Are you considering training an assistance dog?
Understanding dogs is a vital step in the journey to assistance dog training. When considering training a dog to be an assistance dog you need to have an affiliation towards dogs, having lived with dogs or spent a lot of time with dogs. You need to really enjoy the presence and company of a dog in all aspects of your life.
It’s important to have a basic understanding of a dog’s needs and normal behaviours.
The life stages of a dog include puppyhood, adolescence and adulthood, throughout these stages the dog will experience fear periods and different training and socialisation requirements.
Important factors to consider when understanding dogs include;
- Understanding when a dog is physically, emotionally and socially mature to take on assistance dog training.
- Common health issues for your breed of dog.
- Know how to read and respond to early signs of stress in your dog.
- Do not anthropomorphise or attribute human feelings or characteristics or behaviours onto your dog. Understand that dogs are very different to humans.
- Monitor your own expectations of your assistance dog. Dogs are not the answer to everything and cannot be expected to understand everything you’re going through.
- Choose a dog that is physically and emotionally capable of doing the tasks you require of it.
- The first 18 months of your dog’s life is the time in which the dog should be a dog. This is a vitally important period of learning and development. They need to learn very good obedience and manners as well as how to interact with family members and friends, different environments, sounds, smells, people, clothing, things on wheels, etc.
- It’s very important to not overload a young dog with “work” they must be fulfilled in all aspects of canine life including fun and play.
Common complaints for owner-trained handlers.
Owner handlers are often completely unprepared for the journey through training and certifying an assistance dog. Common complaints include;
• The assistance dog training is taking too long and is too hard.
• My dog is not performing the tasks immediately.
• My disability is making it hard to train my dog.
• I hate the attention I get when I’m out with my dog.
• It’s difficult to maintain accurate training logs.
These feelings are very common and can be very stressful. Super Canine will do everything in our power to support you and your dog throughout the program. It is important to reach out to your trainer or family, friends, carers, etc. if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Training your dog
Training an assistance dog is a long and ongoing process that is never really finished. If everything goes well, expect to spend up to 2 years at least training your puppy to become your Assistance Dog. Dogs are generally not mature enough to cope with the stress of assistance dog tasks until at least 2 years of age.
You, the handler, will need to learn how to train your dog. You will be training your dog within your own daily routine. Also consider that your own health and complications associated with your disability can impact the training of your dog.
When can we start training?
This depends on where your dog has come from, how old the dog is and its past experiences and training to date. There are distinct levels of training to develop a successful assistance dog. Please allow your puppy to develop naturally without too much expectation or pressure during the first 12 months of its life. It’s up to you to provide your puppy many varied and positive experiences and basic obedience training during this critical 12-month developmental period.
Please note that obedience, manners and correct socialisation are crucial to teach during this first 12-month period.
Hungry For More?
Learn more about the Dog Training Stages here or check out our GHAD Training FAQs
