Charlie with Lucy and Truman posing for a newspaper article
Lucy at 8 weeks old. Behind Charlie while he works.
Lucy's first public appearance
3½ months old
Performing for kids at the Yellville/Summit school on April 13th, 2009.
Picking up an item
Handing it to Charlie
Returning to her position
(for Charlie, always on the right side)
Focused & prepared
for what's next
Properly Dealing with Distractions
Charlie & Lucy warm up for
her performance with a little
"Two Paws" to get her wanting to play
Whenever Lucy (or Chaka) perform, they do so without
a leash or any restraints.
Here Charlie removes Lucy's leash.
Every session, whether training or performing, starts by making it fun. Here, a little "Fetch" to get her in the mood.
Bringing it back has become one of Lucy's favorite things to do.
During training, every good deed deserves a reward
She must watch his hands. He points to what he wants next
Whatever the owner may drop, the dog needs to be able to pick up. Here, Lucy picks up a credit card
Walk with me (Heel) is the same,
on leash or off
At times a Service Dog may need to carry an item for the owner.
Here Lucy carries a bucket to wherever Charlie will need it
When out in public, Lucy is expected to not be a nuisance.
Lucy, now at
5 months old & 50lbs,
sporting the
Canine Good Citizen
Bandana
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To best illustrate our training program, we will document the training of a typical Service Dog from start to finish. We will use Lucy, a Labrador/Pyrenees pup being trained by Beth and Charlie to be Charlie's own Service Dog, for this purpose. As Charlie does not require Lucy to do much for him, basically just pick-em-ups, he will also be training her to work for Jenny, our Shelter's Executive Director who is for the most part, bed ridden or in a wheelchair. In addition, for the purpose of this diary, and for Lucy's use in the Service Dog Demonstrations we hold throughout our local area, she will also learn many other tasks associated with being a Service Dog that in essence, we may never actually need her to do.
NOTE: Our techniques may seem a bit aggressive, not in our manner of teaching puppies, but in the commands and tasks we begin to train and at what age. Our puppies begin learning very early, as young as 6 weeks. Unlike Service Dog trainers who believe that puppies are unreliable because you "cannot know what the pup's temperament may be when it's grown", it is our belief that now is the time when we ourselves develop what that temperament will be. Making beginning training at as early an age as possible all the more important.
Meet Lucy (Goose) & Charlie: Lucy came to us as just another "somebody's throwaway". Another unwanted puppy from an unwanted litter, a result of yet another dog that really should be spayed. (Although if she were, we would have missed out on this incredible pup). At any rate, she was a pup that her previous owners saw no value in and "just another unwanted dog". When Charlie lost his leg in a surgery that went very bad in Sept of 09, he began realizing during his rehab that there were now going to be some things he would have a real problem doing for himself. He began to consider the benefits of a Service Dog. Being the type of "dog person" that truly enjoys having his dog with him at all times anyway, the idea just made sense. Charlie is a Canine Behavioral Specialist and has over 40 years experience in training dogs. But, he had never been taught how to train a Service Dog. He asked Beth to help him. Within just a few days of discussing what tasks he would need for a Service Dog to do for him, an adorable puppy was surrendered to the shelter for us to find her a new home. Charlie spent about 5 minutes with her, and knew almost immediately, "You are my Service Dog".
First, it needed to be decided what things Charlie would need for Lucy to assist him with. Primarily, that was picking up items from the floor and handing them to him since bending over was now a problem for Charlie, and to occasionally carry items for him when he walked from one room or area to another, because he has lost a lot of his balance and can overload himself easily now.
Charlie and Beth also decided that Lucy would make a very good spokesperson (dog) for the shelter's training program so she would learn many other tasks that Service Dogs would possibly provide to a disabled person as well.
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REMEMBER, when training your dog, always make it a fun time. As much as possible you want him to feel that working for you is the same as playing with you. Be exuberant in showing you are pleased with his behavior. Be generous with treats. (you can slack off on how often he receives a treat later, for now, every good deed deserves a reward!) Do not discipline when he doesn't do what you want. Instead, calmly say, "No, that's not what I want", and withhold the treat until he does it. Take it in stages, if he only does a part of the task, reward that. Once he has that part down and is doing it well, add another step to it. Continue this until he does the full task every time and before receiving his treat or reward.
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The Training Begins:
6-8 weeks old: Charlie and Lucy were a natural team right from the start. When placed on the floor, Lucy walked along side him everywhere he went. She naturally stayed by his side, stopped to allow him to pass through narrow areas and doorways first, and slept on the floor but as close to him as she could get. Lucy was only 6-8 weeks old but the rest of her life had already been determined. Charlie took notice of this natural behavior and began to work to encourage it. He would stop as he walked from one room to the other, and give Lucy a quick "pat & scratch" whenever she walked by his side. He would walk from one end of the house to the other, several times a day, just to give her the opportunity to go with him. When she did so, he would give her a treat at the end of the trip. He began working with her on coming when called. Always rewarding her with an exuberant "Good Girl" and scratching (sometimes a treat) when she came quickly. No come, no treat. He started working with her feet. Just holding and rubbing them softly. "We want her to be used to having her feet held when it comes time to clip her nails". Much of this time was spent just holding her close, working on "relax" and "calm down" and getting her used to being gentle whenever she is close by him. Knowing that she is still a very young puppy and that eventually she will probably be somewhere between 30 & 34 inches tall and weigh in at about 120-130lbs, this is extremely important to teach now. This "pre-training" period was primarily used to give us time to get to know her, and her us. We started with housebreaking, and began teaching her "No". During the 6-8 week period, she was allowed to be a puppy and do pretty much whatever she wanted, which in turn also builds her self-esteem and lets her learn that it's ok to be a "happy dog". The "No" command is taught with a finger shake in her face and a stern tone of voice along with the occasional gentle slap on the butt when she doesn't want to listen. It is never necessary to scold or discipline a puppy (or an adult dog) with hard physical actions. Just using a stern voice and then ignoring them for a couple of minutes is most times sufficient to get the point across. Never - Ever - hold a grudge. Once the deed is done and has been corrected, immediately let your puppy or dog know that you are still happy that they are there and that it is just some behaviors that you will not tolerate.
8-12 weeks old: Beth began working with Lucy. By this time Lucy had chosen a couple of favorite toys, one in particular that she liked to play with the most. Beth began to sit on the floor with Lucy's favorite toy and a bag of treats. She worked on getting Lucy to just stay by her untied even when the other dogs in our house would walk by, or the cats go running by (always a favorite "chase it!") When Lucy would watch but not go after them, she received a treat and a "Good Girl". This is not a training that you can easily set up to happen, so it must be performed each time the opportunity arises. In the mean time, Beth began putting a favorite toy in front of Lucy and just having her touch it with her nose. A "Good Girl" and a treat follows each successful "touch". She slowly graduated to moving the toy around and still getting Lucy to just "touch it". Once Lucy had the idea of "If I touch that thing, I get a treat!" they began to work on actually putting it in her mouth. Now just "touch it" no longer got the treat, she had to pick the toy up. Here is where some dogs and many owners get into trouble, the thing they did before is no longer sufficient to get a treat. The dog will continue to try what worked before.
As a trainer, you cannot show anger when the dog keeps trying what they know has was working. It will take time for him to learn that this doesn't work now. You must be patient and consistent. "Yeah that's nice, but it's not enough. Pick it up now".
As Lucy became used to picking it up then "and hand it to me" was added. In order to get the treat, she needed to pick up the toy and put it in Beth's hand.
Remember, that this took about 4 days of working for about 1/2 hour at a time, two to three times a day.
Once Lucy was now handing the toy to her to get the treats, Beth began moving the toy further away, (a short toss) so that Lucy had to "go get it" in order to hand it to her. In dog play terms, we were beginning to learm how to "fetch".
You can see here the easy progression from one step to the next needed to teach something that is not a natural behavior for the dog. Do not expect your dog to just automatically know what it is you want them to do. Sorry, that just doesn't happen. remember too, that not all dogs will learn the same tasks as easily as other dogs. While some instinctively love to play fetch, for others this is a silly game and not one to waste time on. Patience and positive reinforcement through treats will eventually win out.
Beth then turned the training over to Charlie. The homework had begun. We cannot express the importance of homework enough. The training we provide can only be used as a basis for the owner to use in actually working with the dog themselves to keep the training going. The short amount of time the dog spends with the trainer, (for instance, an hour long, weekly training session held with Beth or Charlie) cannot sufficiently teach the dog how to perform each task "all the time". That and the fact that the dog may perform well for the trainer, but then ignore the owner if not also trained by the owner. Homework then, means working with the dog on the things it was shown during the last session at home and repeatedly. The Homework phase lasts forever and is absolutely crucial to the successful training of any dog whether you are teaching simple Basic Obedience skills, or Advanced Service Dog training, or even just a new trick. It's quite simple, if the owner will not follow up the training sessions by working with the dog continually at home, the dog will not learn what is being taught. Homework does not need to be a "set schedule" as it is in a formal training session, but rather many short periods throughout the day. Our technique is that each time an opportunity is seen to have the dog do something it has learned in a training session, have it perform that task, followed by a "Good Dog" and a treat when done correctly. In other words, everytime Charlie or Jenny sees an opportunity to have Lucy pick something up for them, they do so. This way, she also learns that she may be required to do this anytime, not only during training or playtimes. Occasionally, Charlie will even wake her up just to come get something for him, get her quick treat and she can go back to bed.
Lucy and Charlie's homework consisted of continuing where Beth left off. Rather than continue to be the trainer, Beth became the coach telling Charlie how to coax Lucy into moving on to the next step to becoming proficient with her pick-em-ups. By working at home, Charlie had many opportunities to take a few minutes off, many times a day, to work / play with Lucy. This is something that Charlie has always taught people to do with their puppies and dogs during training. Do a lot of it, as often as you can. Charlie prefers to speak to his dogs much of the time in sign language, or hand signals. He began to point at the object he wanted her to pick up. Gradually, he pointed at other items, one he hadn't actually touched or thrown himself, and ones that were further away. This resulted in getting Lucy to pay closer attention to him and to begin learning to look and go in the direction of his pointing finger and finding the object he wanted. He started snapping his fingers before pointing to an object. Lucy quickly picked it up that when he snapped his fingers, she needed to stop whatever else she was doing and look for his next command. As she grows older and learns more commands, she will learn that if he is awake, standing up or walking, she needs to be very close by and alert to his instructions. Although she is, of course, allowed to play with the other dogs whenever she wants, and to just be a puppy, she is beginning to understand that all of that must stop whenever he needs her. He also began at this time, to split up the training periods by introducing a few Basic Obedience commands. "Sit", "Down" and "Walk with me" (heel) became a break from fetch and "let me have it". This also began to get Lucy used to working for longer periods of time. Fun commands, which are actually fun for the dog too, were then added, "One Paw" (high five), "Two Paws", (both a variation of shake) and "Catch". By working on different things and adding new parts to something she already knows, Charlie is able to keep her interested in the training "game" and not get bored and want to quit, (a main difficulty in training a puppy due to their short attention span).
As he rewarded her with treats, Charlie saw that Lucy has a natural tendency to snap at treats as they are given. This is a natural behavior for all puppies, especially those living with older dogs and who expect an older dog to steal their treats. Also, she gets so excited over getting treats that it is hard to remind her to be gentle when taking them. Because of this, and rather than scolding for her bad behavior, Charlie instead added the "Catch" command and makes it another game for her to try to catch her treats as they are tossed to her.
(When teaching "catch", never throw anything hard such as metal or other items that can hurt their teeth or mouth and gums when caught. If it hurts them to catch it, they won't try again next time. Once they have quit trying, it is nearly impossible to convince them to try again. Always use soft objects and/or treats when learning how to catch). Also, be kind with what you want them to catch. Charlie once had a guy that thought it would be cute to throw a jalapeno pepper to his dog. The dog could never be convinced to even try to catch anything else ever again...
Charlie also began working with Lucy using objects that would be hard for her pick up as well as some metal items. Most dogs do not like the feel or the taste of metal in their mouths. In order to overcome this, he would wait until they were well into a training session and Lucy was having fun and working hard to get her next treat. He dropped a fork on the floor and told her to "get it". Once she was comfortable with picking up a fork, he used a butter knife, something that would be even harder to pick up because it was both, flat and metal. Now that she knew what the game was and how to win, she learned this addition to it very quickly and Charlie then graduated to coins. Picking up a coin can be very difficult for a dog, especially on different surfaces so a quarter became a very good challenge for Lucy. And, as Lucy progresses, she enjoys a challenge. Do not use coins or small objects though, before your dog is good at letting you have the object back. She could just as easily swallow it and you could very possibly have a real problem if that were to happen. He added soda cans into the mix now as well to begin reinforcing the need to be "soft mouthed" on the items she picks up. Charlie always ended each session with a soft, favorite, playtoy, and gave it back to her along with her treat. This way, when she brought the item and gave it to him, she not only got her treat but she got the toy back too. This is used to teach her that she will not always lose the item if she gives it to him so she is not hestitant to let him have it. He can no longer chase her down to take it away from her so being sure she will readily give up any item she may have is very important. It should be mentioned here that as the dog begins to associate bringing you something and trading it for a treat, they will begin to bring you anything, from anywhere. This is the time to start cutting back on the treats. Keep another item, one that she can have such as a toy, and trade her that instead. Then during training, when she picks up something you haven't asked for, simply take it and set it aside, and return to pointing at the object you want. This will teach her that a reward only comes from getting what you want.
During this time, Lucy also began to carry a backpack and walk on a leash. She began to go with Charlie everywhere he went, to the stores, Dr's appointments, and such. This was to start getting her used to riding in the car, the automatic sliding doors used in stores, as well as to people and animals that she didn't know. She had to learn to not go up to people on her own to be petted but to wait until Charlie said it was ok. She had to learn to ignore other animals and how to walk around in narrow aisles with a backpack on (which makes her considerably wider and harder to fit into narrow spaces). She began to learn new smells and sights as she escorted him to places other dogs are not allowed to go. The easiest way to teach her how to deal with these things and learn to ignore them, are to make them commonplace for her. The more she sees and smells, the more comfortable she will feel around them, and the easier it will be for her to concentrate on Charlie and what he is doing. She also began to learn to sit or lay down each time Charlie stopped or sat down himself.
As you can see, for a puppy, Basic Obedience and Basic Service Dog tasks are interwoven and taught at the same time to create a permanent behavior pattern for the dog as she grows older. An adult dog will many times need to be taught, and be secure in, Basic Obedience before it can begin to perform Basic Service Dog tasks. Another reason why it is easier to teach a pup than an adult because learning all at once is easier to teach when they are learning that "this is what life is" rather than the adult that already has their own notions made on their own as they grew up without any formal training.
When indoors, at home, training is of course, done without a leash. However, should a Service Dog ever get loose from its owner when in pubic, the owner must still be able to control the dog. Because of this, Charlie has begun at this point to work with Lucy in public areas without a leash. Puppyhood is the absolute best time for this type of training because it is still easy to get a puppy to come when called. As a dog matures, and especially if it has never had this type of training, it gets harder and harder to get them to return when you want or need them too. By beginning to work with her now, in all of the things she already knows as well as those she still has to learn, we build the behavior pattern in her that will always allow Charlie to control her in whatever type of situation may arise. She is always (every time) rewarded profusely for coming back when called, and occasionally just for staying close. This reinforces her thinking that she could get a treat at anytime as long as she's there to get it...
12-16 weeks old: Lucy continued to work on all of the skills she had learned so far. Our goal is to master each of them so that they are second-nature to her. This is important to do now before she reaches her teen-ager stage, (from about 10 months to 1 1/2 years old). During that period, she will become harder to work with and it will be difficult to get her to accept new things. For this reason, it is important that she have a good, solid base on the skills she will need to know. She was taken to different kinds of stores to be introduced to as many different environments as possible. As she was taken to different places, store employees as well as the general public began to show a real interest in her, asking many questions. Because of this, she was also asked to "show off" almost every time she went anywhere by going through a short routine of pick-em ups and tricks she has learned. Charlie always carries a bag of treats in his pocket to continue to reward her in public areas as these too are now treated as actual training sessions. This also allows Lucy to learn that she may be expected to perform her tasks for Charlie anywhere and anytime, and that she must anticipate when he will need her to help him.
Charlie also began to work with her on "carrying" the items she picked up herself rather than always just handing it to him and being done with it. By doing this, she learns to "get it" and then hold the item until she is asked for it. Next came, "take it to ..." and "give it to ...". This meant that once she picked up an item, she was to take it to the person Charlie pointed to and let them have it. Her treats were mixed at this point. Sometimes she would get her treat from the person she gave the item to, other times she would have to leave the person and the item and have to come back to Charlie to get her reward. He also began teaching her the names of the other people and animals in our home. He did this by first making her sit down, (to be sure he had her attention). Next he would tap her lightly on her chest and say her name. He then pointed at another person or critter and said their name. He does this over and over. Now when he asks her to take an item to someone, he points to them and uses their name instead of just saying "him" or "her". She will now pick up an item and follow Charlie from room to room and then "Give it to Jenny" when they come into the room where Jenny is.
Charlie also added "Stay" to her list of Basic Obedience commands. He uses a closed fist along with the verbal command and began by taking just three or four steps away. He would then turn and wait just a second before giving her the hand signal for come and saying "Ok" which is the verbal command he uses to release her from any other command she has been given.
The "Fetch" game also expanded in two ways. First, by throwing different items into a pile of toys and not rewarding her unless she brought back the correct one (or the one last thrown), And second, by throwing the object through a doorway and into another room so that she had to go find it before she could bring it back. Also, when outdoors, the Fetch game started to become longer distances with Lucy both wearing the backpack and going without it. This is used to teach her that she must do her tasks whether or not she is "dressed". When in public, she almost always wears her backpack, however when at home, it is never used. Otherwise, she would begin to feel that she only needs to work when it is on, and would possibly stop working when at home and not wearing her "work clothes".
Charlie also began giving a more exuberant "Good Girl" to Lucy whenever he got out of her sight and she would come find him, for instance when he went to the bathroom while she was in the kitchen eating. When she came back and looked for him, he would be gone and she would have to go find him. He also started having her stay with him once she had found him, by laying down and waiting for him to finish and follow him back out.
And, now that she has grown up a little bit, she is tall enough to get in and out of a vehicle by herself, so she has learned "Load up".
16 - 20 weeks: Because she comes quickly anytime she is called, Charlie is not always insistent that Lucy stay right by his side everywhere he goes inside the home, (although most times she does this anyway), but he always makes it a point to greet her with a good scratching and "Good Girl" anytime he comes out of a room and she is in the doorway waiting for him (such as the bathroom).
Continuing to work on "pick-em ups", Lucy is now adept at picking up a credit card, keys, cans, wash rags, and almost any item that is dropped. Added to the "Take it to Jenny" was "Get it back". After she has taken an object to, and left it with Jenny, and come back to Charlie for her reward, Lucy now is sent back to Jenny to take the item back and return it to Charlie. He has also added carrying a telephone. This will eventually become bringing the phone when it rings. Although Charlie can walk fairly well, if he is in a position like laying down and does not have his prosthetic leg on, he cannot put it on, get up, and get to the phone before it stops ringing. This will be a "Lucy job".
Lucy has become very good at laying down next to Charlie whenever he sits down. In Dr's offices, at a restaurant, places like that, this is very important. As she prefers to lay between his feet, he now has to teach her to move out of the way when he stands up.
He has expanded the "Stay" command when they are in a public area where there is plenty of space to include more distance and length of time. He has begun to speak to her while in the Stay position too. She is not allowed to break the position until given the appropriate hand signal and told "Ok". Whenever possible, if there is a building or wall close by, she is told to stay while he walks out of her sight. She is expected to hold the position until he comes back in her view and releases her.
Charlie has taken Lucy with him everywhere since she was about 2 1/2 months old (10weeks). Each outing brings new experiences, sights, smells and sounds for her to learn to ignore. Invariably they are asked to show what she can do, which in most cases would be an irritant and stayed away from as much as possible, but Charlie looks for those opportunities for several reasons. He says, "First I just enjoy showing her off. Lucy has been one of the easiest pups I've ever had the pleasure of training. Putting her through her paces while we are out can also be used as a great training tool as it teaches her she must work all the time, not just when we are "playing" at home. It reinforces her instructions by placing her in a situation where she has to ignore people, other animals, and whatever would normally distract her, and continue to do her job. The idea here is to desensitize her to as many possible noises, smells, and strangers as possible". Charlie also uses opportunities gained when talking to people about Lucy to explain and educate the things people shoud know about Service Dogs and of course to promote the Service Dog Training program sponsored by the shelter.
As many of you already know, Jenny is about 80% bedridden now. She can spend some time in her wheelchair, but not for long periods and only about once a week. With Charlie working in another room at the other end of the mobile home, Jenny can sometimes be left alone in the morning when she wakes up for quite awhile until Charlie happens to check on her. She has now found a new use for Lucy's talents. By giving Lucy a toy or some other object, she can tell her "Take it to Charlie" and within seconds, Charlie now knows she is awake and ready for coffee, bathroom, and to begin her day, as Lucy comes trotting into the office to bring him the "Jenny Toy". This in itself has become yet one more invaluable thing Lucy and her desire to help us already provides.
At this time, Lucy is now actually doing everything as a Service Dog that Charlie had initially needed her to do for him. From start to finish, Lucy's initial training was from 8 - 20 weeks old, a mere 12 weeks. The commands Lucy knows and are proficient in include: (both on-leash and off-leash) sit, (and to sit on her own whenever Charlie stops walking), down, (and to lay down on her own whenever Charlie sits down), stay, (including when Charlie is out of her sight), heel, come, wait, load up, get that, take this, let me have it, carry it, give it to..., get it back, take it from (another dog), go find..(Charlie or Jenny).., and how to carry a back-pack. Her tricks include: One paw, Two-paws, and Catch. She also knows the names of the other dogs in the home, and several of the people who come in frequently.
As long as she continues to use her skills working for Charlie, she will only get better and faster at doing them. The extra things that she is learning how to do now, are things that Lucy has come up with herself as a way to "lengthen the playtime" and "expand the game". Fetching things over a longer distance and between rooms where the other person cannot even be seen, were fairly easy to implement as she began to bring toys and other objects to both Charlie and Jenny in hopes of getting a treat she asked for rather than one she had to work for. Charlie's job now is to continue to work with Lucy every day, and many times a day reinforcing the skills she has learned. This is actually done, simply by having her perform her duties at every opportunity.
Lucy's training is not over however, by any means. Beth and Charlie will now begin working with her to learn new things and new tasks.
So, are you enjoying this section so far? We hope so. We're having fun bringing it to you.
Click here to continue following Lucy as she progresses to become a "Full Service" Service Dog.
NEW PICS! 3/29/10
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