At Your Service Dog Training

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sharon@atyourservicedogtraining.com

Help for service dog owner-trainers! (Or those considering it)

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Picture of a man sitting on a window ledge outside with a rough-coated collie service dog lying by his feet. Text: "The most important thing you need to train a service dog is... A) the right dog, B) Commitment (obsessive level), C) Money (more than you'd think), D Time (loads of it)There is a lot of conflicting, misleading, and downright bad information online (and even in books) about service dog training. Now service dog owner-trainers who are on a budget or are outside my local training area can get help and accurate answers to their questions!

A week from today, Monday, December 3, 2018, I’m giving a webinar through the Pet Professional Guild that will answer your questions — Service Dog Owner-Training: Is this the path for you?

Training a service dog for yourself or a family member, usually referred to as “owner training,” is quite an undertaking. It can lead to confusion, stress, and many questions. It can be a maze to figure out whether it’s the right path for you, or once you are on the road, the best way to go about it or to get your questions answered. The upcoming webinar has answers.

Best of all, not only is it very affordable and available to anyone with an internet connection, it also offers great flexibility. Once you register, you’ll be able to watch the webinar any time, so if you can’t attend live on Monday, you’ll still have access to all the information. You can watch it more than once or refer back to the slides and handouts if you ever have questions.

Golden retriever puppy lying on floor with red plush bone toy on its front legs. Text: "The first training priority for a future SD puppy is A) Basic obedience (sit, down, heel, come…), B) Short, positive experiences around new people & things, C) Bonding with their future handler, D) House training"

As one of relatively few trainers who specializes in helping people to train their own service dog, I get calls and emails from people all around the country. I often wish I could help more people who are outside of my region. This webinar is your chance to get your questions answered, no matter where you are!

This webinar is for you if you are…

  • Already training a service dog for yourself or a family member
  • Considering getting a dog or training the dog you already own to assist you or a family member
  • A therapist, doctor, or other health care worker who has recommended an ESA or service dog or been approached by clients or patients about getting a service dog or emotional support animal
  • A pet dog trainer who would like to learn more about what is involved with training a service dog

Golden retriever wearing bandanna that says "Future Leader Dog" sits in front of American flag in a park. Text: "What differentiates...? Service dog, Therapy dog, Emotional support animal (ESA), Service-dog-in-training (SDiT)"The webinar covers questions like:

Is it better train your own service dog or apply to a program for a fully trained dog? What are the benefits and drawbacks to each? What is the fastest way to get a service dog? What is the most affordable way to get a service dog?

Which laws apply? What’s the difference between service animals and emotional support animals? Are there laws that effect where I can bring my service-dog-in-training?

What is the training process? Can I start training assistance tasks right away? Should I bring my puppy everywhere to set the stage for public access training? When is the right time to consult with a professional service dog trainer? Answers to your other questions!

At the end, you’ll also get a link and password to numerous handouts, articles, and other resources, including training videos and referrals to other trainers.

Drawing of a woman holding her forehead in her hand with a thought bubble of a puppy above her. Caption says "Hindrance dog???"
Find out what a “hindrance dog” is! (It may not be what you expect)

Topics Covered

Service Dog Definitions, Terminology, and Laws

Challenges of Service Dogs

Pros & Cons of Owner-Training vs a Program Service Dog

The Path (Pyramid) of Owner Training

Finding (the Right) Trainers or Programs

Question and Answer

Pyramid in 7 sections. Bottom section in dark green says "Acquire a dog or puppy who is physically, mentally, and temperamentally sound." Above that in pale green "Socialize puppy or condition dog to be relaxed and confident around hundreds of sights, sounds, smells." Above that in yellow, "Train excellent manners and obedience at home and in class." Above that in pink, "Train excellent manners and obedience in public spaces." Above that in purple, "Train service skills at home." Above that in tan, "Train service skills in public." Top triangle in sky blue says, "SD team!"

Get help now

Register for the webinar now. Attend live on December 3 to participate in the Q&A… or watch it any time after! You’ll be sent a link you can access whenever it’s convenient for you.

After the webinar, if you are within driving distance, you can also get additional low-cost service dog training help:

Want your dog to meet with a service dog trainer to get guidance on next steps? Attend my group service dog consultation in Northampton, MA on January 6, 2019.

Wondering how best to find the right dog as a service dog candidate or emotional support animal, attend my group pre-adoption consultation on February 10, 2019, also in Northampton, MA

Would you rather get information live and in person than online? Attend the owner-training workshop at the Athol Public Library on Feb. 2, 2019.

About the Presenter

 

Sharon stands in a hospital treatment room next to a white pitbull wearing a service dog vest lying on the floor. The dog's handler is on a gurney next to them.Sharon Wachsler CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner with more than 25 years of experience in the disability community. Before transitioning to a career as a dog trainer, Sharon was a disability information and referral specialist and service dog owner-trainer, as well as the founder of the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival, a writer for the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners newsletter, and the blogger for the popular service-dog trainer’s blog, After Gadget. Sharon opened At Your Service Dog Training in Wendell, MA, in 2014, offering private training, consulting, and group classes to service dog owner-trainers. Sharon is an experienced presenter and writer on service dog topics and enjoys consulting with and speaking to trainers, owners, and community groups about service dogs and their training.

Upcoming Webinar: Service dog laws and terms in the US (especially geared to trainers)

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Basset hound with chin on the ground, eyes rolled up
Feeling overwhelmed?

More and more trainers are being asked to train a service dog (SD), emotional support animal (ESA), or a personal “therapy dog” for an adult or child with disabilities. The terminology is confusing and everyone says something different:

  • One trainer tells you that a service dog must be trained in three tasks, another says the dog just needs excellent manners to be in public. Who is right?
  • Your client says his emotional support skunk is allowed in the grocery store, but that, well, doesn’t smell right to you…
  • A former client just emailed to say that since he moved to a new state, his chiropractor said his service-dog-in-training is not allowed in the office because that state is not covered by the ADA. Can this be true?

If this sounds familiar, this live webinar is for you!

This Pet Professional Guild webinar, “SD, SDIT, ESA, Alphabet Soup?! What you need to know about US Service Dog Laws & Terms” will guide you with humor and clarity through service dog laws and terminology. Attend the live webinar and have a chance to ask questions in real time: Monday, August 21 at 2 PM Eastern Time. Or register and watch it any time at your convenience!

You’ll learn what all these terms mean and better understand your legal responsibilities as a trainer of a service dog. You’ll get clarity on how the laws for service-dogs-in-training (SDiTs) are different from laws for trained service dogs and how to find the laws in your state.

It can be awkward for trainer and client alike to sort out these terms (“therapy” versus “service” versus “emotional support”) and the legal and training requirements behind each. This presentation will explain the legal meanings and differences between these terms in the United States, the requirements for training each, differences in US state laws for service-dogs-in-training, the standards of behavior and appearance for service dogs, and explain the reality behind the question of “certification.” You’ll also learn how to distinguish between legal requirements and ethical or community standards, and how to apply these concepts to working with clients.

Objectives

This webinar is geared to professional dog trainers in the United States that are new to the complicated world of service dog laws and standards. People who are training a service dog for themselves or a family member, or who are considering training a service dog, are also encouraged to attend and will get a lot of useful information. No previous service dog training experience or knowledge is necessary.

By the end of this webinar, attendees will understand and be able to answer client questions on the following topics:

  • The difference between the terms “service dog,” “service dog in training,” “emotional support animal,” and “therapy dog” and when handlers of each have access to public accommodations
  • Understand the definition of a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and where a trainer or handler of a service animal is permitted or excluded
  • Understand how laws for service-dogs-in-training (and who is a trainer under the law) vary from state-to-state and how to find out their own state’s laws
  • Understand the community standards for appearance and behavior in service dogs and how these differ from legal requirements
  • Steps trainers and clients can take to protect themselves if access challenges occur

About the Presenter

Sharon Wachsler CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner with more than 25 years of experience in the disability community. Before she began her second career as a dog trainer, Sharon was a disability information and referral specialist and service dog owner-trainer, as well as the founder of the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival, a writer for the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners newsletter, and the blogger for the popular service-dog trainer’s blog, After Gadget. Sharon opened At Your Service Dog Training in Wendell, MA, in 2014, offering private training, consulting, and group classes to service dog owner-trainers. Sharon is an experienced presenter and writer on service dog topics and enjoys consulting with and speaking to trainers, owners, and community groups about service dogs and their training.

Register for the PPG webinar.

Have a question? Get in touch!

Service Dog Training Classes in Northampton

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Mastiff puppy curled on floor on a woman's feet under a table, wearing a red and black service dog vest.
Photo courtesy of Tamar Paltin

This summer, we’re offering group classes in two locations — service dog classes in Northampton and pet manners and obedience in Orange.

We’ll be offering three service dog classes in the Pioneer Valley:

  • Service Dog Foundations — intermediate/advanced manners and obedience focusing on the most important skills SDiT teams need for public access, starts on June 1
  • Assistance Tasks — an advanced class, training several assistance tasks for mobility, psychiatric, or medical alert service dogs, starts on June 15
  • Public Access training — intermediate/advanced class training in a variety of public spaces in the Valley (Hadley, Northampton, Holyoke, etc.), starts this fall

Looking for pet dog classes in the North Quabbin? We are still offering these year-round! Learn about Family Dog Manners & Obedience group classes.

Which is right for you and your dog? Learn more…

Service Dog Foundations

Service Dog Foundations is an intermediate/advanced manners and obedience class specific to the skills most important to SDiT teams, including “working dog walk,” handler focus, leave it, and settle. In every class, we also train how dog and handler work with with human interactions in public accommodations, including how to head off access challenges. The class also is a way for teams to work in a group with other SDiT teams that are sharing similar goals and challenges.

SDF Details

Classes are one hour, meeting weekly for six weeks. Dogs attend all classes. Class size is limited to 6 dogs. Enroll today to reserve your dog’s place in class.

Date: Starts Thursday, June 1 (runs through July 6)
Time: 1:30 PM
Location: Animal Alliances, 137 Damon Rd., Northampton, MA 01060
Fee: $160
Registration required: Yes, register your dog
Prerequisites: This is an intermediate level class…

  • Dog/handler team must be able to work well around other dogs and people
  • The team must have completed at least one (and preferably two) group classes in manners/obedience with At Your Service or Animal Alliances, or equivalent (classes with trainers with compatible methods may be acceptable — please get in touch to discuss this)
  • Teams that are new to At Your Service will be asked to complete a history on their dog
  • For more information visit Group Classes or register now
  • Have questions? Email or call us. We are happy to help.
Finn takes out the trash. Photo courtesy of Barbara Handelman

Assistance Tasks class

Assistance Tasks is an advanced class training common assistance skills often used by service dog teams, particularly for psychiatric or mobility-related disabilities. If your dog already has an excellent foundation in obedience and manners and is ready to move on to task-training, this is the class for you.

Assistance tasks are fun to train and are the “brass ring” that SDiT teams are reaching for! They are also complex, must be built slowly, and are usually extremely important to the handler, so they must be done right. Because tasks are unique to each team, they usually also necessitate private training. This class aims to reduce owner-trainer costs and errors by providing instruction in basics of common tasks in a group setting.

The class will start your dog on these skills:

  • Shaped retrieve (foundation for any task your dog does with their mouth, including retrieving dropped or named items, opening doors, covering with a blanket, dressing/undressing, etc.)
  • Guiding (take the handler to an exit, their car, an available seat, a specific person)
  • Alerting (alert to specific sounds, sights, situations, handler’s behavior, etc.)
  • Chin rest (foundation for deep pressure therapy and shaped retrieve)
  • One public access skill — “make yourself small” — training to fit in small spaces.

AT Details

Classes are one hour, meeting weekly for six weeks (but skipping one week in the middle — so the class will take 7 weeks). Dogs attend all classes. Class size is limited to 6 dogs. Enroll today to reserve your dog’s place in class.

Date: Starts Thursday, June 15 (runs through July 20)
Time: 12 PM
Location: Animal Alliances, 137 Damon Rd., Northampton, MA 01060
Fee: $160
Registration required: Yes, register your dog
Prerequisites: This is an advanced class…

  • Dog/handler team must be able to work well around other dogs and people
  • The team must have completed at least one (and preferably two) group classes in manners/obedience with At Your Service or Animal Alliances, or equivalent (classes with trainers with compatible methods may be acceptable — please get in touch to discuss this)
  • Skills will primarily be shaped. Both dog and handler must have relatively fluent marker/reward (clicker training) skills.
  • Dog must be reliable in two cued behaviors in a group class setting: 1. nose target (when cued, dog touches nose to handler’s hand or any other object) and 2. a down-on-target (usually referred to as a go-to-mat or go-to-place behavior)
  • Teams that have not worked with Sharon before will be asked to complete a service dog questionnaire before enrolling and may also need to attend a lesson/assessment, prior to enrolling
  • For more information visit Group Classes or register now
  • Have questions? Email or call us. We are happy to help.
Luca at the grocery checkout. Photo courtesy of Barbara Handelman

Coming in the fall: Public Access Training class

This intermediate/advanced class will focus on manners, obedience, and for dogs that are ready, tasks, in public settings. The class will be held in the Valley (Hadley, Northampton, Holyoke, etc.) and will meet in a variety of different settings — stores (home goods, grocery, pharmacy), restaurants (fast food or sit down), medical, possibly one rural location, etc. The class will end with an optional public access assessment for each team. Because of the complexity of finding the venues, etc., details of this class (including the cost, dates, etc) are still being determined. If you’re interested in this class, get in touch now to reserve your dog’s place.

Not sure which class would be right for you and your dog? Get in touch. I am happy to guide you.

Dog Training DISTRACTION! How to Respond to the Unexpected

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Training a dog to work well around distractions is often the greatest challenge. For service dogs, working well around distractions is critical for public access training, but all dogs are susceptible to distraction. Distractions may include people, squirrels, other dogs, bicycles or cars, jackhammers, or any unexpected sound, sight, or smell. What is distracting to one dog may not be to another.

Dog’s responses may vary from barking and lunging, to freezing and staring, to jumping with joy. We may not even realize our dog is distracted until they seem to ignore us when we tell them to do something they know how to do, perhaps sniffing the ground and ignoring their favorite treat.

Good training requires “proofing” a dog’s skills by practicing them around distractions until the behavior is reliable no matter what else is happening. However, sometimes a distraction occurs unexpectedly — on a walk, during a training session, or just in the course of everyday life. Our dog’s behavior may seem to fall apart. This is normal. The key to turning an unpleasant surprise into a valuable training opportunity is to adapt your response to your dog’s reaction to the distraction….Text description for this graphic at end of post at http://atyourservicedogtraining.com/2016/10/09/distraction-flowchart/

Follow-up notes:

  1. It’s best to end your training session while your dog is doing great! It’s human to want to keep going when the dog is doing well. But this inevitably results in pushing the dog to failure. Keep it short and sweet. You win five gold stars if you quit while your dog is doing well (BEFORE your dog fails)!
  2. I give permission to anyone to share this post either by linking to this post (here is the link: http://atyourservicedogtraining.com/2016/10/09/distraction-flowchart/) ‎or by sharing the entire flowchart graphic, including my copyright information. Thank you!

Text description of the flowchart graphic:

Text headline: Responding to Distractions: What should you do? It depends on what your dog does.”

Purple pentagon “Distraction!” Arrow leads to black box with large print, “Is my dog acting like a creature who can THINK?” Three arrows lead from this box: Yes (on left), Somewhat (in the middle), and No (on the right).

“Yes” leads to three green boxes with a blue cloud above them. The cloud says, “UNDER threshold! You’re on Cloud 9! Train for best results.” The three green “yes” boxes are 1. Makes eye contact? Relaxed body? Happy to take treats? Responds to cues? 2. Cue reliable behavior (e.g., “touch”) and reinforce heavily for each correct response. 3. Slowly move toward the distraction, reinforcing heavily for focus. End quickly while successful!

“No” leads to three three boxes with a red “stop sign” shape above them. The red sign says, “Stop! Dog is over threshold! Give dog SPACE to think.” The three “No” boxes are a rose-colored box, “Staring? Barking? Lunging? Pulling? Growling?” This points to a pink box, “TAKE COVER. Move AWAY, use barriers, or give dog easy alternate focus.” This points to a yellow box, “Use ‘Look at That’ game with high rate of reinforcement to change your dog’s emotional response to distraction until…” An arrow from this box leads to the green “Makes eye contact?” box.

The “Somewhat” arrow in the middle leads to a yellow box, “Gulps, snatches at or ignores treats. Responds to cues slowly or only when repeated. Trouble making eye contact.” This leads to another yellow arrow-shaped box (pointing right) that says, “Caution: Dog is right at threshold of ability to think.” This box has an arrow that goes to the pink “TAKE COVER” box.

At the bottom of the graphic is “Copyright Sharon Wachsler 2016 ~ At Your Service Dog Training ~ atyourservicedogtraining.com.”

Access for Service Dogs in Training

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Sadie down-stay under Pizza Hut table potato chipsIf you are training a service dog for yourself, you may be wondering what your rights and responsibilities are. Do you need to carry documentation? Can you bring your dog with you to the doctor? What about to restaurants? This post provides some answers and resources.

Rights for Trained Service Animal Teams

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), disabled people accompanied by a trained service animal have equal access rights to all public accommodations, including transportation, restaurants, lodgings, stores, medical and healthcare settings, etc.

Here is some additional information that may be helpful about the legal rights of business and service dog teams. Under the ADA, a trained service animal is a

  • Dog
  • Trained to perform tasks or do work related to the handler’s disability
  • Under handler control at all times, which is defined as leashed, tethered, harnessed, unless that would interfere with the dog’s work, in which case the dog must be under the handler’s control via voice, hand signals, or other cues)
  • House trained
  • Is not behaving in a way that fundamentally alters the nature of the service or poses a direct threat to others’ health and safety. Examples: a dog barks repeatedly during a movie, a dog growls and lunges at customers in a store, a dog covered in fleas in a doctor’s office. These dogs, or dogs with a history of such behavior, may be excluded.

Important notes:

  • Medical and food service establishments may NOT restrict access to a service dog team even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.
  • When it is not obvious what service an animal provides, staff may ask two questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff cannot ask about the person’s disability, require medical documentation, require a special identification card or training documentation for the dog, or ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the work or task.

Rights for Service Dog in Training (SDiT) Teams

The ADA does NOT grant access rights to people training a service dog. However, in many US states, people who are training a service dog have the same rights of access as disabled people accompanied by trained service animals. This varies from state-to-state.

Here in Massachusetts, under Massachusetts General Laws Ch129, S39F:

Section 39F. A person accompanied by and engaged in the raising or training of a service dog, including a hearing, guide or assistance dog, shall have the same rights, privileges and responsibilities as those afforded to an individual with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. sections 12101 et seq.

To find out what the laws are in other states, start by looking for your state in this Guide to Assistance Dog Laws (PDF) by Assistance Dogs International. However, keep in mind that this document is several years old and laws change. So, check the footnotes to find out what the code is for the law (paragraph, section, etc.), and then look it up in your state’s laws to see the current incarnation of the law.

What About if People Don’t Know the Law?

While you may know your rights and responsibilities as a service dog handler or SDiT team, not everyone you come across will. And let’s be honest, the laws change often and are frequently confusing! It’s reasonable to expect that not everyone knows all the laws.

While SDiT or SD teams are under no legal obligation to provide places of accommodation with legal information, it often makes life easier for you to have something short and easy-to-read to offer people in stores, restaurants, doctor’s offices, etc. I offer my SDiT clients a card they can hand out that has some basic information on state and federal laws so they can respond to questions from strangers. I also write letters for clients who run into issues with doctors or other places they frequent. If you are working with another trainer, ask them to do something similar.

More Information and Resources

Have you found another great legal resource for people training service dogs? Have a question about service dog training? Let us know in the comments.

What Our Clients Are Saying…

TJ Legg
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner
"It’s just brought so much pure joy! My dog and I like each other a lot more now." -- Sam Legg with TJ
APDT Professional Member
"She has worked miracles with my dog!" -- Gail Mason with Dazzle

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