The leash - indoor and
outdoor training tool

Dogs need to interact with the children in a household as well as the adults.

It's amazing how many people have come up to my husband and I over the years and said, "Gee, my puppy was never that good at four months old."

How do we do it? We treat the pup like a two-year-old human child. We love, guide and teach it constantly. We never leave it unattended unless it is left in a safe place like a crate or dog pen. (We use one of those metal dog playpens and have it set up in the house. It is easy to put outside or pack in the trunk for a trip.)

Would you let a toddler run around the house unattended to crayon the walls or chew on your couch? Then expect the toddler to understand what it did wrong 20 minutes later? Use a six-foot leash and loop it around your waist. Or hold it if you want. That way everywhere you go the puppy goes. It's important for these reasons.

1. Dog won't get into something that will hurt it.
2. When pooch grabs at something inappropriate like trash, food on the floor etc. you can say "no" or "don't" immediately and give it it's own toy immediately and praise immediately. The key is "immediately" and that can only happens when the dog is with you all the time. If you need a puppy break, say you want to wash the floor or make an important phone call, put the dog in its playpen with its toys just like a small child. Maybe give it a little treat. The playpen is his safe place and is not a punishment. It's his bedroom. Keep the door open when he is not in it so he can wander in and out if he wants.
3. The dog learns early on to "hang" with you and after a few months will follow you everywhere. (By that time, when he isn't in your sight you'll know something is up!)
4. You will be teaching and training all the time because the dog is with you, just like your children. (Even when you go to the bathroom. A perfect place to work on 'down stay' or 'sit stay'.) It is easier to work on even the basic commands because you can do it while you are doing other things like 'down' when you're folding clothes or watching TV. When you answer the front door, it's a perfect time to practice 'wait', 'sit' or 'down'. Because the pup is on a leash, follow through is very easy. They, like little kids, are sponges. They want to learn and love the attention.
5. The leash can work with older dogs that may need a little help with a problem in the house. For instance, if your older dog has excitable greetings when someone comes to the door, leash the dog before answering (hang an extra leash by the door so it is always handy) and put the dog in a 'down, stay' by the door. Once the person is in and the dog is calm release the dog. Just explain to the guest you're doing a training exercise. Again, it's easier to follow through with a leash.

Tess, a poodle, has joined the ranks of TLCAD to be trained for a disabled person who is also allergic to dog fur. Most of those allergic to fur are able to tolerate the wool breeds.

I'm a crate enthusiast for the following reasons:

• It serves as a safe place, like a playpen, for a puppy. Just like a human child, you sometimes need to put the "baby" someplace to play with it's toys while you take a shower or entertain or make an important phone call. That way, you're confident that the dog is not destroying anything or getting hurt. Sometimes you just need a break from all the puppy antics. Make the playpen fun with a kong or favourite toys, NEVER a punishment. Leave the door open when the dog is not in it so he can wander in and out or get toys or just take a nap on his own. Our pups sleep in there at night, next to our bed so they can sleep and play at their discretion. We are secure in the knowledge the puppy is safe and close. (And get a full night sleep as well.) When they are about a year old they can sleep in or out of the pen. It's up to them.
• We use the pen/crate for an adult dog mainly for travelling because we take the dog everywhere. Some hotels feel a little less reticent about a "dog in training" if the pooch sleeps in his pen. On the flip side, the dog has something very familiar and safe, especially in a nervous situation like our training trips to San Francisco. The bustling city can be initially overwhelming, and the crate with his toys in the hotel room is very comforting. (They usually walk themselves in and lie down as if to say, "Don't bug me I'm done working for the day.") We respect his crate time.
• Also if your pooch ever needs to be crated for any reason, they won't freak out. The aeroplane, the groomer and the vet come into mind. I know there are some strong opinions about crating a pet. I use it as a tool like a child's playpen and to be used wisely.

TLCAD Policy bylaws

The founders of TLCAD believe that time and love are necessary to develop any dog's full potential and, furthermore, that a dog's potential is immeasurable when it comes to providing not only practical services, but especially the joy and comfort that they offer to anyone willing to give them that essential time and love.

Dogs are strong and useful, but they are also at the mercy of any human who owns them. For this reason TLCAD, while committed to helping people with disabilities, emphasizes the need for patience, compassion and understanding in the training of each dog. Contentment and trust are key qualities in a good Service Dog.

Involving the disabled handler early in each dog's training and using the time which that provides for teaching the handler the skills necessary to care for and work with a Service Dog translates to a successful long-term team. Handlers benefit by having a dog who knows them and who is devoted to them. They also benefit by knowing the dog's history and personality. But most of all, handlers benefit by having a dog who has been brought up and trained with their specific needs and personality in mind.

This early involvement and extended training yields a highly functional team that enjoys a profound bond. Because TLCAD was envisaged as an organization that cares about the needs of people and dogs, it was important to the founders to provide a system in which the corporation would not become an unre-sponsive machine as it grew. Instead, the founders wanted to ensure that the organisation would remain flexible and concentrated on providing custom-trained dogs for people with disabilities.

Therefore, TLCAD is a member organization, with a staff of volunteers and a board answerable to the General Membership. Volunteers run the organisation and so the organisation is continually guided by the people who invest themselves in the mission of TLCAD. The bylaws and the policy guidebook outline precisely how TLCAD conducts its business of raising service dogs and matching them with people with disabilities. More detail, pictures of dogs in training, training tips and information on the assistance dogs can be obtained from the Sally's Angels website at www.sallysangels.com