between my SD and me. If I'm anxious, she alerts and works to help me stabilize. If I am not paying attention to the signals I'm unconsciously sending her it confuses her and makes her job more difficult.

Wanting her to be OK and not stressed makes me more mindful of how I'm reacting to things and has significantly reduced my panic attacks and Dissociation.

I've been able to come off of all of my meds and am functioning at a much better level since she came into my life.

The downside of all of this is that I cannot do without her. She is with me 24/7 she even follows me into the bathroom. A couple of times when I tried to go into a shop or the PO solo for just a minute or two by leaving her in the car with someone, I have failed. She is my safety. She just turned 9 and I try not to think about a future without her. I know that in a few years it won't be fair to take her out with me all the time but I'm trying to stay in the moment and not think about that.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Wanting her to be OK and not stressed makes me more mindful of how I'm reacting to things and has significantly reduced my panic attacks and Dissociation.

This! This is why training has been amazingly helpful to me. Getting exposure to be able to train him to be in those enviroment aside, training has made me slow down a ton and BE CALM, which is a very odd concept as I always stay in this heightened state, this anxious state, and quickly I figured out I couldn't train that way. It wouldn't work. And so over time I have learned (and still learning) how to be calm during training, which is pretty much most of my free time.

Before training, the min I walked out of work (i stay numb at work in order to work) I became insanely anxious and because of that I would go off and have a short fust at my dad and step mom (who lived with me and just moved out last week). Calming myself for training helped me to be in control of that, and also had a byproduct of me not going off near as often and gave me a longer fuse.

I obviously still need the help my dog provides but I'm just saying that owner training has been just amazingly good for me.

I've been able to come off of all of my meds and am functioning at a much better level since she came into my life.

I haven't gone off all my meds but I was able to stop taking Xanax during the day and only for sleep, since I have been training. He doesn't do all of the tasks that I will eventually train him on but the DPT, "calm" (head on lap), nightmare waking, and anxiety behavior alert has been amazingly helpful for me. As has block and cover though block he does better at the moment and I can see him making that physical boundry so it seems to help more then cover.

The downside of all of this is that I cannot do without her. She is with me 24/7 she even follows me into the bathroom.

Chopper is starting to do this. Follow me more then he was already. I live alone now and leave the bathroom door opened and my bathroom is small and always means "bath" and water (he HATES water) to him so he avoids it. The benefit of this for me is I also have chronic pain and get stuck sometimes. So my legs won't move. I can call him in there to help me up. He doesn't do this yet but I can see benefits of having him there all the time, for me.

Obviously I need to train to coming in there and show him that doesn't always mean bath. But I also plan on saying something like "help me up" or something like that for him to position himself in front of me to allow me to grab the soft bidge handle and pull me up.

I plan on making a bidge handle with paracord that meets at a single clip as his vest doesn't have the side d rings for a bridge handle and I can't find a soft bridge handle that meets at a single clip and not make the handle smaller or fall to either side (like a traffic lead would) and stay evenly down his back.

Anyway, i can see benefits for myself. Those without a physical challenge as well I can see how that can be annoying.

Oh, I also learned he is much more attentive to me. He does several tasks on his own and we are only 2 ish months into training and so i can imagine how much more he more attentive to me iver time.

She just turned 9 and I try not to think about a future without her. I know that in a few years it won't be fair to take her out with me all the time but I'm trying to stay in the moment and not think about that.

I know it's hard to think of not being with her but the truth is, soon you will need to retire her. Why not start looking at getting a new SD? If you trained her yourself, now is the best time to get a new dog/puppy to train as you have about a year or so. So by the time you are ready to retire her or even can give her days off while working with the the new SD in training or take them both and make her down/stay and/or place to then work with the new dog. So that you can still have her there but yet still be training the new dog.

Several teams I found on youtube has advised they have a SD and a SD in training because their SD needs to be retired soon and so they started a new dog in time to be able to start using the new SD when the current SD needs to retire and thst way they are never without a SD.

If not owner training then ask the agency if, when she retires, can you get another SD. If you can't have another, 2nd dog then ask the agency if they will rehome her as a pet in a good home when you get the new SD.

Just a few thoughts.

 

[Justmehere]

Wanting her to be OK and not stressed makes me more mindful of how I'm reacting to things and has significantly reduced my panic attacks and Dissociation.

That's awesome!

I'll start with a question I really want to ask of other people who have issues with being non-verbal under stress: I know several people mentioned using hand signals. I'm curious to know two things:

What signals you use (hand signals or other cues) and whether this was intuitive or you found/were taught a specific system
And
What two or three commands do you feel you couldn't do without. Don't have to be tasks.

I train all tasks using hand signals first, then adding in voice commands because dogs actually learn quicker with the visual cues. It's exactly as Eagle3 explained -

Dog language is primarily body/gesture/facial expression based, so picking up hand signals is pretty easy for dogs.

For every owner trainer team, especially any working with an agency, it's going to vary what works best for the team. For example, I know some SD trainers who use clickers. For most agencies and for myself, I have found clickers to be too similar to sounds in the environment. I never use spray water bottles for negative correction because a dog could then cower every time they see a spray bottle in public.

I use various hand signals - some made up, some borrowed from other trainers and agencies. It actually doesn't matter too much what you use, the key is consistency and repetition. Some of my hand signals are very subtle.

I find hand signals to be very helpful in public. I use them much more than verbal signals. One time I was at a bank and told my SD verbal to "sit." Well, the teller at a very high counter didn't know there was an SD next to me and she thought I was telling her to sit! She gave me quite the look and then I apologized and explained... There are a ton of situations like that where a hand signal is very helpful to avoid confusion.

We are adding hand signals as we go but you can always add it after they are trained on a cue.

Yep exactly.

For him, it's helpful to have a mat as a "place" that he knows is his, I'm not sure if maybe that would make it easier for your sd to learn to lay in one spot for long periods. He will without a mat, but he knows if he's got a place we're there for a while and he can get comfy. We use that in class and at work.

A mat was key early in my dog's training! I also put down my purse or backpack with the mat, and over time was able to eliminate the mat. Now whenever my dog sees my purse or backpack on the floor, she lays by it and knows we are likely to be there for a bit.

 

[Eagle3]

One of the benefits of starting training of a new dog while still working the old dog is, the old dog will teach the new dog his job much faster. I've seen this with my current pack, I adopted a 2 yr old GSD last year, and started rehabbing him (he's from a traumatic background as well, have some fear issues to work on). When we had to move back in with my parents the GSD and my old dog became inseparable pals. The GSD, while being unsuitable for public access work, has been picking up the old dog's job not just with me, but the young dog also comforts and takes care of the old one! So now, when I have a meltdown or panic attack, I have 2 dogs taking care of me...the old one with body pressure and grounding, while the young one does some pawing and lays down next to me and guards me while the old boy takes care of me...and they take turns being grounding presences too.

Yeah, mats are amazing! I had a fleece blanket for my big dog when I was in college. He'd lay on it in the biology lab, out of the way, but within sight. It worked great for him. Vesting only happened right before going into a public place, and only if he was truly expected to WORK there. And yes, personal grooming is not allowed while vested, its not polite to have a dog licking his bits in public, then lick your hand to ground...tends to gross people out :p

The most difficult part of training for the dog is realizing there are two sets of expected behaviors. One for home and dog-friendly outings, and one for vested working-time. Some dogs pick that up really easily, but consistency with vested behaviors is paramount!

 

[JustBe]

I have no idea how to do targeted quotes on my phone so I'll just answer this way:

For me, training a new dog (I self train) while my current SD is semi retired is not possible. I have two dogs, my SD and a small ESA. Where I live, more dogs are not allowed. Re-homing them is not an option. They are my heart. They are family and I have made a lifelong commitment to them. As my SD ages I will do what I must to adapt. Her quality of life is as important to me as my own. We are a team. It is a partnership.
I'll figure it out when the time comes.
Who knows? Maybe by then I will be more stable and able to do short errands to familiar places on my own?

Oh , also, my SD loves her mat. We don't always have it handy but when we do she is very happy.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

A mat was key early in my dog's training! I also put down my purse or backpack with the mat, and over time was able to eliminate the mat. Now whenever my dog sees my purse or backpack on the floor, she lays by it and knows we are likely to be there for a bit.

I bought a mat for Chopper but it's not one I can take everywhere. I was thinking a beach towel or a yoga mat. Something I can roll up to take it everywhere.

But the purse idea is AWESOME! Something I am totally stealing!

What kind of mat did you find most helpful?

Well, the teller at a very high counter didn't know there was an SD next to me and she thought I was telling her to sit!

Ahaha!

Chopper auto sits at a stop on a heel. We don't have snow and salt in Fl. He also knows upward pull on his leash is a sit and then the sit hand signal. I try to train him, when it is possible, to train one command a few different ways.

Like he knows "look at me", he knows a hand signal for eye contact, and then we have an attention noise (per kikopup). The attention noise has helped during distractions when the other two don't. But I know he will get better as we go and so eventually we likely won't need the attention noise. If that noise fails almost always the sound of the baggie I keep the higher value rewards in (tiny pieces of hotdog at the moment) grabs his attention.

For most agencies and for myself, I have found clickers to be too similar to sounds in the environment.

I was worried about that too. I use a clicker but I have also "primed" the word "good" so he hears that it is almost like the sound of the clicker but I have found that my timing can be off and my tone changes so at times he doesn't know what he just did is what I wanted so we use the clicker.

It is also VERY helpful for task training. But, after he has done the task (or behavior) 10 times in a row correctly, I drop the clicker. Especially for tasks. Unless the task (like picking up objects and bringing them to me and pulling me up) has several steps to teach the one task. Then I increase criteria after he has done it correctly 5 times in a row.

I am not using clicker only. I use other tools. Don't really want to get into that here as everyone has an opinion on methods. But no matter what you use, timing is likely the important thing in teaching a dog anything.

the key is consistency and repetition.

Yes! And that! I'd add timing to that but 100% consistency and repetition is dog training 101 for sure!

I have no idea how to do targeted quotes on my phone

Highlight it by holding and dragging your finger and reply and quote come up.

I'll figure it out when the time comes.

I know you will! :)

 

[Kefira]

What kind of may did you find most helpful?

We have a few baby blankets for around the house or going somewhere quick for a meeting.
We also have one from dog gone smart that I LOVE. It has velcro straps to keep it closed when you roll it up, a handle and an outside pocket. It's pretty durable. they list it as a "travel mat".

 

[JustBe]

I bought a mat for Chopper but it's not one I can take everywhere. I was thinking a beach to...

Hmmm... it seems to always want to quote the entire post...

Highlight it by holding and dragging your finger and reply and quote come up.

OK. Got it! Thanks.

 

[Justmehere]

But the purse idea is AWESOME! Something I am totally stealing!

What kind of mat did you find most helpful?

I used a yoga mat. :)

 

[lostforgottensoul]

We also have one from dog gone smart that I LOVE. It has velcro straps to keep it closed when you roll it up, a handle and an outside pocket. It's pretty durable. they list it as a "travel mat".

This?

Dead Link Removed
This one seems to work too:
Dead Link Removed
Dead Link Removed

This second one I can fold in half in I am say at a Dr or hospital to take up less space. I suppose I could do that with the first one. Just not sure how I feel about the long tab things that allow you to gold it. Also not sure about the price but I do like not having a seperate bag to keep track of. But that bag does have a strap to carry it in you. I'd like a cross ways strap. There's another I found:
Pettom
Pet Mat Blanket for Dogs & Cats Car Travelling Outdoor Activities Waterproof and Portable with Storage Bag 39" x 27"
Dead Link Removed

Which shows the way I'd have to carry it. Cross ways on my back. I wish I could just by a bigger purse and put it in there. Or, maybe start to carry a back back instead of a purse? I do need to figure out where to put his water and his treat bag could go in there too. I was going to get a vest with bags but the bag on one side would hit my leg and just not work.

Hmmm, will need to think of this. I'm just not sure.

With a yoga mat, the issue also is how to carry it. At least those last two show a way to put it on your body as I want my hands as free as I can.

Maybe do some specific training sessions with just the mat until he catches onto my purse? Even a teams gear on youtube doesn't really cover this but Kikopup, in the VOD for reactivity, advises to teach place on a mat away from home. More to create distance and work closer.

Anyway, sorry, didn't mean to ramble. It isn't a must have now thing. Though I would like to start him on it ASAP.