One of the Most Useful Pieces of Training Advice I've Received

One of the most useful pieces of advice I received on my journey to raise and train Bo was to limit verbal cues to one or two word commands and to avoid adding the word it to the end of commands. The idea being the fewer number of words to discern within a command, the faster the dog will learn, recognize and interpret the command. I received this advice early in our journey and it has influenced how I choose the words for verbal cues. 

The following are the verbal cues we use with Bo and the behaviors they represent:

Take: Used to direct Bo to use his mouth to take an object from any number of places including out of our hands.
Get help: Used by Austin to send Bo to bring a person back to Austin.
Go sniff: Used to prompt Bo to use his nose and smell. 
Spin: Used to prompt a circle motion.
Back: Used to prompt two to three steps backwards.
Sit: Used to prompt Bo to have his tail-end on the ground or floor.
Down: Used to prompt Bo to have his underside on the ground or floor.
Stay: Used to prompt Bo to remain in one place.
Drop: Used to prompt the release of an object from Bo's mouth.
Bring it: Used to prompt bringing a retrieved object to us. (I do use the word it with this command)
Leave: Used to prompt Bo to turn his head away from an object, person or animal.
Wait: Used to prompt a temporary pause in action that's followed by eye contact.
Under: Used to prompt going under a table, bench or other object.
Touch: Used to prompt Bo to hold his nose on our hand.
Load up: Used to prompt the motion of jumping to get onto or into a higher surface. (i.e., into a car or onto a raised scale at the Veterinarian's office.)
Bump: Used to prompt Bo to bump his nose on our body or on an object.
Try again: Used as a non-reward marker to indicate a behavior given is not the desired behavior. (It's important to note 'try again' is not an aversive, it is never followed by a punitive act or reprimand. )
One: Used to prompt voiding urine.
Two: The opposite of one.
Come Bo: Used to call Bo to us. (I strive to reserve the come command as the only one that I couple with Bo's name.) 

Without making a conscious effort to use one or two word commands, it's easy to fall into a habit of adding additional words. For example:

• Take your Kong;
• Bo go get help;
• Spin around;
• Back-up;
• Sit down (the combination of two separate commands);
• Lay down;
• Stay there;
• Drop it;
• Bring it to me;
• Leave it;
• Wait a minute.

What's one of the most useful pieces of advice you've received related to training your dog?

Video: Why We Don't Greet On Leash

We don't allow Bo to greet dogs while on leash for a few reasons. Helen advised us not to allow on leash greetings early in our training but it took seeing an on leash greeting gone bad for me to truly understand why on leash greetings can be dangerous.

The meeting I saw involved two well-meaning dog owners walking their dogs on leash in a public space. Their two dogs spotted one another and immediately pulled their owners toward each other. The dogs met nose to nose on tight leashes before their owners caught up to them. The meeting appeared friendly at first as the dogs sniffed each other but in an instant turned into a fierce fight. The owners pulled on their leashes in an attempt to separate the dogs but it ultimately took one owner getting on the ground between the dogs to break up the fight.

We don't allow on leash greetings for three reasons:

1. When Bo is on leash we want his focus on his handler. If we allow him to greet other dogs while he is on leash, he learns it's ok to turn his focus away from his handler when he sees another dog. 

2. When dogs greet they typically move in a circle sniffing each other's tail ends. Two dogs on leash will get tangled in their leashes when they attempt to sniff each other in this circular motion. On leash greetings interfere with dogs' natural way of saying hello.

3. When dogs meet on leash we as handlers tend to tighten our hold on their leashes. The tightening restricts the dog's mobility and ability to flee from an uncomfortable situation. A dog that feels threatened but is restrained may react with aggression.

In a situation where we cannot avoid an on leash greeting, we drop the leash until we can separate the dogs. (i.e. an unleashed dog(s) approaches while Bo is on leash and we are unable to stop the greeting)

Bo does get to play with other dogs but we are diligent to be sure he greets his playmates and his playmates greet him off leash. This looks like getting to a meeting spot where Bo and his playmate are on leash and not allowed to say hello until they are taken off leash at the same time. We use the release command 'go play' to cue Bo that it's okay for him to go and greet the other dog. In this video, Bo is waiting for his dog friend Tracy. Bo is off leash waiting and Tracy is released from her leash to greet Bo. Tracy and Bo see each other about once a week for off leash walks.

When an off leash play session is over both dogs get put back on leash and may walk side-side-by but are not permitted to interact with one another on leash.

Lessons Learned

I've been writing this post in my head for awhile. It's the lessons learned -- those things I would do differently had I the benefit of 20/20 hindsight when we started this journey.

1. Consider Adopting and Training a Released Service Dog in Training

I purchased Bo from a reputable breeder and began training him when we brought him home. If I had it to do over, I would consider adopting a dog that was released from a credible service dog organization like Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB). Through my journey, I have become friends with GEB puppy raisers. I've learned a lot about the GEB program and how their dogs are bred, raised, trained, IFT tested and when they don't pass test requirements -- released for adoption. It's a rigorous program and only a small percentage of the dogs that start with the program have the temperament and drive to become guide dogs. The others are released having logged hours of socialization, public access and basic obedience training. All of their training is performed under the guidance of puppy raisers who are required to follow GEB protocols and attend monthly group classes, led by professional GEB trainers. A dog can be released from the GEB program for something as benign as being afraid of heights. In short, adopting a released dog is a cost-effective and time-effective option for the individual seeking to train his/her own DAD --- an option I wished I would have appreciated when I began researching DADs.

2. Let People Pet Your Puppy Even if He is Wearing His Service Vest

I started taking Bo out in his service vest around the time he was 12 weeks old. People would come up to us all the time and ask to pet him and say hello. I would always politely tell them he was a service dog in training and that he couldn't be pet. Well, if I had it over to do I would let as many people big, small, young, old -- you name it --- greet and touch him. Why? Because by not allowing this he got used to people respecting his space. I learned there are many people who don't think twice about touching your dog without your permission. I can't intercept every one of these people who often have good intentions. For example, once I was walking Bo past a group of people on a crowded sidewalk and a man put his hand out to touch Bo as we passed. The benefit of this early exposure to people coming up to him and touching or talking to him (in his vest) far outweighs the benefit of associating the service vest to work when your dog is a young puppy. (Note: When Bo wasn't in his vest as a puppy we always allowed and encouraged greetings from strangers.)

3. Teach 'Close' When Your Puppy is Still Small

Sit, down and stay were the first commands I taught Bo. If I could do it again, I would have taught the 'close' command too. This command teachers your dog to get close to your body. It looks like you sitting with your legs apart and the dog nestled between your legs. If you are standing it looks like the dog sitting between your legs and touching your body. The command is helpful when you need your dog to remain close to your body for his own safety. For example, in a check-out line with shopping carriages or on a bus or subway. Training this command involves luring the dog into an outward facing sit between your legs. It's much easier to get the dog in the necessary position when he is small. I started training Bo on this command when he was older and bigger -- it took a lot of training and practice before he was able to perform it correctly.

4. Choose Your Alert Signal Carefully

I trained Bo to alert with a paw swipe. If I could do it over, I would not use the paw swipe. The paw swipe can be a violent gesture -- especially to a bare leg, arm or to your head. It can result in scratches, bruising and redness. Not ideal for anyone but especially not for a child. Instead of the paw swipe, I would train the nose bump as a low signal. It provides a physical touch that can awake you during sleep but is gentle on skin.

5. Set Your Low Threshold Tight

I originally trained Bo to alert on a blood sugar of 100 or lower. I ended up re-training him to alert on a low of 85 or lower. If I could do it over, I would have trained him to alert on a low of 85 right from the get go. Why? Because we are validating a DAD's alert with a glucometer -- technology that is allowed +/-20 point margin of error. A meter reading of 85 could be as high as 105 and as low as 65 -- 85 is the sweet spot in my opinion.

What lessons have you learned on your journey to raise and train a DAD?