Service dog handler lobby

[lostforgottensoul]

This?

Dead Link Removed

Dead Link Removed
Grr, that's annoying. Apparently I didn't do the BB code on the first one correctly but it won't let me change it or even copy and paste the typed part.

Anyway, if you click on the product names it seems to take you to the right place.

 

[Kefira]

@lostforgottensoul

Yes, that first link is the one we use when space isn't an issue. The only problem after a year is the velcro can get too much hair in it easily and you have to clean it out. I agree they can be hard to carry. That's why we tend to use a thin baby blanket if I have to pack for a long day- rolls up small and still gives him an idea of where to be and that he'll be there for a while.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

thin baby blanket

Yeah, that's probably better. His dog bed that I just bought is helping him learn to roll up rather than all spread out. And if I had a blanket that size, it wouldn't take up much space.

Gives me some time to figure out what to get mat wise too.

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm likely the less prepared team on here lol. Or at least the less knowledgeable on what works.

ETA: But with over 1000 youtube vids, 4 books, and a VOD, I am trying to educate myself the best I can.

 

[Deleted member 37343]

I didn't even know there was a thread for SD handlers! I'd love to check it out. Thank you for making a thread here :)

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I have another question. Sorry, so full of questions.

Those that have been teams for a while, while at home, not working, do you allow your SDs up on the furniture?

Chopper has to be on a couch, so much so that when we've had company (when my dad & step mom lived with us) he has actually pushed his way on the couch. So it's a bad habit or a bad behavior anyway.

But, even without company over (as I don't know anyone), I notice he doesn't listen when on the couch. I am not sure about the dominant dog therory. I just know he doesn't seem to listen when on the couch.

We are learning "go to your place" which is a 3 inch ish thick dog mat. So I am showing him what to do instead and we did training just on that. He loves it but wants the couch over it. It is a pain in the ass the be consistent (though I have) as he won't listen to no. I have to make an "eh eh" sound and at times that won't work and so I have to get up and show him to "go to your place". But if I am out of the room (like the shower before work) he will jump back up there. I did correct him after the shower and show him his "place" and he is crated while I am at work so no worries there. It's just a full time job for sure. At times he will choose the mat and I praise and reward for that good choice but this is so hard to keep getting up like this. Like yesterday it was about every 5 mins for a few hrs.

Am I doing the right thing? Is there an easier way to do this? Does it get easier?

I asked a balanced trainer and he said to give a high level e collar correction. I have never done that. I have always worked him with the lowest level he can possibly feel and the e collar is good and means "come to me" and "look at me". I realize he will think it is coming from the couch but that will make him scared of the couch and I need him on there at times like for DPT so I don't want to do anything to scare him. I just don't want him up there unless I say it's ok.

I understand the e collar is contriversal but it has been a VERY awesome help to me so i don't want to debate the use of it in general. I use it correctly.

What do you do to correct this? Or what have you done in the past that worked?

Thank you for any help anyone can provide!

 

[Kefira]

Those that have been teams for a while, while at home, not working, do you allow your SDs up on the furniture?

My boy is allowed on furniture and sleeps with me for nightmares and often cuddles on the couch with me. He has never been permitted on any furniture without an okay. His command is "jump on" and sometimes when he rushes upstairs he half jumps and has to pull himself up short because he remembers he isn't clear to jump on the bed yet.

I think it helps that we do a lot of "wait" (such as waiting to change floors or waiting to go through a door) and other commands where he can do a thing but needs clearance. He'll come to me sometimes and alert then when I ask what put his head on the couch all pathetically and then I can decide whether to let him up or not. We cuddle a ton but try to also balance it with his super cushy dog bed.

He also needs a "release" or "off" to leave furniture. Release being it's his choice, like for if I needed dpt or grounding and made him come onto the couch with me, and off being a command meaning he must leave the piece of furniture he's on now.

Hope that helps some, that's a combination of our org protocol and what we've found that works.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

He also needs a "release" or "off" to leave furniture. Release being it's his choice, like for if I needed dpt or grounding and made him come onto the couch with me, and off being a command meaning he must leave the piece of furniture he's on now.

Yeah, we do "off" to stop doing DPT because "down" was confusing so "off" is his 'get down' command. I never thought to use it for couch laying. He tends to lay on the opposite couch I am on. I think that's because I have neuopathy in my legs and his head is VERY heavy so it hurts when he lays his head on my thigh in that position. DPT is done in a different position. We do it several ways and several positions but not that way.

Anyway, I noticed that he doesn't really like to listen when he is on the couch, most especially if I tell him to get down or no, to not get up.

I will start to say "off" and will keep advising of place. Its not a huge deal but he doesn't want to lay on the floor. He acts like laying on the floor is gonna hurt him (though he has no issue laying on the floor or ground when working) and has, many times, pushed his way on the couch between and behind people and though I don't have people over now and now would be fine to let him lay on the couch, I feel if I am somewhere with a couch, out working, he may not mind. Not positive on that though.

We were at my therapist's once and he has a couch we sit on and Chopper laid on the floor, in front of me, on my feet (which I loved. The pressure of him on my feet was very comforting and grounding). So it may not become an issue when out. But he was also over threshold at the time so he was stressed and likely laid on my feet to comfort himself.

Anyway, I will continue to work on it. Thanks for the info and at least I know it's not a bad thing to let him cuddle with me on the couch. He does lay on my bed but it's like a HUGE (king sized) dog bed as I have to lay on a recliner at the foot on my bed but he crosses over and wakes me and also lays across me for DPT at night. I think it works better that way then if I were in the bed with him. Though he does cuddle at night and I miss that.

Anyway, thanks for the info!

 

[Sophie's Daddy]

I agree @Sophie's Daddy ,

I've learned to calm myself in order to keep the good ener...

You have a powerful grounding force in your sd; there's no reason to have to separate yourself from her if you feel the need for her assurance. It's her job and she clearly loves you and loves helping you.

And, though it It'd be naive of me to say "Hey, maybe someday you can just "retire" her to just be a regular dog again, " I don't know why you would.

I feel naked without my Sophie by my side, so I get it-we're in it for the long haul together, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So do what you need to do,when you need to; the world will work around you as you can work around them.

 

[Sophie's Daddy]

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...




OK. Got it! Thanks.

Yes, just figured out how to drop a quote in myself. ☺

The mats are a great idea, one I'll be sure to use once we spend more time, more often in one place. She's already got one at home specifically for that purpose, so a transition should be seamless.

 

[JustBe]

I feel naked without my Sophie by my side, so I get it-we're in it for the long haul together, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Agreed. 100%.

I've already started modifying our outings to accommodate her changing needs as she ages. We make shorter trips out into the world with a day of rest between. I noticed she really appreciates that and naps a lot the day after a trip to town.
It's an easy modification to make for my partner. After all, she accommodates me every day.

The mat we use rolls up and has a velcro strap to keep it rolled up. I keep it in the car. She's a small dog (20lbs) so it's not too big and is easy to slip it into my bag when needed. I think I got it at Petco a few years back.

 

[Deleted member 28740]

Man's best friend saving our lives in extraordinary ways. Imagine the possibilities WOOOOFFFF

Man's best friend, bacteria's worst enemy: dog sniffs out superbug in Canada hospital

 

[Deleted member 37343]

I have another question. Sorry, so full of questions.

Those that have been teams for a whil...

I agree, e collars are a great help! Especially if you're doing off leash work or training them to be off leash. (since I believe SDs should at least have some off leash training under their belt just in case, even if you plan on keeping them attached to you.) I don't have an SD myself but I have trained one and will be working with one in the future..

One way that has helped was by telling the dog to "place" (or whatever command you prefer) and just take one step out of view and come back. Reward/praise for him staying on then take a step out of view again. Keep doing one step out of view maybe 3-5 times depending on the typical learning pace of your dog. Then take two steps, three, four.. or you can take one step and wait for 10 seconds, then 15, etc. Does this make sense? You're trying to build up to the amount of time you'd be gone.

You could use an e collar for corrections, but just like any correction your dog won't understand what's going on if he does not understand the concept of "place" which you can check if he does. One way is if let's say he takes a step off, you say "no," and he goes back onto the mat. So he learns that "no" in that situation means to go back to what he was doing or where he was, etc. Another more fun way is by saying random words and eventually saying "place."

Typically I'd only suggest using a "strong correction" (by strong, if you mean a setting on the e-collar where it jumps +5/+10 levels) if your dog was about to run out the house, right before they attack (which must be timed correctly because it can also instigate them to go through with it. But this is an SD so I'm going to assume he's a pretty good in that aspect haha.) Mainly for emergencies basically. Some use it if they don't want their dog to eat something off the floor, which can be dangerous too.

I hope this helps and if you'd like I can list other ways that may help :) And if my ways don't help then hopefully someone else on here will be able to suggest a way. Good luck!