Barking can reflect excitement, fear, frustration, unmet needs or other causes. Notice when it happens, what precedes it and how your dog appears to feel.
Olivia Williams
Published September 27, 2020
Give working teams room. A handler may depend on a particular trained response, and deliberately engaging the dog can interrupt its work.
Kea Grace
Published August 18, 2019
Service work should suit the individual dog and handler. These factors guide assessment; they are not a legal list of automatic, lifelong disqualifications.
Kea Grace
Published July 12, 2019
Talking to, touching, feeding or deliberately getting a working dog's attention can interrupt its task or distract its handler.
April Childers
Published June 22, 2019
A tether can limit movement during a brief, actively supervised training session. It is one management tool, not proof of calmness or a shortcut to public access.
Kea Grace
Published February 4, 2018
Settling beside you, leaving food alone, and staying out of the way make everyday outings easier. Here are five skills to build thoughtfully before asking your dog to work in busier places.
Kea Grace
Published April 27, 2015
Your dog knows the cue at home, then seems to forget it everywhere else. Learn how to carry a familiar skill into new places, one manageable change at a time.
Bev Thompson
Published August 20, 2014
A dog may know a cue in one setting and need practice when the surroundings or handler's position change.
Kea Grace
Published March 19, 2014
A voluntary check-in can help you communicate in distracting places.
Kea Grace
Published January 29, 2014
This exercise revisits the learning focus of Week Three in AP's 2014 Service Dog Challenge.
Kea Grace
Published January 20, 2014
