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Sally's new Angel in
first training steps
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| Meet Hathersage Jiyu Scout, whose training progress will be monitored on these pages. |
EIGHT WEEKS: Scout is an English yellow Labrador and a cutie! His name was chosen in April by a local primary school that ran a contest - the winning name was Hathersage Jiyu Scout.
"Scout started service dog training as soon as he settled in, with command words tagged to just about everything. 'Food' when I place food in front of him; 'Go now' when he toilets; 'Sit' when he sits (within two days he sat on command); 'Down' when he naturally downs; 'Get it' when he goes after a toy; 'Hold' when he struts around with something in his mouth. He loves to prance around with my keys in his mouth. Some dogs don't like the taste of metal but he does, so we are already ahead.
There is no pressure at this young age, only games, hugs and words applied to actions.
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| Scout is now 6 months old and training well. |
"One of the most important things at this age is not to apply force like dragging a pup on a leash, or pushing it into a sit or down. There is a lot of patience needed. The dog will follow with lots of encouragement and the words 'Lets go' and praise. Take one of the toys that the pup likes and lead him forward with it and praise mightily with words 'Good lets go'. I keep a thin, light-weight fabric leash on him most of the time. It's not heavy on his neck so he can easily drag it around. He very quickly gets used to having it as part of him.
"Because he is never left alone out of his crate, I make sure it never gets tangled in anything. Remember, I treat him like a human toddler for the first year. He is never out of eyesight so he can't get hurt or chew on anything other than his toys."
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For the benefit of new readers, Sally's Angels is a USA oraganisation that trains service dogs for people with all kinds of disabilities. Scout may qualify for this work after two years of training.
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SIX MONTHS: Scout is now working actively on approximately 60 commands. These cues/commands range from the basic sit to hold, speak, take, swing, front, up, give, etc. Like teaching phonics to a child, these cues are the building blocks for the working commands that a disabled handler will use for turning lights on and off, transactions in stores, and controlled retrieves like picking up coins or getting the telephone receiver. The training takes approximately two years.
Sally and her team at Tender Loving Canines, Service Dogs (TLCSD) have an approach to training that includes only one dog, one trainer, and one handler. These dogs are never kennelled and live with the trainer for two years. On the second year the disabled handler is introduced and trains with the dog and trainer for six months at the handler's home, work, church, out shopping, etc. Once the dog is transferred a solid bond is already in place and the dog knows exactly what is expected of him/her.
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