Sunday, January 25, 2009

52. Service Dog Paid as Care Giver.

This may not be occurring on Vancouver island or anywhere in BC, but it IS interesting that a service dog is considered a valuable care giver in other places in the world and are actually paid. The fee covered food and toys for the dog and saves the health system upto 29,000 pounds a year for a human caregiver.

50. At What Age Should I Spay/Neuter My Service Dog?


Spay or Not and At What Age?
You'll hear many things about whether or not and what age to alter a dog. You need to do your research before you decide what is appropriate for you, your dog and your situation. This is an especially important consideration for service dogs since certification depends the behavioral and physical abilities of the dog. Spaying and neutering too early results in health and behavioral issues in many dogs.

Why & When Is Altering Done?
Spaying and neutering is typically done as a prevention for population explosion/unwanted dogs and to prevent health issues such as cancers (experts are now question the validity of this belief.). A common practice in some regions has been to alter the puppies as young as 8 weeks before they go to their new homes (This is seen most commonly in dogs from shelters and rescue organizations and some breeders) Recent long-term studies have shown juvenile altering is not a good idea.

What is Done to the Dogs?
Spaying and Neutering a dog removes the sex organs and hormones associated with them. In females the uterus is removed (as in human hysterectomy) and the ovaries. In neutering (also known as castration) the male's testicles are removed. 

Long term Effects of Spaying Too Early
Dogs spayed or neutered as juveniles (less than 6 mos old) show many undesirable long-term effects. What occurs is that the hormones normally emitted by the sex glands are not present and this affects both the temperament and physical development of the dogs in question. In females, fearfulness, overly long leg bones, low bone density issues, hip dysplasia, ACL tears and increased risks of cancer have been identified. In males, all of the above except fearful nature is replaced by aggression.

Two long-term studies of a large number of dogs show behavioral and physical effects are a real possibility. 
*In 1998 and 1999, 1444 Golden Retrievers by the Golden Retriever Club of America
*German Shepherd Dogs
Overall Summary of Studies done on animals altered at a juvenile age.  http://www.caninesports.com/SpayNeuter.html

What Age Is ideal?
If you are going to spay/neuter you service dog, a minimum age is just at the time the dog reaches physical maturity. At least 1 year for small breeds, 18 mos for middle size dogs and about 2 years for giant breeds. This way, physical development (especially the bone plates which is among the last to mature) has been completed. The ideal age may also be affected by sex. (Im HH, Yeon SC, Houpt KA, et al. Effects of ovariohysterectomy on reactivity in German shepherd dogs. Vet J 2006;172(1):154-159.)

Guide Dog programs typically spay females after their first heat and males at about 8 months of age. Could this partly explain the high failure rate of dogs due to behavioural issues (some as high as 50%)?

Is Spaying/Neutering Necessary?
Do you need to alter your animal at all? That depends on the laws of the your region, the breeder, the program you belong to and the individual dog in question. 

Does altering males actually decrease or prevent aggression issues? Studies show that if the altering is done at the time of puberty, it decreases the hormonal levels and usually results in calmer behaviour. If the altering is done after puberty, there may be no behavioral improvement.
Here is a link to a summary of studies on spaying and neutering risks and benefits of dogs at all ages.
http://www.naiaonline.org/pdfs/longtermhealtheffectsofspayneuterindogs.pdf

Alternative Approaches
If your situation allows you to choose not to spay or neuter you dog, be a responsible owner and do not allow your animal to reproduce, unless you are knowledgeable and experienced in the area of breeding.

One way to do this without spaying or neutering is ask your vet to do a vasectomy on your male dog or perform a tubal ligation in your female dog. This stops all possibility of reproducing without altering the natural hormone levels in the dog. Do be warned, though, these operations, while actually easier to perform are not common and the vets may not want to do them. You may need to educate your vet or find one who is willing to do it. Only you can decide if the benefits are worth the extra effort.

Of course the common sense method of preventing your female from breeding is to protect her from male dogs (with solid fences etc) when in heat and keep your male dog with you at all times.
http://www.caninesports.com/SNBehaviorBoneDataSnapShot.pdf

Saturday, January 24, 2009

48. Interview with A Service Dog Trainer who Uses the Clicker

Here is an interview with Debi Davis, a long time dog trainer who has used the clicker to train her own service dogs (and many other animals).


http://www.clickersolutions.com/interviews/davis.htm

44 C Helpful Leash Tip for Wheelchair Users with Assistance Dogs

We have had several questions about the best leashes to use with wheelchairs so here is our response!

42F. New Book on Training Diabetic Alert Dogs!

New Book on Training Diabetic Alert Dogs!

I've heard excellent reviews and the author is an excellent trainer. 
All positive reinforcement approach as well, so it's a 
win, win, win!

Click here to see more about the book and author.

42C. Training an Alert to Multiple Sounds

Your dog can be taught to alert to many different sounds using the same alert behavior. Start from the beginning with each new sound, pairing the sound with the desired behavior. Then train your way through the process.

The more sounds you train for (each trained separately until the behavior is complete) the faster your dog will generalize the behavior to that sound. For example, when I started training Jessie for a door knock after learning the wake alarm, the first behavior she offered was a nose nudge.


In this situation, Jessie was also offering the nose nudge as a default behavior in a situation where she didn't know what I wanted. She was smart enough to try to offer the sound alert behavior in response to a new sound. THIS is what generalizing is.

If those first few sound alerts of the new sounds are immediately reinforced, you’ll get the alerting behavior for the new sound more quickly. If you ignore them or don’t reinforce them, your dog will be confused and not be confident in what you are asking her to do and may offer other behaviors.

If you do not use some specific sounds on a regular basis, you will need to review training on a monthly basis to keep the behavior current.

What other ways can a one and two way alert be used by Assistance Dogs?

42. Training One and Two Way Hearing, Diabetic and Alzheimer Alerts

One and Two Way Alerts can be used to train assistance dogs for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, diabetics (high or low blood sugar levels) and to alert a Alzheimer caregiver of movement by their patient. All these are taught using the same basic process.

It is very important before and during the training process to avoid saying “no” or otherwise discourage an alerting behavior in any context. You can ignore uncued behaviors such as a nose nudge for attention (especially if given when not during training sessions) so the dog will stop doing the behavior but do not punish or verbally scold the dog for doing it. Punishing or otherwise discouraging alerting behavior may affect your dog’s willingness to do that behavioral alert in the future.

Tips:
A. Use this Basic Process to Train your Dog to Alert to Any Sound.
For the actual alert, you can use a firm nose nudge, chin rest on hand or lap, pawing your arm, laying on your feet, face licking, jumping in front of you, jumping in your lap etc. Before training, choose whichever behavior is appropriate for the level of alert required for your dog to get your attention. Avoid using barking as an alert as it is disruptive when in public. The only time you might use a bark alert is when the dog needs to get you help from strangers during an emergency.

B. Having a helper (for at least the middle part of the training process) to make the sound or set off a gadget from other locations makes your job much easier and is clearer for the dog.

C. Choose Your First Sound Carefully.
If this is your first time training this behavior, it is a good idea to train a sound that is not likely to be heard in your environment (home, work or play). This way, you can use it to learn to train a basic alert and can learn from your mistakes before training more important alerts.

Ensure the gadget you choose:
-Is one that you can turn on and off quickly and easily with no fumbling
-The gadget making the sound will not wear out before you are done training
-The gadget can be set to go off at whim and in one minute (or less) intervals

Probably the easiest sound to start on is a knock (on the door) that needs no equipment.

When choosing a gadget that makes a sound, choose a sturdy one with big buttons. The first alarm clock I used was a small travel alarm and it was difficult to set and wind quickly and wore out after just three training sessions. I then tried to use sounds from the a computer but that was awkward, didn’t allow me to set them off as quickly as I needed to keep my dog’s interest at first and I wasn’t able to move the computer around to generalize the sound to different locations/rooms. I also tried a digital alarm but that combined the drone alarm with the radio noise and this was not a pure enough sound for my dog to understand what I wanted.

From a second hand store, I bought an old sturdy wind up alarm clock and that saw us through training the first 1 and 2 way sound alerts. This worked well enough when I was first training one way alerts and when I had a helper for distance and two way alerts. It worked well enough to train my dog when I was training alone from other rooms but it took a minimum of 10 minutes to go off after being set.


Ideally, sound alarms should be ones that can also be set to go off within a minute of setting it and more as your dog progresses in training.

It really helps your dog get the idea if the rate of repetitions is high for the first few training sessions until your dog understands what to do for the basic behavior. Once your dog understands the behavior, then you can use other new sounds that are harder to replicate.


Se also posts 42A, 42B and 42C.

41C Live Animal Distraction

Choose a location where the subject animal(s) are behind a fence, in a crate or cage, tethered on a long line, on a leash being handled by another trusted person, or otherwise safely confined. This is for your safety, your dog’s safety and the animal’s safety.

A. One Animal
Start with single calm animal at a distance if at all possible. C/t for any looking or sniffing in that direction while staying calm.

Dog will eventually start looking at the animal, then at you in anticipation of getting the reward. When she is doing that 5 or more times in a row, start clicking the looking back at you. When she is offering that consistently, you can also start naming the behavior “Look” so it comes under verbal cue control. (Tip: “Look” is usually used to get the dog to look at something whereas “Watch” is used to get your dog’s eye contact.)

At the beginning od training sessions cue the look once, then cue simple or fun behaviors your dog knows in quick short bursts of 10 or less. Give your dog a one minute break by moving further away, disengaging eye contact, then move back in and try cuing a few more quick behaviors.

When she is successful with several sessions of that, cue slightly more difficult behaviors.

Next, at that same distance, drop the “Look” cue and just start cueing the simple behaviors. (Your dog shouldn’t need to look at the object/person of interest before doing the cued behavior.) Then try more difficult behaviors.

Next, decrease the distance a little.

Now start cueing simple or fun behaviors your dog knows in quick short bursts of 10 or less. Give your dog a one minute break, then try a few more.

When she is successful with several sessions of that, try slightly more difficult behaviors.

Decrease the distance again. Repeat as above.

Before you get too close to the animal, decide what is a safe distance and if you want your dog to actually interact. If you choose to have her interact, make sure there are other knowledgable people handling the other animal(s) and have a plan. Watch carefully for body language (to indicate stress levels) and have one or both animals confined behind a fence or on a leash so you can move them apart quickly if needed.

B. Multiple Animals
When your dog is able to work with you fairly close to one animal, add a second and work your way from the beginning through the same process. Remember that adding a second animal may chance the dynamics of the group so progress more slowly. Add a few more animals in the same way.

41B Inanimate Moving Distraction

(For the purpioses of this blog post, an object could be a ball, baloon, bicycle, skateboard, shopping cart, car, vacuum cleaner, riding lawn mower, garbage truck etc.)

For safety and the confidence of you dog, always stay with your dog, within leash length. Never leave your dog unattended (especially if leashed) when a human-operated object is in the area (with or without the human presence). There is too much risk of unknowing people making mistakes that can scar your dog.

A. Smelling & Touching the Object
Start object stationary at a distance that is below threshold.
Work closer in small increments until dog is in nose touch reach. Sometimes, you may need to approach the object directly. For example if your dog is focusing on a strange-shaped rock, it might be better to walk directly to it and touch it yourself, then let your dog interact with it. With a noisy or dangerous machine, it would be better to take a slower approach described below.
Other times it is better to slowly move towards it and c/t for any calm behavior and focus on you. When you arrive there, allow your dog to interact with it: sniff it all around, (approach from various angles), nose and paw target it, push it, stand on it -whatever is appropriate for that object, your dog and the physical safety, and social environment the object is in.
When your dog is able to stand or sit calmly nearby the stationary object, try cueing several simple cues-nose touch, paw touch, glance at you, sit, etc that you dog can do easily or enjoys doing, Of course click and treat for attempts and good responses.
Next, play with a toy near the object.
Now ask for more complex behaviors-downs, short recalls, heeling, longer duration eye contact, and some service tasks (appropriate to environment).
You can add distance and hopefully your dog will be satisfied she knows what the object is and will ignore it and respond to your cues. If she does not, keep working her near the object or approaching other similar objects in the same way in other locations. Your dog should soon generalize that the object is an object, no matter where you are and not worthy of interest.

B. Hearing the Object
Add some distance, find the sound threshold and work below it and have a helper make it move with its sounds (bicycle bumping over gravel, brake squeaking etc) or turn the object on (if motorized) but keep it stationary.
Move closer to the object as dog becomes comfortable with the sound.
Cue several simple cues-nose touch, paw touch, sit, etc that you dog can do or enjoys doing. Play with a toy near it. Now ask for more complex behaviors and some service tasks.

You can add distance and hopefully your dog will be satisfied she knows what the object is and will ignore it and respond to your cues. If she does not, keep working her near the object or approaching other similar sounding objects in the same way in other locations. Your dog should soon generalize that the object is an object, no matter where you are and not worthy of interest.

C. Watching the Object Move
Again start at a distance and ask someone else to move/drive the object.

Start at a very slow speed. Increase speed as dog can handle it. When dog can handle the object passing by and is deferring to you, cue several simple cues-nose touch, paw touch, sit, etc that you dog can do or enjoys doing.

Next, play with a toy near it.

Now cue more complex behaviors and some service tasks.

Move closer to the object. You move to it first, as it may trigger interest or fear on your dog’s part. You want your dog to feel she has choice in approaching the noisy object or moving away. This will give her a sense of control and confidence. If at any time, she wants to move away, go with her to just below her threshold distance. When she is comfortable with that and able to focus on you and successfully carry out simple cues, direct the object to move parallel to her, then on angle, then more towards you and your dog.

Progress slowly and stay under the dog’s threshold if at all possible to build success. At each step, start with simple cues, progress to playing, then to more complex behaviors.

D. Unpredictability
Ask the other person to be less predicable in driving by, towards dog, fast, slow etc.
Cue several simple cues-nose touch, paw touch, sit, etc that you dog can do or enjoys doing.

Play with a toy.

Next ask for more complex behaviors and some service tasks.

Move towards or away from object as needed for your dog’s success. Reward for staying focused and completing tasks!

E. Generalizing to other Locations

Set up situations where you and your dog encounter the object in other environments. Be ready for a training session as needed. Remember to decrease your criteria whenever you change a criteria (such as speed, loudness of sound, environment the object is seen in etc).

Can you see the pattern you are building here?

39. Recipes for Training Treats

An alternative to commercially prepared treats (perhaps since you know what ingredients go into them and because homemade ones are often much cheaper as well as better quality), is to make your own. Here are some suggestions. If you want to add nutrition, dust meat bits with debittered Brewers Yeast and kelp powder. Soaked millet, rolled oats and cooked barley are good substitutes for other treat recipes requiring wheat since they are higher in protein and are more easily digested by dogs.

Chicken Patty Treats
For probably the most economically priced and easiest to prepare healthy training treat, purchase frozen chicken patties, sprinkle liberally with garlic powder and cook until done all the way through. Cut into 1/4 inch slices and freeze . When needed, thaw for 10 sec in microwave and cut again into quarter inch cubes. (about $3 per kg!)

Liver Treats
Cooked Liver (beef, chicken, pork or turkey)
garlic powder flavoring

Sprinkle powder on liver and use outdoor BBQ to fry up liver slices (to prevent from smelling up house) and cut into strips, then tiny bits. Freeze in containers. This is very rich and should not be more than 1/6 of your dog's daily food intake. Some dogs get goopy eyes from eating liver.

Moist Meat Treats
A bit more sloppy treat is slow cooked chicken, turkey, duck or roast. Buy the cheapest cuts and cook until bones fall off. Separate bones from meat and freeze meat bits in containers, using wax paper or plastic to make layers that container enough or one training session. Freeze. Thaw or microwave before using.

For the cheap cuts of meats such as beef or moose roast, slice into 3/4 inch steaks. Freeze until ready to cook separating steaks with wax paper or plastic Drop bundle on the ground to break apart and remove as many steaks as you want to cook. Thaw. Sprinkle garlic powder on both sides and let sit for a few minutes. Cook (fry in no stick pan or BBQ) until brown all the way through then slice in quarter inch strips and freeze in containers. Cut into 1/4 inch squares after thawing.

Beef/chicken/turkey Patti treats
1lb lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey
2 eggs
1-2 cup quick oatmeal (add more or less depending on consistency-more for higher fat meat)
garlic powder to taste

Mix all ingredients into a giant patti (or several smaller ones) and flatten to very thin. Cook on a no stick fry pan until cooked. Flip and cook all the way through.
Cool and cut into strips, then tiny squares and freeze on cookie sheet. Then scoop bits into containers for freezing. Does have a somewhat crumbly texture so best used at home). This recipe is more work (and more expensive) than the chicken patty treats above)


Cheese Bits
Use a mild chedder or marble cheese and cut into 1/4 inch cubes. On hot days can get abit mushy.

Hard Boiled Egg Bits
Hard boil and egg or two for 10 minutes and let cool. Peel the shell off and cut egg white and yolk into small pieces and freeze in a small container. Take a few out for training sessions and let thaw for a few minutes (or microwave for 15 sec). The yolk is usually highly prized by dogs. It is a bit messay but works well for in home training.

Egg variation: Make french toast and cook all the way through. Cut into quarter inch cubes and freeze until needed.

Kidney Bean Treats
Slow cooked kidney beans are high in protein and do not cause gas in most dogs. They are very cheap and make an ideal, if somewhat sloppy treat.
Place 2-3 times as much water as beans in slow cooker, turn on high and cook until tender (about 4 hours).
Use a slotted spoon and lift beans onto cookie sheet in a single layer and freeze. When frozen, remove from freezer, let thaw for about 3 minutes, then lift with flipper or butter knife and break into bits and freeze in containers. (looks like peanut brittle at this point). Thaw for a few minutes before feeding. Juice makes a tasty additive to dry foods.

Have other favorite recipes? Please share them with us!

Friday, January 23, 2009

38 A How to Give Your Service Dog A Massage

Giving your dog a massage has many benefits. It is easy to do and you don’t need any special knowledge.

The benefits of massages are that they can help with bonding, is great for a dog’s physical health as it promotes circulation and toxin removal, comforting for older dogs, helps you detect injuries (since you have your hands on your dog on a regular basis), can increase flexibility and healing after an injury, can be used as a pre-warm up and cool down for rigorous exercise and help calms a dog in stressful situations.

With all these benefits, it is surprising that more people do not give their dog regular massages! Most people don’t because they fear they might do it wrong and injure their dog. With an understanding of the basic techniques, a few tips and always erring on the side of light pressure, it is really hard to do injury to your dog.

How to Give a Massage:
Choose a time of day that works for you, and a quiet location.

Your dog can be standing, sitting or laying down as you massage her. Let your dog decide what is most comfortable for her if possible. After a little trial and error, you’ll find a position that is comfortable for you both. Massaging her on her mat helps to build a positive association for the mat.

Using a moderate to light touch (always erring on the lighter side), start at the head and work toward the tail. Then start at the top of the back of the dog and work toward her feet. Massage both sides of your dog before you finish. Use smooth motions.

Support the part of the body you are currently working on with your other hand or lay it on your knee as needed. Your dog should be able to relax and rely on you to hold her body part up as you work it.

Once you have a little practice, a whole massage may take about 5 minutes. At first it may be longer. Also, as your dog learns to enjoy it, you can spend more time in favored spots. As you both gain trust with the process, allow your fingers to explore her body, getting into depressions such as hips and between foot pads, whatever you think she might enjoy.

If you have limited control of your fingers, using gentle rotations of the fist knuckles can feel good to your dog, as long as you can control the pressure.

Massage is as individual as the person giving it and the dog receiving it. Experiment in little steps to see what works for you both. If you have weakness in your limbs, do one part of the body at a time. Take a rest, then resume. There is no rule that says you must massage your entire dog in one sitting!

Head
On the head, start at the base of the ears, rubbing each ear between your thumb and forefinger. Do small circles if it feels good to your dog. With a finger on one side and a thumb on the other, gently draw your fingers towards the tip in a straight line. Start up the middle of the ear and work to the outside edges.

Use two fingers to gently massage the muscles on the top of the head. Next do the jaw muscle. Do the other side. This is often where a dog holds her stress so spend time here, especially if your dog is mouthy or snappy. Use light circles on the lips over the gum line (nose to molars) if your dog is comfortable with your touch. Many dogs enjoy light touches on the molar area. Do not do this area if your dog shows any signs of stress, (alarmed look, looking or pulling away or if she lifts her lips, growls etc.) You can try it again after several sessions when she learns to trust you.

Base of Neck
Most dogs enjoy the base of their neck being massaged on both sides. Place your thumb on one side and two fingers on the other and gently work it. Start at the base of the skull and down to the shoulders, spending more time on the thicker muscles. This is another place dogs hold their stress.

Back
Use your whole hand (fingers and thumb tips) to gently massage both sides of the back. Work in lines from front to back moving closer to the underside of your dog. You can use a gentle raking motion with your fingers. Most dogs enjoy moving the rake with their fur, very few enjoy going against the grain!

Shoulders & Hips
Massage the muscles around the shoulders & hips.

Base of Tail
Dogs that generally don’t like to be touched still enjoy a massage of the muscles where the tail meets the top of the spine. It is a difficult spot for them to reach for scratching or chewing.

Legs and Feet
Most dogs show at least some sensitivity with their lower legs as you move toward their feet. The first few times until your dog learns to enjoy the massage generally, avoid them. Then, as you gain her trust, start doing very light touches further down and actually touch the tops of the feet. Progress at your dog’s speed. When she allows it, gently work the pads of the feet. For some dogs this can take many session to get here, especially if they have had painful or scary experiences with nail clipping.

Stomach
Most dogs enjoy a tummy tickle or belly rub. Avoid using any pressure.

Perking Your Dog Up
For a quick invigorating massage, pretend your dog is soaking wet and use a fluffy towel to pretend to dry your dog off front to back, top to bottom.

Five Key Tips to Massage Your Service Dog:
1. Get in a position that is comfortable for you to sustain. Place your dog beside you on the couch, on a table where you can easily reach her while seated in your wheelchair, or sit with her on her mat.

2. If you are relaxed, your dog will relax. Using calming signals such as deep breathing, matching your dog’s breathing patterns, lowering eye lids while making eye contact all helps.

3. Observe your dogs facial and body reactions constantly. If she shows concern at any time (looks at you with concern, flinches, tenses up, pulls away etc), stop massaging that area and go back to where you know your dog was enjoying it. Lighten your touch. If she gets up and walks away,honor that and let her go. She has had enough for one session.

4. Keep your touch light. The idea is to gently move the muscles to stimulate blood flow, move muscles and tendons and remove toxins etc. A Massage should be a soothing activity for you both. Use a very light touch on puppies and small dogs.

5. Avoid working over the vertebra-stay to each side of them. Similarly, work around, not on, recent injuries.

Try giving your dog a 5 minute massage every day for a week. What changes to you notice in his behavior? Flexibility? Health? Calmness level?
Let us know how you make out!

38. Improving the Bond with Your Service Dog

A fairly common complaint among assistance dog owners who have family involved with the dog, is that the dog prefers the company of one or more other family members. This may occur for several reasons. The family members may be more ‘fun’ than you-that is they play fun games with the dog and ask less of them behavior-wise. The dog may have a natural preference for a specific sex or type of personality. You may not interact with them as often or as enthusiastically as other family members. She may notice that you do not control the resources s/he wants or needs. You may have left her a for a few weeks with another person and she disowned you. There are many other possibilities why a dog bonds to others, not you. Without a strong bond, your service dog will not be as eager to work with you, and may defer to others in the home. So what can you to do improve the bond?

2 Steps to Try
1. For a time, (may be several months or more) ask family members to reduce their interaction with the dog, then once a strong bond has been formed, they can gradually resume some (but not all) of their activities with the dog. You keep doing the activities that your dog values most. These are the ones that have the most meaning to her. Perhaps that is feeding or maybe play (or maybe something else).

When family comes and goes, it also helps if they try to make their arrivals and departures less emotionally charged, as you would for a separation anxiety dog. Asking family members to avoid eye contact, physical contact (petting etc) and not talking to the dog until after the dog has calmed down (about 10 minutes) helps to lessen the excitement about their arrival and departure. You still interact normally with your dog as that enthusiasm for you what you want to maintain.

2. Take on the role of doing things with her: providing for her needs, feeding her, training her, playing with her, exercising her, and massaging her (see post 38A) can all help to develop and strengthen the service dog bond.

All of these things she enjoys. The more positive interaction you have with her, the more of a bond that will develop. Start with taking on (or exchanging with family)one high value activity, then add more as needed. If you can, start with the activities that are the most meaningful to your dog as they will have the most impact on your bond. That way, once the bond has developed, there will still be some lesser value activities for family members to do. A simple way do make this easy for yourself to take the plunge is take a trip with your dog. Out of your normal environment, your dog will need to rely on you for direction, resources such as food, walks etc, and learns that YOU are the best thing since a bunny in a field!)

Here are Some Specific Ideas on How to Handle Activities:

Training
During actual training sessions, it is helpful to have family members not make eye contact with, speak to or otherwise interact with the dog except as necessary and as directed by you. They should not step in and help except when asked. You are the trainer and you decide what behavior you are training. They can assist in physically setting up equipment and pose as 'strangers' for training but any interaction with the dog is directed by you (unless in emergency situations). It is up to you to set your dog up for success. Your dog should look to you for direction and rewards.

Playing
You can employ the Premack Principle any time you interact with your dog. The Premack principle is simply pairing a highly desirable activity with a less desirable activity and the less desirable activity then becomes more enjoyable for the dog.

What this means is that the dog sees interacting with you as less fun than say playing a game of fetch. If your spouse normally does that with the dog, you take it over. Because you become the only one playing that game with the dog, the dog starts seeing you as more fun. For some people with some disabilities, activities like this may be a challenge, but if you are creative, you can make it work. Instead of playing in the yard, take it to the basement where the dog can still get excited and has room to run. Can’t throw a ball? Ask your child to be the thrower but you give the cue to get it and the dog must deliver the ball back to you (your lap or hand). You then give the ball to your child to throw again. Your child says nothing to the dog and avoids eye contact if possible. Or buy or ask someone to rig up a ball thrower that you control and use it in the yard.

Feeding
Feeding your dog twice a day can be a bonding experience. You can either hand feed, that is give your dog her food handful by handful, or you can ask her to do tricks or tasks or even use the daily ration of kibble as training treats.

Exercise
During exercise, serotonin, a chemical made by the dog’s body during heart-raising exercise, makes the dog feel good. If you are the one to provide exercise, your dog will start to associate you with exercise-and fell good about being with you.

Massage
Some dogs really like a massage. Take time once a day to sit down and relax with your dog in arm’s reach. Give her a gentle massage starting from the base of the ears, moving down the neck, down the back (either side of the spine) and down each leg and tail. If you find a spot that your dog enjoys, spend some time there. Some dogs love the base of their neck rubbed, others the base of their tail or their belly. If you find a sensitive spot, work around it until you have a better relationship and your dog will let you massage lightly near it. Feet are often sensitive spots for dogs.

You might need to be creative in how you can access your dog. Try placing her crate beside your wheelchair and place her mat on top of it and cue her to jump up. Or maybe you have a grooming table you can use for this process. If you have trouble controlling your hand strength or fingers, move your fists in circles, or use a towel and pretend you are drying her off when she is wet. Physical contact is how the mother dog bonds with her puppies.

The Nothing in Life is Free (NILIF) Program
A great way to have your dog bond with you is to use the NILIF program. More commonly used for dogs with behavior issues it works very well for bonding.

The NILIF program asks your dog to work for any resources that he values such as food, going in or out doors, going for car rides, going for a walk etc. Just cue a behavior that your dog already knows before giving her the desired resource. For example, your dog wants to go out into the yard and stands by the door. Cue a down before opening the door. Or your dog wants to go for a walk, cue a stay as you open the door and only release her when you are ready for her to come out with you. Here are a couple of links that describe this process. Start with a few, then add more behaviors and rewards as she is successful. Always accompany the reward with praise and/or petting.

One good link

Another good link

Tethering
Tethering a dog to you on a 6 foot line may help with small puppies but be sure to do it for short periods only. Tethering a dog or puppy to you for long periods is exhausting for both you and the dog and does not allow the dog needed down-time to relax. It would be like having your service dog working for that whole time.

We find it better to simply keep your dog in the same room as you, perhaps using doors or baby gates as barriers. Place a dog bed or crate nearby so your dog has somewhere comfy to sleep while he is waiting for interaction with you. With time and other bonding activities above, you can remove the barriers and your dog will choose to stay near with you.

Summary
If you take the time to find out what your dog really enjoys, and spend time doing those things with your dog, and the more you can provide care, training, play and physical interaction with your dog, the stronger your dog bond will be, even if there are other people in your home.

37. Health Considerations for Assistance Dogs

Hopefully, two of your criteria for choosing your assistance dog was that he would be physically and mentally capable of doing any task that you would require of him. As the trainer as well as owner/handler of a service dog, you will also need to consider WHEN he will be physically and mentally ready for some of the tasks and what impact they may have on him.

Physical Needs of Service Dogs
A dog that is asked to train for and carry out tasks that he is not yet physically mature enough to do may negatively impact his overall health. Any behavior that is repetitive especially on a daily basis, that is done on a hard surface, involves jumping, or puts stress on joints (such as rearing up) should be closely evaluated for when they should be trained. Hips, elbows, knees and spine are the most affected.

A dog’s bones are not fully formed until they are 12 to 18 months old. Smaller dogs develop sooner than larger dogs. By that age, the bone plates have closed and if they have formed properly, your dog is more likley to be sound. If there is significant or ongoing stress as the plates are forming, the bones may be malformed and the damage can become permanent.


Overall physical stamina is another consideration. A 6 month old puppy has less stamina than a 2 year old dog and a senior dog also likely has less than the 2 year old.
You need to choose the number and type of tasks to train accordingly.

Since bracing work is especially structurally stressful, make sure dog is structurally sound and suitable build for this work and wait until his bone plates have closed before starting the training. Have a vet assess your dog. Pay particular attention to the technique you use to teach a brace as you want to make sure you are distributing your weight over the shoulder area evenly, not putting any stress on the spine and placing your weight so the stress goes straight down through the dog’s legs toward the ground. Think of a cane being held upright versus being held on angle. The one on the angle put the stress on the cane and it may snap. The cane held upright puts the stress on the bottom tip on the ground where it should be.

Pulling a wheelchair is another physically stressful task as is opening a heavy public door. Start with a harness that is designed for the task, and has been properly fitted. Make sure your dog is physically mature and that you slowly condition him to do the amount of pulling you need on a daily basis. Think of your dog as an athlete, every aspect of their physical training (weight, distance, speed, duration, etc) should be increased in small increments and trained one aspect at a time. Then you can bring the aspects together by adding two together, then three etc.

Mental & Emotional Needs of Service Dogs
Mental and emotional levels and requirements also need to be considered when considering training new tasks. Does your dog have the self-control, body-awareness and mental maturity to complete both the training and implementation of each specific task?


Some dogs won’t be ready for some tasks until they are older. For example, your dog might be too mouthy (un-aware of the impact his teeth have on you) to carefully pull off a sock without injury to you or too exuberant to paw a light switch without scratching the wall. He may not yet be physically aware of his body to safely navigate close to you in a wheelchair. You can choose to start training these but not expect proficiency until he is older, or you may choose to wait to train them.

Mental stamina increases from puppyhood to maturity and beyond. Start with simple tasks, and train more complicated ones. Start with a few and build to many, alternate training tasks so you don’t overload him in training.


Consider how long your dog can focus on a task or tasks without getting fatigued-a very common cause of refusal. Stop well before you get to that point. Better to leave him eager for more than getting tired of what you are training.

Your dog needs to feel connected to you to you. Regular training and play builds that bond (remembering than training should always be fun!) Of course, your dog needs daily love and attention from you (and maybe others).

Overall Maintenance of Health
Maintaining your dog in good working condition is critical to his performance. Ensure he is getting the exercise levels he needs for a dog his body structure, breed and age and getting quality food.

Daily exercise builds muscle tone, helps with body awareness, expends extra energy and stress and helps keep him at an ideal weight. It also helps to keep a more active dog calm.

Factor in how much exercise he gets doing tasks for you, then make up the balance of his needs with other forms of exercise. You may need to be creative with how you exercise him if you handle him alone and have physical or balance disabilities. Teaching him to chase a piece of fur dran along th ground on a string, or the tip of a long target stick, retrieve a ball, pacing alongside your wheelchair, sending him to run around objects at a distance or targeting a spot on the fence etc may be options. Directed exercise may also help him to bond with you since you are the provider of this resource.

An overweight or obese dog is less likely to want to work for the handler, has lower energy levels, may be sluggish in performing them and the extra weight puts him at risk for heart and joint-related health problems. This makes it difficult to maintain his performance and training.

Tip:
To figure out if your dog is overweight, gently touch the tips of your fingers to his ribs. You should be able to easily feel the rib bones under his skin. If there is a layer of fat, he needs to lose some weight. A quick visual check (not as effective) is to look from above to see an hourglass shape with his chest and hips being wider than his stomach area. If in doubt, ask your veterinarian.

Your dog needs quality food suited to his age and energy output.


For large-boned dogs, it is important to pay attention to how much calcium is required for proper growth during puppyhood. Consult your vet, but as a heads up that too much calcium can be bad for large breeds or big-boned dogs as it promotes the bones to grow too quickly and become less dense, and therefore less able to withstand stress. If your breed is prone to hip or elbow dysplasia, an Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) screening test at 2 years of age done by a veterinarian may be needed.

Since you are most likely using treats to train, you can fend off obesity by removing the equivalent of food from his daily ration that you feed him in treats. For a handful of treats, remove what you think the caloric equivalent is for his food. You may also be able to use his daily food as the reward for training, providing it motivates him enough to work. In more distracting environments, or to motivate him to do new tasks, you may need to use higher value, but healthy treats, such as small cubes of liver, chicken, cheese etc.

An easy way to reduce caloric intake is to remove one fifth of his regular meal and substitute it with cooked pumpkin or other squashes, boiled frozen green beans or other vegetable that he will willingly eat. Once he gets to his ideal weight, you may need to experiment with how much food he needs to keep him at a stable weight.

On a daily basis, every dog needs a balance of rest and recreation time suited to his specific needs.
After performing longer than usual or in stressful situations, it is important to give your dog sufficient rest and recovery time afterwards. Giving him a day off, or periods of time where he can remove himself from the stress is needed to keep him happy and healthy.

When in the midst of performing, a short break from the situation, a change of task or creating an opportunity to physically release stress by chasing a ball or playing tug may help him deal with the stress in a appropriate way. Then he can get back to work.

A Study of the Impact on Service Dogs for Autistic Children might be of interest.
Factors Affecting Behavior and Welfare of Service Dogs for Children With
Autism Spectrum Disorder


Thursday, January 22, 2009

33.Shaping to Fine Tune or Reshape Old Behaviors for Greater Precision

While shaping is usually used to teach a new behavior to a dog, it can also be used to fine tune a behavior or even reshape an old one or parts of a known one. Shaping can be applied to large behavior changes or fine tuning behaviors.

Think of shaping a behavior as a process of revision. Rewriting a book is shaping that book into a different form to a higher degree of detail. For dogs it might be teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash. Heeling is a finer precision of walking on a loose leash.

How do you do this?
1. Select which criteria you want to improve.
Every behavior has more than one part that makes up the whole behavior. This is criteria. Is it timing, movement, speed of response, finesse, accuracy of a behavior? Do trial of 10 repetitions for one behavior. Note your dog’s proficiency in it. Is the whole behavior where you would like it? Is there a part of it you would like to improve? Note which ones your dog needs improvement with. You can shape each of these separately.

2. For each criteria, select for the better responses.
Repeat 10 repetitions and see how many times out of 10 that your dog actually does the criteria to your satisfaction. Is it 5 out of 10? To move to the next level you want it to be at least 8/10.
Dogs are not computers and each time they do a behavior there is variability in how they perform it. A behavior might be harder, longer, more focused, superfluous etc. It is this variability that allows us to shape behaviors.

3. Practice only that part of a behavior you want to improve the criteria, this time clicking/treating only for those behaviors that meet your slightly higher requirements.

So to reshape your dog to be more gentle with his teeth (and more aware that there are toes under your sock) focus on the first part of the pull only. Maybe in 10 repetitions, your dog grabs your sock roughly 4 times and slightly more gently 6 times before pulling it all the way off. Click only the more gentle grabs and he need not pull the sock all the way off. Keep practicing until you notice that your dog is able to offer the gentler grabs 8/10 times.

Tip: If you raise your requirements too fast, your dog will not get c/t and will get frustrated and may quit. You must be observant to ensure that you are raising your criteria at a level appropriate to your dog's current abilities so she can still have success but start slightly modifying her behavior to match your shaping plans.

Now increase your requirements so this time your dog takes the sock a little more gently 8/10 times (or more). Increase your requirements slightly again. Does he still need more improvement? Keep practicing and increasing his required gentleness and only select those behaviors which are slightly more gentle.


Keep upping the requirements in little steps until your dog is able to offer the behavior you desire consistently. Then add the new criteria as part of the whole behavior.

Example 1:
Placing a coin into a small container is really an exercise in shaping. You need to work on two different shaping criteria separately.
1. Size of object being retrieved and placed.
2. Size of the opening the object is being placed into.

1. Size of object being retrieved and placed.
Start with an object that is comfortable size and familiar to your dog. Practice with this until he is successful 8/20 or more. Then choose a slightly smaller object and practice with that until 8/10 successful. Continue in this vein until your dog is able to pick up and carry very small items such as coins (start with largest coins and work down), a chain of paper clips, a ring etc. If you are introducing a new material to your dog, you may need to do some separate training until your dog is comfortable it before decreasing size of object further-metal is a good example)

2. Size of the opening the object is being placed into.
During a separate training session, start with a laundry basket your dog can easily reach into. Then when he is successful placing objects into that, try a slightly smaller box. Then a smaller one, then a plastic bucket, then a plastic container with a smaller opening. Notice that you are slowly decreasing the size of the target area where your dog drops the object. At some point you will need to switch to smaller and smaller objects so do that training first. Train your way down in size to the narrow-mouthed container.

Now you can combine the criteria to finish with the final behavior-your dog retrieves a coin and places it into a narrow-mouthed jar. Congratulations, you have just shaped two criteria and put them together to get a finished behavior!

Example 2
Don’t like the way your dog delivers retrieved objects to you? Reshape that end part of the retrieve. Start from where he is at, and determine what criteria you need to work on. Is it how accurately he can target your hand? (see above for process) or that he lets go as soon as he touches your hand with his nose? Work on only that part of the skill before you start adding it to the whole retrieve behavior chain. Barbara Handelman describes this very nicely in Marriage of Target and Retrieve when she discusses the dog pushing objects into your hand and holding them there until you to give a release cue.


Why do You Retrain Only One Part of a Complicated Behavior?
If you wait until the dog has completed a whole behavior to click, he has no way to know which part of the behavior he did well and which part he did substandard. Was was too boisterous in running to get the object? Was he sloppy in picking it up? Was he slow in returning to you? Did he drop it on the floor at your feet? Because there are so many parts to a behavior, you really need to zero in on the part that he is not performing as well as you would like. Work on that, then integrate it by chaining it back into the larger behavior.

What Behaviors Do you Want to Improve?
Break them down into their criteria and reshape each part as neccessary!

32. Using Free Shaping to Teach a New Behavior

Free Shaping
Free shaping allows the dog to offer behaviors, no matter how small, toward a final behavior. The trainer captures them by clicking and treating at the exact moment the behavior occurs. There is no luring and no cuing. It is a silent process with only the clicker and treats doing the talking.

It sometimes helps the human part of the partnership to use a visual marker to measure increments of behavior. Pieces of tape on the ground, a pattern on a floor mat, chalk marks on a wall, a string marking a height, a watch timer in seconds etc.

For this type of shaping, it is really important to define your final objective, and brainstorm the step by step process your dog will likely do to get there.

You can click ANY behavior that is the slightest bit towards the final behavior you want to see. A glance downwards, a head dip both start towards a down. An ear flick in your direction, a neck muscle twitch, a slight head turn, an eye blink, an eye closed, the twitch of a leg muscle prior to actually moving, the dip of a bum, etc. The finer behavior you can click, the more aware your dog will be of both his body and what behavior he is offering and what you are paying for.

Once your dog has some shaping experience, you can select for bigger behaviors as you know that if you wait for them, the dog will offer it if she doesn't get clicked immediately. You can also go for some of the subtle or difficult behaviors.

Some tips:
* Shaping takes a lot of concentration so you should choose a reward that motivates your dog to concentrate on you, but not be overexcited about getting the treat. Soft treats that can be eaten quickly allow him to get back to the shaping game quickly. Crumbly ones slow the process by distracting him.


*Always start shaping a new behavior in a quiet environment with no distractions. Even experienced shaping dogs need to have some quiet space to learn.

*Start new dogs by free shaping behaviors they already know on cue. Sit, down, spin etc. You will find they retain the behavior better and will be quick to offer it as part of a different shaping process at a later date.

*Use wait time to your advantage: Waiting for a repeat of a behavior before clicking usually causes results in an increase in the behavior out of frustration (waiting for a second nose push will result in the second nose push that is harder or longer, asking for two grabs of a stick will prompt the second grab to be longer or harder, waiting for a second paw touch with result in a scratch with the nails or a larger paw swipe, waiting for a second bark may get you a louder bark.)

*The first few times of free shaping, help your dog by making his task easy as possible. Start with a narrow channel to get a straight back up, a small space to get eye contact, create a limited area for you dog to move so the choices are fewer, place an object in his way so he has to move around it to do the desired behavior etc. Be creative!

* Slowly build up the number of clicks you do with your dog between breaks. Start with 10, take a one minute break. Then do another 10, give a break. Do another 10 and quit. Build up number of clicks per training session slowly as your dog develops his attention span and shows that he is enjoying the sessions and is eager to offer more behaviors.

* To speed shaping OF very complicated behaviors, you may want to train similar behaviors that will help your dog to more quickly get the idea of what you want. For example, alternate playing a game of pivot back feet around a phone book with sessions of eye contact helps your dog to more quickly learn that he must move his back legs to swing his bum around to your left and into heel position (called a swing finish). This is called crossing over behaviors, and your dog will blend the two behaviors.

* Watch for signs of frustration at a particular step. These may include scratching, stretching, yawning, sniffing the ground, barking, easily distracted, laying down when it's not appropriate, refusal to offer more behaviors etc.

* Stop a training session while your dog is still eagerly offering behaviors and is having fun. If he gets too frustrated, s/he will stop playing the game, walk away, stop offering behaviors or get too physical with you, demand the treats etc. Use a cue such as “game over” to indicate he is done.

* Have fun with shaping!

Some Behaviors That Lend Themselves to Free Shaping:

Backing up
Standing in front of you facing you close in
Eye Contact
Heeling
Loose Leash Walking
Come (all the way to you in a sit position and you hold the collar)
Pulling off socks (shape a gentler and gentler approach with teeth)
Shaping a positive reaction to another dog, or child or fearful situation.
Shaping a calm behavior on a mat while stimulating things are going on around you.

Free-shaping can also be using with object-based shaping.

Don’t forget that you can also shape just part of a behavior and then chain it with several others to create a new behavior.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

28. Four Stages of Learning in Dogs

Being a good dog trainer is about helping your dog be successful. If you understand the stages that a dog goes through when learning a new behavior or task, it will help you understand where your dog is currently at. This in turn will help you to identify what else you need to do to help your dog be successful.

The Four stages as identified by Melissa Alexander, a respected clicker dog trainer are:

1. Learning the Behavior
2. Perfecting & Generalizing the Behavior
3. Applying the Behavior
4. Living the Behavior

Of course, all of us want to be on the last stage stage 4 yesterday, but in reality, for some tasks it may take many months or more to get to that point. It is critical that you spend the time on the earlier stages to ensure your dog is ready for later one as they all build on each other.

If you get the stage 4 and you find your dog is making many mistakes, it is more likely a factor of speeding through previous levels, rather than your dog's inability to do the task (unless of course he is physically unable to do it.)

Here is a link to Ms. Alexander's original article where she discusses each stage.

Monday, January 19, 2009

25 G Health Issues May Affect Dog's Ability to Detect Scents

If you rely on a dog to alert you using smell, such as a diabetic alert dog or an allergy alert dog, you need to be vigilant about detecting illness in your dog. If you notice any decline in the ability to detect scent level changes, you should first rule out health issues.

While I couldn't find any actual studies online for dogs to support this assertion, I did find several references for humans (see 1 below). Many sporting dog people have noted that when their dogs are ill or taking antibiotics, their capacity to accurately scent decreases. This was often observed when a normally accurate dog started making errors such as missing a scent of a bird. A dog that has an infected tooth, bladder or kidney infection, tick-based infection (Rocky Mountain Spotted fever (see 2) , Lyme's Disease see 3), fungal infection, kennel cough (Bordatella bronchiseptica), hypothyroid (see 4) etc may have a reduced ability to scent. Dogs with chronic ear infections may be affected as well. Nasal infections in dogs are less common than humans but can be complications of a disease.

Watch for any typical signs of infection or disease from draining eyes and nose, coughing, frequency straining during urination to lethargy, refusing to eat, fever etc.

Dogs noses need the presence of good bacteria in their nasal passage to capture and detect particles of scents from the air. If the level of good bacteria declines, so does their scenting ability (see 5). Infections and other diseases cause this imbalance as can antibiotics. Antibiotics wipe out the good bacteria along with the pathogens.

If you rely on a dog for medical scenting, make sure you put additional detection assistance in place or take more caution than usual while your dog is recovering from an infection or on antibiotics. If you are choosing a dog to train as a scent indication dog, be careful in your choice as some lines and breeds are susceptible to health issues that may limit their scenting ability.

If you would like to do more research, there seems to be more mention of this in hunting dogs. (dogs, infection, scenting ability and side effects, antibiotics) Talk to your vet to get their take on this.

Sources:
1. Decline in Smell in Humans http://archotol.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=619670#qundefined
2. Disease affecting scenting (hunting) ability http://www.illinoisbirddogrescue.org/who_we_are.html
3. Lyme's  http://www.gundogdoc.com/askthevet/infectiousdz.html
4. Hypothyroid  http://petshrink.com/articles/The%20Immune%20System%20and%20Autoimmune%20Diseases.html
5. Antibiotic Use in Dogs Side Effects http://suite101.com/article/the-use-of-antibiotics-in-dogs-a124543

Here is one peer-reviewed paper on which diseases affect a dog's sense of smell: It doesn't seem to be available easily on the web.
Myers, Lawrence J.: Use of innate behaviors to evaluate sensory function in the dog, pp. 389-399 in: Advances in Companion Animal Behavior (Veterinary Clinics of North America, Vol. 21 (2). 1991.
See the abstract in this link

25E Overall Considerations for Training Allergy Alerts

For those of you who want the big picture spelled out for you at the beginning, before you get too bogged in the details, here is a great article to give you some ideas. It is not specific to allergy alert training but a general approach to scent training. It is a great summary article. This process trains the dog to a novice level, which is the first of several steps towards allergy scent alerting in public.

Detection Dog Training.

25C Scents to Avoid when Training Allergy Alerts

There are many scents to avoid using when training allergy scent alerts as they are disagreeable to your dog, especially in full or concentrated form.

Some common sense ones: vinegar, rubbing alcohol, pine, lemon juice, citronella. In fact anything that has a citrus-like component. 

Earl Grey Tea, which I started both my dogs on, is aversive to Jessie. She wasn't her eager self to do scent training (often lagging to start a training session, avoiding the correct container to indicate, sniffing the ground after she got her treat and often would even turn her face away from it while indicating). She seemed to be slow to pair the indication behavior with the scent. It turns out the burgamot that makes it different from plain black tea, is citrus-based.

Watch your dog's signals to see if they find the scent aversive.  
25B Allergy Alerts are Different from Narcotics Detection Behaviors


(This article is a work in progress and I will add to it as I discover more differences)


While the same general approach as narcotic detection dogs can be used to train a allergy alert dog as they are both based on finding small amounts of scent, there are some significant differences. Since there is more information about how to train narcotics and other similar search dogs, this is the comparison we look at. In contrast, Allergy Alert Dogs are in fact, quite similar to how the international border detection dogs (known as Beagle Brigade) are trained to patrol airports for agricultural goods (fruit vegetables, meat, animal products etc.)


1. The handler wants a passive alert so dog doesn't interact with allergen. Many scent detection dogs are taught to do active or aggressive alerts (pawing, digging, barking etc) near where they find the scent. Since the allergic handler does not want to risk interacting with the allergen, their dog needs to learn to indicate the location of the allergen without interacting with it.


2. A service dog needs to blend into their environment and so doesn't need the level of intensity during the search that narcotic dogs need. They can calmly go about their job on leash without running, jumping or climbing, They also must not appear intimidating to other people.


3. Using food to train instead of toys keeps the dogs calmer, which is needed for a service dog in public places. If your dog is toy driven, use a toy that has an attachment (such as a tug that hangs on your belt or a ball attached to a short handle. so you can keep the reward low key and appropriate for the setting.


4. Because they don't need the same intensity for the job and use passive alerts, a service dog can be trained using everyday objects they find in their environment.  (boxes, shoes, egg cartons, pots, rolled towels, clothing, cupboards, closets, under rugs, behind furniture etc). There is no need for specialized tools like scent training boxes, rooms with holes in walls, scent wheels etc. 


Mobility-impaired people can easily and cheaply make a scent wheel with an old wood or plastic Lazy Susan and small containers glued onto it into which other smaller containers with scent is placed.


Most service dogs can easily learn not to mouth, bite, paw or destroy light-weight containers and material. If the dog starts doing that, simply back up a step or two in training where the dog was able to do the desired behavior or only present the object briefly into the dog's reach and remove. As the dog is successful, re-introduce it in slightly longer increments. Only allow longer duration access if the dog consistently offers the desired alert behavior instead of the undesired one.  


5. Service dogs don't need the duration of scent detection used by narcotics dogs who work comparatively long shifts since a service dog will be expected to walk into the room with handler, do a room check, indicate (or not) and then either be removed from the room or relax or be available to do his other duties.


6. If there is no allergen present, the handler (due to allergies) cannot put down a sample for the dog to find and be reinforced. Even asking another person to do this puts the handler at risk. The handler could put down a safe scent (that they trained the dog on early in the training) so she can be rewarded for finding it.


7. A trainer needs to be hired periodically (3 to 4 times a year) to refresh the dog's knowledge of the allergens since the handler cannot do it. While dog's memory for scent is long (and their noses are amazing- see this link), it pays to keep it refreshed periodically with the allergens.


Other Training Tips: Related Behaviors


Avoid starting the dog with finding food such as in the new dog sport "Nose Work" where they find food in cardboard boxes. The dogs are encouraged to do active alerts and pawing, and ultimately eat the food they find. This can take much longer to retrain a dog not to use this form of indication than one who has never done this behavior.


Be careful not to train other incompatible behaviors at the same time as allergen detection: active alerts (pawing, digging, barking), retrieving, mouthing etc. Dogs tend to blend behaviors (called adduction) if the training sessions are close together in time. If the dog has a long history of retrieving, start with objects that are much too large to be retrieved and work your way down to smaller ones, only reinforcing desired behaviors. 


If you have trained similar behaviors in the past, Once the allergic alert behavior is trained, choose new cues and hand signals that are very different from previously-trained ones. For example, "Find it" to my dogs means go find the object and bring it back. For an allergic alert, I use "Sniff" or "Search" which means find the scent and do a passive indication.





24B. Service Dog Training via Webcam

We are now able to offer services via webcam to all of Vancouver Island clients to help in training their assistance dogs. This can be done at home, no matter where you are on VI!

If you have-
*a webcam with built in mic on your computer
*already have or can create a Skype http://www.skype.com/ or TokBox www.tokbox.com/ account (This is very easy.)
*can figure out how to download the required software
we would be happy to receive an application from you.
You will need to have your webcam pointed to an open floor space where we can see you training your dog.
VIAD Training Team

Sunday, January 18, 2009

23. Self-Taught Dog Alerts Diabetic of Low Blood Sugar

Today while visiting a shop, I happened to mention to the proprietor that I help people to train their own service dogs. She told me that her dog is a self-trained diabetic alert dog.

This woman works alone and her store is often very quiet. Occassionally her blood sugars drop (she has type 1 diabetes, diabetes mellitis) and she starts getting groggy at the counter. Her dog noses her arm to shake her up abit and at this point, the woman knows she needs to get some food into her quickly. If she goes past this point, as has happened on a couple of occasions, the dog noses her upright and when getting her up doesn't work, leaves the store to go get help.

The dog goes to a nearby store, gets someone to let her in, stops at then entrance and walk in circles to get attention of the employees. Then she walks around the room. If no-one pays attention, she repeats the behavior starting at the door, then someone has always noticed and she leads them back to the woman who needs help.

Just goes to show the significant impact that a service dog can have on someone's life, even if they are not certified! This dog looks and acts just like the dog next door. You'd never know of her special gift!

Have you heard of other stories of other dogs like this? We'd be interested to hear from you!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

21. Other Tug-based Tasks

Removing Socks, Gloves and Other Clothing

Make the object easier to take by pulling it off your body. Allow your dog to experiment to find out where you are under that material. Use a yelp if she makes tooth contact to show her that you are under there! To avoid potential injury, (especially if you have circulation issues with extremities or have a hard-mouthed dog), place the clothing on a dummy hand, foot etc (using a rubber or wooden stick covered with a sock for example) and c/t for only gentle takes. Ask another person your dog knows well to practice this a few times to test how gentle she is or use your hand in the sock to practice before trying your with your foot.

Target the object (sock, or rope) with your finger or target stick and cue your dog to tug. Next slowly decrease the amount of sock material extended.

For longer tugs such as needed for pulling a laundry basket, try using a series of shorter tugs and ask for two tugs before c/t, then three etc. With practice, your dog will be able to pull it quite a long distance. If he gets frustrated or quits, you are asking for too much too soon.

You can apply these skills to any pull-related tasks or combine them into chains for a more complex behavior.





Pulling up the Blankets

How would you shape your dog to pull a blanket up and over you?
Here's a start, you fill in the dots!

Blanket folded in pleats on the floor
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Move blanket to foot of bed.
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Blanket pulled up to your chin on a bed, chair or couch

Monday, January 12, 2009

15. Online Basic Dog Training program-Ideal Starting Point for Owner-Trained Service Dogs

Are you still working on basic behaviors with your dog? Do you want to improve some of the foundation skills to strengthen them for assistance dog tasks?

Do we have the program for you!

The following program, called Sue Ailsby's Training Levels, is a great foundation for any dog but especially important to people training their own service dogs.

The author is Sue Ailsby, who has trained and used two of her own service dogs using the program. She is a retired dog obedience judge who trials service dogs in various dog sports. Sue has mobility issues as well as several other health problems that her current service dog assists her with.

She has put together this program to help everyone set the foundation for a good relationship with your dog, teach you some great training skills and have a dog that has 16 basic skills needed to start training as a service or assistance dog.

This program is quite an ingenious program. It explains step by step how to train your dog several specific behaviors, then by the time you get to higher levels, you have the skills to figure out how to train from there. She helps you by setting your next level goal for you to keep you on track. Some of the behaviors are captured, some targeted, and many are shaped. So you end up with a dog that knows how to think.

The program has an 'At-Home' training component, as well as an 'On-the-Road' (OTR) portion that gets you and your dog out in public training together. It teaches you how to increase distraction levels in small enough intervals that your dog can be successful.

The program produces a TEAM-you and your dog, ready to take on the challenges of life! The first 3 levels take about 1 month each to complete (depending on the age of your dog), the rest vary 2 months or more each depending on your dog, how often you train etc. It can be used with dogs of all ages, from tiny 8 week old puppies to senior dogs.

In case you are wondering: Yes, you can train service dogs tasks at the same time as you work through the program!

Here are several pieces of the program that are on the internet. All FREE with the exception of the initial purchase of the book which is about CAD$45 plus shipping!


2. Facebook Group Discussion/Support Group

This is a great support group for anyone working through the program. People are friendly and helpful and several are also working their Service Dogs in Training through the program. It’s a great place to ask for help, ideas, creative problem solving etc. You do have to set up a Facebook account, but it’s free.

3. Yahoo Groups Discussion/Support Group

This is a great support group for anyone working through the program. People are friendly and helpful and several are also working their Service Dogs in Training through the program. It’s a great place to ask for help, ideas, creative problem solving etc. You do have to set up a Yahoo group membership, but it’sfree.


4. I-phone and I-pod touch application:



5. Sue Ailsby's Old Training Levels Book
This book describes every thing you need to know to clicker train your dog. Read the Introduction as well as all other supporting material before you start. Published free on-line, we recommend you print it off (pdf) to make it easier to read. Use the program however you want to!


6. Here is Lucy working through testing the old levels, started when I got her at 23 mos:
Lucy, Level 1 
Lucy, Level 2 part A 
Lucy, Level 2B
Lucy Level 3A
Lucy Level 3B

7. If you would like a coach to help you through the process and live outside of the Vancouver Island, Canada area, our services are available via webcam so you can get help with training one on one and face to face in your own living room for a very modest fee! Train with Donna Hill, B.Sc. B.Ed.

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

10. More Targeting

Here are some other types of targeting.

Upright Stick Target on the floor (perhaps stood upright in a handful of playdough) gives the dog a destination to move away from you while you teach him to move around behind you to follow you down a narrow aisle.

This pup shows how it works. The gadget on the left is a Treat and Train which dispenses a treat when the dog touches the tip of the stick and tone is sounded at that moment. Very expensive, I might add.


Spot Targeting (such as a margarine lid or tape) placed at a location, can be used to send your dog and put him in a down or wait for further instructions. Use a larger ice cream lid for greater distances to allow him to see it better. Over time, you can cut the size down in small steps and then remove it completely. Placing a spot on a desk gives him a target to place money for a clerk. Or pick up money from the same clerk. Or placing a spot at the bottom of a stairway shows him where he needs to stop before assisting you up the stairs or one placed in a car shows him where you want him to jump into and lie down.

This dog does a great paw touch on a spot that the trainer moves around. She realizes that her dog is not a successful as she should be when she starts throwing the spot at a distance and moves the spot closer so her dog can be successful. After a few repetitions, she moves it further away to test if her dog understands it. She does. Also notice that her timing of the click is exactly when the dog’s paw hits the target. Perfect! This combination of good timing and early success results in a an eager dog that wants to learn with her!



This behavior could easily be extended to teach a paw touch of a light button placed on the floor, or the base of a touch sensitive lamp.

Spots and tape are handy because they can be transferred over to another larger object or person. Simply put a piece of tape on the new object, point to the spot of tape a few times, then let him nose touch it on his own and c/t that. Do that several times and he will be targeting the new object and you can remove the tape. This works well for teaching him to push doors and drawers closed etc. If you are concerned that tape may lift paint, try using green painters tape or even a square of Post it Note.

Mat Targeting becomes a quiet place to lay out of the way or where to stay while he is drying off or you are eating. You can also use mats to teach your dog his place (under a desk or in a corner?) while you are working. Place it under you on a bench or picnic table and he is out of sight but very nearby when you need him.



Other Objects:
Even an object such as a chair or another person (by name) can be a target that you send him to get help from another person or a telephone on a low desk to let you know when it is ringing.
Laser targeting. You can use a laser pointer as a target and turn the light off when the dog reaches the target. This can be useful to target the attention of deaf dogs. It would be wise to avoid the use of laser pointers with with dogs obsessive compulsive tendancies(any of the herding breeds) as it can quickly develop into a bad distracting habit of chasing lights.

Saturday, January 3, 2009

5. What Does the VIAD Training Process Look Like?

Using humane methods based on learning theory that are positive and fun for dog and owner (using sound markers, food and toys), individuals learn to train their own dog to do specific tasks that lead to greater independence in their home and beyond.

VIAD Training Facilitators provide access to the training framework, teach owners how to teach the foundation skills and offer expertise for problem solving. Owners do the ongoing daily training.

No expensive equipment is needed and are mostly things found in your home (things that you interact with regularly) or can be borrowed.

Tasks to be trained are selected specifically for each client, depending on their individual needs and situation.


Overview of Our Process:

1. Application (see #2 in blog archives)

2. Initial Consult to determine suitability

3. Secondary Consult to partner up with instructor, determine plan of action, key tasks needing to be trained

4. Once or twice weekly one hour in-home training sessions (in person or via webcam) to train you to train your dog the foundation skills for 16 weeks (45 minute daily training sessions with dog required by individual and/or caregiver, ideal if it can be broken into several shorter sessions) (gas costs must be covered by the client)

5. Once week in-home training sessions (in-person or via webcam) additional tasks for 8 weeks (45 minute daily training sessions with dog required by individual and/or caregiver) (gas costs must be covered by the client)

6. Assessment of dog/human partnership to see if suitable for public access work

7. If suitable, training for public areas and specific assistance tasks (up to an additional 6 months see step 4 and 5 above) (available in the Nanaimo area only at present)

We provide help with application for certification; have a lending library; sourcing harnesses, vests and other materials that identify your dog as a service dog when working in public.

We also host this blog for opportunities to interact with other trainers and ask questions.

For more information, please contact:
Vancouver Island Assistance Dogs
Nanaimo, BC V9R 6P3
250-753-5246

Friday, January 2, 2009

4A A Case for Certifying your Service Dog

Here is one reason why it might be worth the effort to certify your assistance dog. Vision Impaired man's offer for condo in Sydney, BC fell through because his dog was not certified. Ended up in court.

3E CARAT Assessment Test for Dogs

Generally, Assessment tests for puppies are a poor indicator of what a dog becomes as an adult. They are fraught with problems that vary from the knowledge level and skill of the assessor to the environment the tests are conducted in etc. Dogs are a product of both their genetics (look closely at the health, temperament and behavior of parents and grandparents) and the environment they are raised in. Just like people, they are all individuals.

So far, the best indicator test that is showing some accuracy (via scientific testing) is the CARAT Test  developed by Suzanne Clothier.
It must be administered and interpreted by someone who has done the certification program. Contact her to see if there is anyone certified in your area.

If you are going to use temperament tests, use them with a grain of salt.  

3D. More about Selection of Service Dogs



Here's an interesting article that shows behavioral and physical traits in a dog may predict his or her success as a service dog.  Something to pay attention to when selecting your next dog! Front paw preference (right or left), eye preference (left or right is the more dominant one) and hair swirls (clockwise vs counter-clockwise) could be key in pre-determining the success of your canine partner as a your service dog. According the to the results of her study off 115 guide dogs, it could be key. 


According to the article, the perfect candidate for Guide Dog school would be right-pawed, left-eyed with an anti-clockwise whorl. 

Assuming the experimentor is correct about the use of dogs on the right side of the handler, left-handled handlers may be better to choose a right-eyed dog and train them to work off their right (as in heel on the right), which in left hand-drive countries, would be safer anyway since the dog would be away from traffic.