![]() The first step to owner-training is the most important: choosing the appropriate dog for its temperament and your personality.Īfter carefully choosing a mixed breed for his temperament and personality to fit her own personality and lifestyle, Mitchell says it took two years to train her Newfoundland/Australian shepherd to do everything she needed him to do for her. “I thought, gee, I’ve got a college degree, I’m smart, I grew up with dogs … I could train my own dog!” law against training your own assistance dog. She waited five years, never hearing a word from the school, before discovering there was no U.S. She prepared herself by researching her rights and responsibilities as an assistance dog partner, and she also researched laws pertaining to having an assistance dog in public - what the rules are for taking them into airports, restaurants and on public transportation, and what certification the dogs need to be deemed an assistance dog. It pays to know your dog.”īefore getting Bastien, Mitchell, who has cerebral palsy and uses a manual wheelchair, was on a waiting list at a local assistance-dog school to get a trained helper. “I’d have fire drills with Bastien and taught him that when the alarm goes off, we get his leash and we go outside. “High-pitched alarms and noises are very painful to dogs,” says Mitchell, who trained Bastien since puppyhood. Mitchell hadn’t heard a thing while in her bedroom. Out in the apartment hallway, the fire alarm was blaring an evacuation warning. Because Bastien was usually calm, Mitchell knew something was wrong and thought she had better get him outside, so she pulled on her robe and opened her bedroom door. One night several months ago, Melissa Mitchell, of Eugene, Ore., was aroused from sleep by her dog, Bastien, who was whining and running in circles. Depending on your lifestyle and dog knowledge, there are several ways to owner-train your service dog. Owner-training the dog eliminates time wasted on training school waiting lists and creates a steady routine of challenging your dog to learn new tasks as your needs change. Starting with three basic commands and generous time and attention - and lots of biscuits and kisses - you can train your four-legged friend to eventually become the best medical device you have. ![]() He warns it will turn the public off to accepting service dogs and could create backlash demanding that service dogs be banned from public. After an Advanced Training Service Exercises course, the team becomes certified as a Top Dog team. Top Dog TeamworkTop Dog of Tucson, Ariz., one of very few owner-trained service dog programs in the country, encourages dog owners to attend classes, where they are partnered with a volunteer training assistant. “Official foster parents get ‘Service Dog in Training’ vests for their dogs,” Koester explains.
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