Service Dog Training - The 3 Levels
Level I Training – Extreme Socialization: multiple person handling (gently play Pass-the-Puppy), gradual desensitization to loud noises, uneven/unstable surfaces, sudden loud voices, sudden movements (umbrella opening, items thrown overhead), strange clothing/appearance (Dress-Up Day), wheelchairs, scooters, bikes, motorcycles, skateboards, in-line skates, grocery carts, fire trucks, ambulances, mass-transit, elevators, escalators, open-backed stairs, high places, and more. Dog must be gently exposed to numerous stressful situations and consistently not demonstrate unacceptable behavior such as refusal, hackles-up, growling, showing teeth, lunging, biting, aggression, or unreasonable fear. Grooming: Dog has been initiated with general grooming and this must continue, including bathing, prolonged brushing, toenail trims, teeth examinations, and also ear, belly, and foot-hair trims. Dog must be trained to Load/Unload a vehicle in a controlled manner (Toy breeds should be trained to Load/Unload from a carrier.) Dog must be trained to sit quietly next to handler while handler is eating, showing NO INTEREST in food. Dog must not pester owner for food or attention, nor should it engage in attention-seeking or food-begging behaviours.
Level II Training – Obedience Training: (Heel, Sit, Down, Stand, Wait, Come, Get-Up, Get-Down), all must be conducted in public places with maximum distractions, stimuli, and noise. Proofing of commands must be done in a metro centre downtown, on mass-transit, in restaurants, and in busy commercial business locations. The dog should be trained to a Mat; that is, the dog should stay on the mat every time it is put down, no matter where it is put down). Proof the dog on the mat with other dogs running around loose, tasty treat placed near dog on mat, ball rolled by dog on mat, etc. Dog may not leave mat, vocalize, or attempt to reach food. Dog will be trained to eliminate on command.
Level III Training – Tasks: The final level of Service Dog training involves training Dog to three specific tasks related to Handler’s disabilities. These tasks are specific to the handler's disabilities and often maximize on the specific dog's natural tendencies.
Background: According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks of benefit to a disabled individual in order to be legally elevated from pet status to service animal status. It is the specially trained tasks or work performed on command or cue that legally exempts a service dog and its disabled handler from the “No Pets Allowed” policies of stores, restaurants and other places of public accommodation under the ADA.
As an example, the three PTSD disability-related tasks a dog might be trained to perform are:
1. Dog is trained to Alert/Disrupt: The dog will alert at the onset of an anxious or depressive episode. This allows handler to recognize the situation and take remedial actions, if necessary. If the onset of the episode is sudden, the dog may immediately begin a series of behaviours specific to the dog, designed to attempt to disrupt or otherwise interrupt the episode.
2. Dog is trained to Extricate: Also known as a “Dignified Exit”, with a hand signal the dog will provide an excuse to leave an unpleasant situation. This is an effective coping mechanism in the workplace and elsewhere, preventing a loss of self-control in front of others. In response to a surreptitious hand signal or another cue, the dog performs an attention-seeking behavior such as nuzzling and licking the partner’s hand or jumping up to disrupt a query or confrontation that triggers an emotional overload. This provides the human partner with a plausible reason for taking a break from an intolerable situation, ostensibly to attend to the dog’s needs.
3. Dog is trained to provide Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT): If the episode cannot be interrupted, the dog will settle onto the Handler’s lap or chest (if reclined) to provide reassurance. Studies have shown that as little pressure as that of a hug can reduce the duration and intensity of an episode.
See this for more information on Service Dog Tasks: http://www.psychdogpartners.org/tasks.html
Level II Training – Obedience Training: (Heel, Sit, Down, Stand, Wait, Come, Get-Up, Get-Down), all must be conducted in public places with maximum distractions, stimuli, and noise. Proofing of commands must be done in a metro centre downtown, on mass-transit, in restaurants, and in busy commercial business locations. The dog should be trained to a Mat; that is, the dog should stay on the mat every time it is put down, no matter where it is put down). Proof the dog on the mat with other dogs running around loose, tasty treat placed near dog on mat, ball rolled by dog on mat, etc. Dog may not leave mat, vocalize, or attempt to reach food. Dog will be trained to eliminate on command.
Level III Training – Tasks: The final level of Service Dog training involves training Dog to three specific tasks related to Handler’s disabilities. These tasks are specific to the handler's disabilities and often maximize on the specific dog's natural tendencies.
Background: According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks of benefit to a disabled individual in order to be legally elevated from pet status to service animal status. It is the specially trained tasks or work performed on command or cue that legally exempts a service dog and its disabled handler from the “No Pets Allowed” policies of stores, restaurants and other places of public accommodation under the ADA.
As an example, the three PTSD disability-related tasks a dog might be trained to perform are:
1. Dog is trained to Alert/Disrupt: The dog will alert at the onset of an anxious or depressive episode. This allows handler to recognize the situation and take remedial actions, if necessary. If the onset of the episode is sudden, the dog may immediately begin a series of behaviours specific to the dog, designed to attempt to disrupt or otherwise interrupt the episode.
2. Dog is trained to Extricate: Also known as a “Dignified Exit”, with a hand signal the dog will provide an excuse to leave an unpleasant situation. This is an effective coping mechanism in the workplace and elsewhere, preventing a loss of self-control in front of others. In response to a surreptitious hand signal or another cue, the dog performs an attention-seeking behavior such as nuzzling and licking the partner’s hand or jumping up to disrupt a query or confrontation that triggers an emotional overload. This provides the human partner with a plausible reason for taking a break from an intolerable situation, ostensibly to attend to the dog’s needs.
3. Dog is trained to provide Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT): If the episode cannot be interrupted, the dog will settle onto the Handler’s lap or chest (if reclined) to provide reassurance. Studies have shown that as little pressure as that of a hug can reduce the duration and intensity of an episode.
See this for more information on Service Dog Tasks: http://www.psychdogpartners.org/tasks.html
