WORKING STEPS
Levels 4 and above
Public Exposure w/Certified FD Trainers and Training Advisor (supervised and unsupervised)
V/NV
In order to work in public, a dog must be trained in public.
In order to safely and dependably work for multiple handlers, a dog must be trained to work for multiple handlers. Multiple TRAINING handlers teach the dogs that there is always a possibility of reinforcement for correct behavior.
In order to work for another handler while her trainer is in proximity, a dog must be trained to work with other TRAINING handlers with her trainer in proximity. Monkey in the Middle begins this exploration of other handlers, as does the Come Game, which teaches the dog to see when reinforcement is available from other handlers and not from the primary handler.
In order to work for extended periods of time, the dog must be trained to work for extended periods of time. Working endurance is built gradually.
Bear in mind that a working Service Dog is a finished product: trained, confident, and fit.
Fitness and extended concentration are trained conditions. A good trainer will always stop before the dog does, so that the dog is always, both mentally and physically, In the Game when working.
Freedom Dogs should be expected to routinely pass the Canine Good Citizen Evaluation, no matter who is handling them. That’s a pretty minimum standard.
Freedom Dogs should be able to perform the Public Access Test behaviors, no matter who is handling them, as a matter of course.
SD behaviors themselves are neither the important nor the difficult part of being a FD. Being able to perform them safely and dependably in public for a variety of persons is primary.
Working Steps focus on public access, which includes default behaviors, Canine Good Citizen and the public protocol.
While training Level 4, the Partner Team-in-Training is also preparing for the Public Access Test, which is then followed by vested, independent, unsupervised training.
TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE WORKING TEAM UNDERSTANDS SERVICE DOG PUBLIC WORKING PROTOCOL, AND EACH IS COMFORTABLE WORKING IN A PUBLIC ENVIRONMENT:
· Prior to taking the Public Access Test, the Freedom Dog should acquire a minimum of 15 Supervised Vested Training Hours in at least 15 different locations using a variety of modes of transportation.
These Supervised Vested Outings and Training Sessions must be led by a FD Certified Trainer, FD Training Advisor or a L6 or above FD coach.
TO MAXIMIZE THE SAFETY OF THE WORKING TEAM:
· The dog must show social behavior skills of no aggression, no inappropriate barking, no biting, no snapping/growling, no inappropriate jumping on strangers, no begging and no sniffing of people. (ADI)
Many qualifications are required of a dog trainer - ability to listen to a dog, ability to speak to a dog, ability to remain calm in the face of frustration and emergency situations, ability to focus on what the dog must learn, ability to break each task down into manageable pieces, ability to remember the basic principles – such as being sure the dog is in the game – while concentrating on explaining each small behavior yet again.
More skills are required of a Service Dog trainer, with the added complication of training THIS dog to work for THAT person to mitigate that person’s specific disabilities. Now the trainer is not only dealing with everything the dog needs to learn, but also teaching and working with the human. It’s an unfortunate fact that many very good dog trainers aren’t good with people. If you can listen when a dog is saying she’s not getting it, can you hear the same thing when a person tells you? Can you explain something for the fifth time in the fifth different way without looking annoyed? Can you calm yourself enough to hear what the person isn’t saying about his situation?
The FD Trainer needs all these skills – and more. The FD Trainer isn’t training a dog to mitigate a particular set of disabilities in a particular person, but instead is training a dog to learn, to think, and to respond appropriately in ANY disability in ANY person. The FD Trainer doesn’t need to translate dog-to-human over a period of weeks, but minutes, and to do this job for people who haven’t come upon their disabilities over years with a chance to get used to them, but who have gone from being fit and active to broken in seconds.
You have a tough job ahead of you. It’s about being a really, really good dog person, but it’s also about being a really, really good people person Good luck, and goodonya!
Let’s get down to business.
One thing I haven’t mentioned yet is record-keeping. There’s no computer program available to keep track of the time you spend training, but it IS necessary to keep track. Get in the habit of recording your sessions each and every time.
And exactly what ARE all these different sessions?
A “clinic”, “seminar”, or special event such as a canine or human first-aid course is designed to teach the trainer. Absolutely necessary, but doesn’t count as a training session for the dog, even if you’re working your dog in the clinic, so relax, and concentrate on your own education.
“Training Session”. In order to work in public, a dog must be trained in public. Before she earns her vest, a dog can be worked in public in many areas where other dogs are allowed. Balboa Park is a tremendous resource for training. Once your dog is eligible to be vested as a Service Dog In Training, she can go into places where “normal” dogs are not allowed to go. At this point, it’s important for you to remember the dog’s status.
Dogs, whether trained or not, certified or not, well-behaved or not, have NO rights. Dogs are not allowed in grocery stores, period. Grocery stores which allow dogs can receive huge fines.
Persons with disabilities have the right to be accompanied by their assistive devices in most areas open to the public, provided that assistive device does not disrupt their business. A Service Dog is an assistive device.
In some states, Service Dogs In Training have been granted the same status for training purposes as Service Dogs.
What this means to you, as a trainer, is that you can take your vested dog into any TRAINING situation. And just what, then IS a training session?
I love Wal-Mart for training. It’s got totally quiet aisles; it’s got busy aisles; it’s got merchandise; it’s got wheelchairs and electric scooters I can borrow; it’s got children and people with canes. It’s perfect. And sometimes I buy things in Wal-Mart. Here’s where I have to pay attention. If I’m going to Wal-Mart to buy a mat, that’s not a training session. If I’m going to Wal-Mart to train my dog, that IS a training session. I might even buy a mat while I’m there.
What’s the difference? A Training Session has a goal. It has a plan. It has treats. It’s focused on the dog’s behavior and state of mind, and it’s documented.
“Supervised Training”. Coaching is a very important skill for a dog trainer. By coaching another team, you’ll be able to see problems youi might not have noticed in your own training, as well as have the freedom to sit back and think of solutions without being personally involved. It’s also excellent practice in teamwork and in reading dogs and other people. Much of the supervised training you’ll be doing will be in the presence of another FD Trainer, and you will, of course, be expected to be available to coach other trainers.
Two things to keep in mind while coaching: first, the coach is working with the TRAINER, not the dog; and second, the coach is an active participant in the training session. The coach’s job is not to document that training actually took place, but to watch for glitches (and moments of brilliance!) that the trainer might have missed, and to assist in the training in any way possible.
Some of your supervised training sessions are specifically supervised by a FD Certified Trainer or Training Advisor. Take advantage of this time to work your most troublesome behaviors, rather than trying to impress the teacher!
Don’t be daunted by the training hours required. They’ll add up faster than you expect them to.
I strongly suggest that you videotape what your dog knows how to do at the beginning of training, and every six months. Sometimes this is a real eye-opener about how little you’ve been doing, but usually, it’s a GOOD shock to see how far you’ve come in so short a time.
And above all, remember the amazing task you’re training your dog to do. And remember that when you hear yourself saying “She’s never EVER going to get this!” it usually means that by next month you’ll have forgotten it was ever a problem!
Sue Ailsby
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