Sunday, February 17, 2013

Service Dog Training Preparation Tips

By Kerry Ross


Pet owners looking forward to have their pets undergo service dog training will have to know that certain preparations can make that faster and easier for their pets. Doing so gives owners an opportunity for them to help other people by letting their canines assist others who have special conditions such as those having physical disabilities, blindness, or deafness. Special conditions such as autism and being old will greatly benefit from them also.

Planning to have one for such purpose will require selecting the right type that displays anticipation on learning tricks. Some signs of this can be shown by fast response to praises or food. Golden retrievers are great breeds for training. However, any type of breed will do. The most important factor will be how they are taught.

Before teaching skills, they should need exposure to public. Being sociable teaches them to work with any person and any conditions. Purpose of training will be defeated if they could not perform it with other people. Having them exposed help them function well in different situations.

Once they get to go along with others well, basic commands may already be taught. This serves as a conditioning phase to make learning more complicated tasks easier. Basic trainings gives them an introduction to the learning methods. Obedience classes offer a great way of letting them get acquainted with it. Agility classes greatly complements them. Here, they get to enjoy learning new skills. They will then look forward to learning newer skills. Getting this love for learning will make learning procedure easier.

The right method will involve only reward and ignoring method. Rewarding through food treats or praising them will encourage their cooperation. Loyalty and trust is also build through that. Once trust is taught, obedience will surely follow. Trust could never be taught through punishments. Giving punishment can be dangerous. There have been many reports of violent behaviors of these canines which can be traced to constant punishment. The best way of correcting misbehavior is through ignoring it.

Equipments that they will soon use will need to be introduced to them earlier. This way, they will not mind having them once they are fitted with it. They will not get distracted by its presence when they are already accustomed to them. This could be done by showing these items before they get to wear it. Making noises with it to get them acquainted will also help. These devices may include leashes or halters that have pockets with them that let them work with people with disabilities.

In terms of public exposure, nursing homes or schools are one of the best places to let them visit. Here, they learn to associate with young children and the elderly. Nursing homes also gladly welcome pets as they provide therapy to their residents. One can schedule a visit with them by calling institutions or schools first.

There are service dog groups that can be found locally. Such groups offer support, training, and advices to owners. This will greatly facilitate teaching. Other sources of information may be found through printed materials, and the most convenient is found online. One should take advantage of these sources as they make teaching easier.

Service dog training will require one to be patient. Preparations make this easier for both pet and owner. This also provides a good bonding opportunity for both of them.




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