Dog lovers want to know why a canine companion has numerous benefits to mention. Aside from that, dogs provide professional service to folks who need them. Service dogs are more than just pets. Here’s how to find out which dogs are most appropriate to be service dogs, and how do they get certified? Below is a step-by-step instruction to getting your dog service-ready.
What Breeds Are Best for Service Work?
Any breed can function as a service dog; it’s just a matter of training right. So for Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Border Collies, these are the typical variety for the services. These dogs have usual personalities that are trainable. A bigger dog may be important for physical assistance like movability, but smaller breeds can perform emotional support or medical alert services.
Generally, a dog’s health and temperament are most crucial to work as a service dog. That leads us to step one.
1) Evaluating Age and Health for Service Dogs.
Your dog may require a regular visit to the vet. Health conditions like diabetes and arthritis can be a major problem, which can’t add services to their responsibilities.
All service dogs must be at least six months old and past the puppy phase too. They must be neutered to make the males less hostile and females have no followers when on duty.
2) Test your Dog’s Personality
There are few dogs that are submissive, while others can be aggressive. You can’t call it simply good or bad. When you have a service animal, his temperament should narrow down the margin between these two traits. If your dog is calm and collected, also responsive and alert, it is a good possibility that he can be a good fit for the task. A local vet can provide resources to check on your dog’s temperament.
3) Evaluate if your Dog is Confident and Socialized in Various Situations
The dog has to be confident in varying situations and with all kinds of people. When the dog is anxious or fearful, it can create a harmful scenario along the way. A fearful dog exhibits a changed body language such as preventing his eyes, trembling, holding his tail between his legs, and sneaking in a compliant posture.
If the dog licks his lip many times, he pushes out of his comfort zone. A confident dog will approach his master with a wagging tail, and will present himself for petting.
4) Neuter your Dog if not Done Yet.
All service dogs are neutered. This is because males get distracted with territorial issues, while females can have a pack of dogs following her to mate. Also castrated dogs are less aggressive which is what a service dog must be.
5) Time to Train Your Service Dog
There are those who prefer to DIY training for their dog, whenever trainers are not available.
- It’s difficult to teach heeling to a dog. It’s more than “sit” and “come here”. It’s more or less following his master wherever he goes. Many say the dog is well behaved.
- Proofing or training the dog is to tune out from all distractions, and to follow what is in command.
- Tasking or learning the right moves for a specific task is the easiest for masters to train their dogs. The task includes sensing medical alert and providing guidance.
6) Training your Service Dog with a Clicker
The click-clack noise from a clicker training will mark a dog’s good behavior and the giving of his reward. The dog associates the sound of the clicker with a treat, which makes him work eagerly. The noise marks that it is time to receive a treat from his master.
7) Teach your Dog Not to Greet Other People
When you work with a service dog, have him focused on you alone and not on anyone else. It’s very important as you might need immediate help in the area, while the dog is running around to greet and play with other people.
The dog can get distracted should you need any help from him. Allow the dog to distinguish the focus on you alone. If he pays attention to you, he gets a reward; otherwise listening to strangers can’t give him a treat.
8) Teach your Dog Specific Skills.
If you have a disability, you may want to teach your dog with specific tasks that work for your need. If you are profoundly deaf, you may train your dog to alert you when the doorbell rings, a phone goes off, or alarm a smoke detector.
Likewise, if you have movability issues, you might want your service dog to retrieve small household items such as phone, remote, or keys. The skills can be taught by proper training of your dog.
9) Train Your Dog On Public Access
It is important that your dog can practice good manners whenever they are with people or a team of service dogs coming back and forth. The dog may learn to urinate and defecate in the proper way; leave interesting things alone which can happen at stores; and to never show aggression to other service dogs and the general public.
10) Keeping You Company All The Time
When you have a trained service dog, ensure that they keep you company and that they are not denied in public places. They should be legally accepted as they work as service dogs, who accompany their handlers or even their masters with disability. To do this, you need to train your dog to listen only to you.
Summary
Service dogs protect the public from untoward incidents. They also play a potential role in keeping their disabled masters confident and comfortable. They can be company to anxious, depressed people or even those with PTSD. If you know someone who can really benefit having a canine companion, you may wish to acquire a service dog.
They are not only providing good service; they extend an unconditional love to their masters. This is why at times we need to train a service dog even without a trainer for our own good.
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Leave a comment below if you enjoyed this article or have any questions!
Thanks for some tips on how to train our pet to be a service dog! I liked that you mentioned that if we would want our pet to be a service dog, it’ll be important for him to be neutered so he won’t be distracted with territorial issues. Our dog is still actually a puppy but I’d be sure to bookmark your tips so that when he grows old enough we can train him or have him trained. I would like him to be a service dog since my mom is quite old and would surely benefit from our pet’s affection and care.
Service dogs are great!
I am glad you mentioned the importance of training your dog to not be distracted. My older sister wants to get a service dog to help with her health conditions. I will suggest that she find a reputable training service for her dog so that it can be properly and efficiently trained to tune out distractions and other skills.