Help U Train - ASSISTANCE/SERVICE DOGS

Following traditional obedience training methods don't always work when there are special needs involved.  Stewart Nordensson knew this, and that is why he wrote 'Teamwork' and 'Teamwork II'.  He founded the Top Dog training program for people to train their own service dogs, and the program is available to the public. 

What Mr. Nordensson didn't use is the training tool, the Clicker.  The clicker is an event marker, and when using it, or a well-timed word etc, with a primary reward such as a treat, training is quicker and the dog happier and a more active learner than with traditional methods.

If you are interested in training your own service dog, or looking to train a dog for a family member, we can help you come up with training techniques unique to your needs and abilities.  By incorporating the practical problem solving methods of the Top Dog program with the positive operant conditioning techniques of clicker training, you can have the satisfaction of working with your own dog and building upon the bond you already have, while developing skills that will enable you to train new tasks as needed throughout your life.   

 HOUSE HELPERS

So, what in the world is a House Helper besides a child’s nanny or a cleaning service?

 A House Helper is a Service Dog! This is a dog that is not needed out in public but is trained in tasks that mitigate the owner’s disabilities and works from home. S/he may open and close doors, drawers and cabinets, help make the bed, drag a laundry bag to the washer, get laundry out of the dryer, help the person dress or undress, pick up items, walk beside them, brace for standing from a chair or if they fall, wake their person at night if they have a seizure or block them from falling out of bed, detect blood sugar lows, wake them if the baby cries or a smoke detector goes off. These are some of the tasks a House Helper might perform! They improve their person’s quality of life, and may make it so they can be more autonomous or they can actually live alone.

 Some House Helpers are re-purposed from other types of programs such as guide dog programs or, because of some small anomaly are not suited for other public access service work. A dog that is a little shy in new places might make a great House Helper. Other dogs might be slated for House Helper from the start because the person has an assistant or family member travel with them in public and a dog is not needed.

 Can you imagine how frustrating it would be to be with only limited use of all limbs? Imagine you can’t even pick up your tap stylus if you drop it from your mouth and have to call a family member to pick it up, or the tv remote drops off your lap table and you have to interrupt your human helper to get it.  A House Helper can be there to retrieve items and give all in the house a little break! It may mean the family member can go get the mail and talk with a neighbor for a moment, knowing that the helper dog can hit a 911 button or pick up the remote!

 These handy dogs are still Service Dogs since they meet the ADA guidelines and have trained tasks that mitigate a disability. If a House Helper is occasionally used in public, it is highly advised that s/he be able to pass a public access test, the same as a full-time public access service dog and have a stable temperament able to handle the stresses of public life. Tasks would also need to be proofed in public spaces.  If the dog is re-purposed from a program, there may be a contract agreement that the dog not be used for public access. 



SERVICE DOG CANDIDATE SELECTION

If you need a service dog, but do not have one, we will work with you in selecting a puppy or dog either from a breeder or shelter.  There is a high drop-out rate among dogs used by even the large training organizations, even among dogs bred by the organization.  That is why the wait for a dog may be as long as 5 years.  There is no guarantee that the animal selected will be able to serve in public!  Nor can it be guaranteed that the dog will be able to perform reliably even in a home setting!  Should you be selecting a dog to train, you must consider what you will do if the dog is not able to fulfill your needs.  Is there family or friends that would want the dog?  Would you rehome the dog with a stranger?  Would you keep the dog as a pet?  These are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before deciding on acquiring a dog for training. 

If you are interested in, or need help with a dog in training, please contact us at Help U Train or (850)748-4143

For Diabetic Alert Dogs, you also have a couple of excellent resources:

Linda Cree's DAD Training Kit  and Mary McNeight's training videos Medical Alert Training