Faith the Migraine Alert Service Dog @trainingfaith - Tumblr Blog

Anyone else’s dog have an auto leave it?

Yoshi has a history of pica, so he’s been taught that if he finds something on the ground he must make eye contact to “ask permission” to eat it.

His marker (“good”) is his release to eat whatever he’s found, and the cue “leave it” is to let him know he is not allowed to eat it (and to expect an alternate reward for doing so).

hollowboobtheory

it's all fun and games until you take a little too long to swallow your medication and you start tasting it

I don’t use any training tools besides a collar and leash these days, but my dogs are taught a “too far” cue which precedes them hitting the end of their leash. Saying the cue just before this self correction gives the dog a warning, allowing them the choice to stop moving forward and therefore avoid an aversive stimulus. Moving forward, the leash is lengthened or removed until “too far” becomes a reliable stop behavior without the need of a physical correction.

Another note on conditioned aversive signals: always give the dog ample time to make a decision but not enough time that the physical aversive doesn’t seem to follow the warning signal

Image source: Don’t Shoot the Dog (Revised Edition) by Karen Pryor

Faith is beautiful! I love blue merles 💙

Thank you!

possibly strange question, but do you happen to know anything about that doodle you just posted? he looks pretty much EXACTLY like mine did when he was a puppy, so i’d love to know more about him if you have any information to give!

She’s one of my clients. I know she’s a mini bernedoodle, but I don’t know who her breeder is or what her lineage is if that’s what you’re looking for.

I brought her in to work to help set a dog straight today. Very well trained service dog. Just over the top and all over the place, paying little mind to his handler. He’s technically “fully trained” by another trainer but he does not meet my standards by any means nor is he where his handler wants him.

Faith gets pretty snarky if working with a misbehaving dog, and will actually get snippy if the dog breaks a stay, starts pulling on leash, etc. Her corrections are more fair, well timed, and consistent than most humans can give. I’ve never met a dog who didn’t learn to respect her, and eventually mimic her good behavior.

If given a release cue from “work” though, she will burst into butt wiggles and bows trying to get the dog to play. We start and end our sessions with play to keep things positive and fun. A lot of dogs have learned great behavior from working side by side with Miss Monster. I’m thankful to have a dog like this in my life.

Note: she has been a neutral demo dog for behavior modification training for years, has extensive training/testing for ladder aggression, and she’s been schooled on how to do this stuff safely. She is not a reactive dog. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS TYPE OF TRAINING AT HOME.

PSA: Service Dog handlers, stop gatekeeping vests!

I’ve trained service dogs professionally for the last 5 years, I used to have a service dog of my own, and I’m also a behavior consultant who does a lot of work with shy, reactive, and aggressive dogs. I’m coming at this argument from all angles here.

I see a lot of service dog handlers getting angry at pet dog owners for having their dogs in labeled vests (labels like “in training” or “do not pet”— I’m not talking about people outright labeling their pet as a service dog) because “the public could confuse the dog as a service dog” and “if the dog isn’t behaving perfectly it could look bad on real service dog handlers.”

Can we just stop this mentality? Vests have a variety of uses for all dogs. They aren’t this holy grail reserved only for service dogs.

A lot of my over-excitable clients utilize an “in training” vest to let the public know they are busy training when out and about. It dissuades the public from approaching the handler and distracting the dog. It doesn’t matter that this particular dog isn’t in training for service work. Their training is just as important and the vest is a huge asset to them. However, there’s always someone who comes back saying they got backlash from people (usually online) for “impersonating a service dog” because the dog they are TRAINING is labeled exactly as such.

For safety reasons, a lot of my aggression cases are labeled as well! Usually a bold colored vest with “Do Not Pet” or “In Training” patches. Again, it simply dissuades the public from approaching this dog without having to broadcast “Aggressive Dog” (which would likely cause all sorts of fear responses and access issues to dogs who wouldn’t be out in public unless I deemed it safe). These dogs may or may not be muzzled depending on where the dog is at in their training. These are the cases that usually anger service dog handlers the most. But we need to remember that “Do Not Pet” isn’t only reserved for service dogs. It could be a shy dog, an aggressive dog, or simply a handler who doesn’t want people approaching them. “Do Not Pet” simply equals do not pet. Nothing more.

Obviously “Service Dog” should be reserved for only legitimate working service dogs, but handlers— stop giving shit to pet dog owners trying to do right by their dogs. Vests are for anyone who wishes to use one.

I’d like to take a moment to brag about this dog (and no, there’s no treat lures being used here— just many months of blood, sweat, and tears to achieve this focus around distractions).

I was told by my old boss (a certified behavior consultant in the area) plus two vets that the most humane thing to do for Yoshi would be euthanasia. “His aggression was too severe and the work involved in rehabbing him would be too much. He’d need a life of constant management and he’d likely need daily medication in order to live happily and safely.” 6 months ago I couldn’t safely walk him without my boyfriend because he was already a bad puller, but if he saw another dog or person, he could easily overpower me and attack them.

Well, I’m just as stubborn and strong willed as this dog. I quit my job training service dogs, switched to a new training facility focusing largely on behavior work, spent hours studying and learning new methods, picked up a few more certifications, and I’m happy to say Yoshi is thriving. His leash manners are great, his impulse control has improved exponentially, and he can safely be controlled without a muzzle or medication.

Never stop learning; never give up on the “impossible” cases ❤️

You said freeze the scent. Can you reuse the scent?

So long as the scent has not been cross contaminated with anything then you can continue to reuse for about a month.

~Lex (&Faith)

Hello! I’m a type 1 diabetic with anxiety and depression and I’ve recently gotten a dog. He’s a year and half Labrador retriever that is super well behaved. I’ve had lots of experience with service dogs before although I’ve never owned one but I feel pretty confident I could train him myself. The thing is I’m not sure if I should? I don’t get a lot of low blood sugars, however I do get a lot of highs I’d be training him to detect both, as well as help with my anxiety 1/2

2/2 I guess I just feel guilty for having a service dog if there’s someone that could use him more than me. I guess I don’t feel disabled enough. Having a DAD dog would help my anxiety about having a low blood sugar in public if he would be able to tell right away. I’m going to train him properly, and I’m not just trying to pass my pet dog off as a service dog. I’m just super conflicted about this and don’t have any one to talk to. Could you please give me some advice??? Thanks so much

Hi, while I understand the feeling, if your diagnosis is substantially limiting or preventing major life activities and inhibiting your life, then you shouldn’t feel bad for wanting a service dog to assist you.

~ Lex (& Faith)

Hi! I really appreciate this blog, you've taught me a lot! I know you've probably been asked this a million times, but I was wondering if you could give me some breed suggestions? I'm low/medium energy, outdoorsy, and exceedingly patient. My SD would be for light mobility and possibly psych purposes, and I'll be mostly owner training with some pro help. I unfortunately don't like retrievers or poodles! Do you have any recs for a more laidback, quiet breed that could work as an SD? Thank you!

Hi! Saint Bernards are definitely the unsung heros of the service dog world, imo. They are lower energy, still quite trainable, and they aren’t likely to feed off of handler stress. Plus, you have different coat options for those with sensory issues. The guide dog trainer at the program I used to work for loved using St. Bernards and mixes of them for service work, and after working with a few of them, I can see why.

After years of fighting severe and disabling chronic migraine,y neurologist has agreed that I am disabled and that I can definitely benefit from an alert dog because of the unpredictability of my migraines. He however believes that all service dogs must be professionally trained through programs and certified, which of course isn’t the case. How would someone approach the situation. I have already tried to explain ADA law to him and my families plans to owner train with local pro help.

I would honestly just ask for a prescription letter and leave it at that. Especially since your attempts at education have already failed. Doctors are not the service dog police.

It may be worth printing out the DOJ Service Dog FAQ and giving it to him though. You can even highlight question 17.

~Lex (& Faith)

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