Date: Mon, 4 Sep 1995 18:30:12 -0700 (PDT) From: Christy Hill To: Service Dogs Subject: Re: Self Training LONG! This is a VERY LONG post. Longer than I think anyone here will ever want to read. However if you want to self train your dog and you get through this, I say you are very determined. If not, you better go through a program GRIN! There have been some interesting discussions about self training your dog. Some of you don't know me since I haven't been nearly as active as I use to be. The first year of this list I use to be overly prolific with my postings all the time GRIN! Those of you who do know me, know I am very "strong" in my views. So don't get offended by me, this area is just my passion for dogs, especially Assistance Dogs (A-dogs). I have been searching for the right dog for quite awhile as I am going to be self training my second hearing dog. However, I have some strong views about this subject and always have had these views since day one (eight years ago). There is a lot to know about A-dogs. I remember I knew dittle before going through my first class. There were things I didn't know a dog could alert me to. I had no idea what a working relationship was, nor a working ethic. I thought it just would be neat to have a dog that did neat things for me. I'm really glad I went the school route first as first timers really have no idea what they are getting themselves into :-) Also, in general the public knows little about training dogs and what is involved. I see more people who need proper training than not. This is from my experience in how people handle their dogs in the veterinary hospitals I have worked at, groomers I have worked for and kennels I have worked at. People should learn properly how to handle their dogs. In getting an A-dog there are some things you have to seriously look into. For example: 1. Temperament...do you know what type of temperament to look for? Not everyone knows how to read dog behavior. It really does take experience and I have seen people with many dog years experience that don't know how to read dogs well. People who only have pet experience misinterpret the signals. For example, a wagging tail doesn't always mean they are happy. It can also mean they are very nervous and could bite you in two seconds. A person who is experience in reading behavior can pick out what the tail wagging means if it is a happy or a nervous wag. Another example, I met a golden that smiles, the owners say people think it is snarling. People use to think my Watson was growling at them, he was just talking. He was a chatter box and I would have to tell people that he was talking. If they knew how to read dog behavior and body language, they would have known that he was just being a chatter box. 2. Emotional attachment. Don't get caught up in this one. All dogs look cute, all dogs are sweet. However, not all dogs have a good working ethic or stable temperament. I remember over a year ago I was evaluating a dog. He was beautiful. However, he was a scared dog when he was put on tile or brought into the house. The dog had never been off the ranch and never been in a house. His name was Shank. He was a brother to my sister's dog Jole', born two years later. My friends criticized me for not keeping him because they thought he was so sweet. He didn't have the stable temperament needed for A-dog work. I was strong enough to not take him and didn't fall under pressure of friends. It isn't easy, but when you are looking for a working dog you have to make sure the dog has a good temperament. I was amazed of the criticism of my dog friends who have training experience, thought I did the wrong thing. Again, another example of even dog people don't understand what is involved with the work of an assistance Dog. My roommate said it perfectly and interestingly enough, she is not a dog person. Looking for an A-dog is like looking for a mate. It is true, I will be with my future hearing dog 24 hours a day. We have to work with each other day in and day out. This dog has to have the right working qualities that is required or we will get divorced quite quickly. Aggressive dogs can lead to serious liabilities. It is very important to have a sound dog and this is extremely important for dogs that will have public access. We also have to not let our attachment haze up our decision to not accepting this dog as an A-dog. These are hard decisions to make, but also the responsibility of self training. We also can't be suckered in to say that if we had all the time in the world to train an A-dog, they could eventually be trained as an A-dog. Meaning, we can't just chose any dog without proper selection and say if we work hard enough, this dog will work. Some dogs just can't be A-dogs. Their talents maybe in something else. Just like certain breeds are not suitable for A-dog work. Also, some temperaments are not suitable for A-dog work, but might be suitable for another kind of work. Each dog and breed has a special niche and not every dog can fit in every niche. A good strong German Shepherd Dog (GSD) may not be suitable for A-dog work because its temperament is assertive and has a high prey drive. That dog would be more suitable for Police work or with the high prey drive, be more suitable for detection work. A very soft dog may not have the confidence to be a hearing dog, but maybe a fantastic therapy dog and touch many lives. It takes an experienced eye to select an A-dog, someone that has been around enough A-dogs to know what to look for. It's almost like Russian Roulette if you don't have the experience which all first time self trainers fit this category. Looking for the right temperament for your environment is VERY important. My work environment is HIGHLY stressful and I have to be very careful in the dog I select. I have had this new job for 6 months now and my temperament criteria had to be raised due to this job, making my search much harder now. My criteria looking for a dog is quite different from someone else's criteria. My working environment includes working in many different environments from working at a desk, working at a passenger terminal with people coming in from all over the world. This means people who are afraid of dogs, who smell different, walk different, and dress different. This has a great impact on a dog. On other days, I have half hour appointments all day long at the different cargo warehouses. There they have noisey fork lifts, dropping of big metal bins and wooden planks which, to some dogs, would highly over load them and could shut down the dog. My dog will also be exposed to several species of wildlife, which again means several different smells. I had one dog where these smells were so overwhelming that he couldn't take it, and I had to wash the dog out because the dog would shut down, the dog also had several other problems. So for me, I have to select a very stable dog. However, all A-dogs have to be stable, just not as stable as I am looking for. But all my examples are still very valid for dogs that won't work in a highly stressful place. They still have to be stable. 3. Compatibility. Do you really know how to select the right dog for you? Some people get a dog because they think it is pretty. But does the dog's personality fit yours? Several million dogs each year end up in the pound because of incompatibility. What saddens me the most is the recent publicizing of border collies being the smartest dogs. Now everyone wants the smartest dog. However, they don't know anything about this breed and when they get one, they have so many problems, they end up in the pound. Do your homework in finding the right type of dog for you. Are you a happy active person? You might need to get a dog to keep up with you. Or are you a quiet person and need a quiet dog? When I first bought Watson the lady who sold him to me was highly complimented for matching Watson with me. At the same time this rough tough rancher got the other dog she was selling. That other dog was a hard head and the rancher would yell his head off to the dog. Dog didn't care and they were a perfect match. If that man had Watson, he would have crushed him when working on the stock. If I had his dog I would have been very frustrated with a hard headed dog. Compatibility is very important. 4. Health. Have hips and elbows x-rayed, eyes checked, thyroid tested, test for Von wilderbrands (sp?) , watch out for seizures etc. IF the dog is not physically healthy, how can the dog work for you? All schools worth their weight go through the expense or their volunteers do, to make sure all health checks have been done on their dogs. This is really important because these dogs go under more stress than the average dog. Any discomfort can lead to abnormal behaviors. 5. Training. Anyone can train a dog to do tricks. But, not too many people know how to train their dogs for "working" ability. There is a certain work ethic that goes with working ability. How consistent and dependable is the dog? Will the dog do it for you every time you ask? Regardless of the environment? That's a good work ethic. Dogs are dogs and are not 100%,, however, the dog should be quite dependable. Training the dog right also takes some good timing. A good trainer also knows how to read body language, add pressure when needed, take pressure off when needed, praise at the right time and be consistent. This isn't something that people are born with, it is a skill that is developed after training a number of dogs. Each dog is so different and has different ways of learning. Timing and a check list of pressure can be learned through any kind of training like obedience and agility. 6. Danger. There are also dangers of teaching the dog the wrong way of doing things. Like pulling a wheelchair. First, that dog had better have its hips and elbows x-rayed to make sure they are clear from any dysplasia. Also, a young dog should NEVER pull a wheelchair until their bones are developed enough to handle this. Their long bones plate should be closed. A safe time should be after 18 months of age before they ever do any strenuous work. Another danger is some people teach their dogs to pull by a collar. This is HIGHLY dangerous for the dog's cervical spine and should NEVER be done! Also, a proper stop must be taught to the dog so they don't run you into the street. Hearing dogs. Be careful how the dog alerts you to smoke alarms. You don't want the dog to lead you right INTO the fire. There are several other examples that can also go under this category. Do your homework before attempting such a task so as not to be a danger to yourself and/or the dog. No book or computer list could be sufficient. 7. Private trainers helping the self trainer. There are some good trainers out there and some bad trainers out there. Again, do your homework. Make sure they know and understand "YOUR" disability. If they don't, stay away from them. Now, having a dog just learn a simple retrieve, it won't hurt to have an experienced obedience instructor to help you. More disability related training should be done by someone who who has experience in this area. You wouldn't go to an obedience instructor to learn how to herd, or agility. You will go to a herding expert or agility instructor. Be careful of people who claim to be A-dog trainers. There have been some serious cases where someone has claimed to be a private trainer, but produced a dog that had caused a serious liability out in public. The people were innocent and the trainer providing the dog didn't give them a dog with a stable temperament. To look for the "right" dog takes time, about the same time you do waiting for a dog on a list. By the time you find the right dog, raise the pup and start training with trial and error, you could have a dog trained by an organization that knows how to train the dog correctly. This is the best route for first time people, in my opinion (IMO). You have less of a risk of the dog "not" working for you. With a self trained dog, if the dog doesn't make it, you have to start all over again. A program can provide you with another dog. Getting a dog from a program also includes learning how to work as a team, vet care, training tips, etc. A trained dog isn't really finished, the handler has to refine the dog, which still takes a lot of work. However, I do know of a lady who did an excellent job in training her first hearing dog. She did a very good job. But she is the type of person who does things right and to a tee. However, she did her research and found people to work with that knew what they were doing. Top Dog in Arizona does certify dogs from other states. I haven't seen their certification test, but been told it is strict. The lady who trained her first hearing dog above got her dog certified from Top Dog. Top Dog is in Arizona and this woman lives in Maryland. She went out of her way to do this the right way. 7. public access. This is a sticky situation. Let's set the laws aside, we already know the laws are for the "DISABLED" person to have their A-dog with them. Let's talk about public etiquette. There is a fine line...it is strictly up to the handler, how they control their dog and how good is the dog's temperament. In self training the person has to have the right eye to be able to watch out for public problems and behavior the dog might have. What is so difficult is when a dog does have a problem and the person continues to have a problem, this person becomes attached to the dog and will continue to work with the dog. Sometimes they can never cure the dog of this problem and this becomes a very serious issue because they don't want to give up the dog.. Does a person who has no prior public access training know how a dog should act? More points about public access, we do have rights with our dogs, but people who are out in public have just as much rights to be there too. A dog getting too close or going up to someone who doesn't want them to be there is wrong. The dog is in "working" mode. Once that jacket or cape is off, they can be a dog in their home or the park. But in public, they can't just go up to anyone, we must also respect other people. They must not be unruly, bark etc. I remember at my college I use to bring Watson with me everywhere. Students thought they could bring their own dogs (my school didn't give out jackets). The students dogs would bark, whine and be a nuisance. The school had to clamp down hard on these students bringing dogs to school. Dogs are dogs and even people with A-dogs have to make their public appearance pleasant for all. Yeah, there will be people that will complain about a clean and quiet dog. However, the dog must have good public etiquette. This is important because if enough people protest any dogs, they can have the laws changed. Dogs are dogs and A-dogs are dogs and they even can turn very unruly and be a nuisance if we are not careful. Self trained, program trained, puppy raisers and even trainers of programs will have an incident. Dogs are dogs and people are human. Things happen. We all have to learn how to deal with these situations. They just are amplified in public. I don't mean to offend anyone here. My main focus is do your homework and it is HIGHLY recommended a first timer go through a school. Self training isn't for everyone even though it really sounds exciting. It's a lot of hard work to do it right. People have trained their first dog and the good ones did A LOT of work. Yeah, there are waiting list, but if you want to do it right on your own, it will take just as long until the dog can start working for you. Unfortunately the schools for service dogs and hearing dogs have a higher demand than supply, that goes without saying. It is really a hard situation to be in. I have given several ideas to try and help that, but living in an instant society, we want things now. Unfortunately, we will just have to wait until the demand isn't as great. Yeah, I could go further on this subject but I will spare you folks and quit here. Gads this thing is long! Hope this brings some good discussions. I've been wanting to discuss this issue for about 4 weeks now. Take Care, Christy