If you’re thinking about training your dog to be a therapy dog for your handicapped loved one, then you need to learn how to do so properly. Dog training tips range from dog training tricks that you can teach to your dog as a puppy all the way up to adult dogs that can serve to help people with disabilities. So, what’s the difference between ESAs, Service, and Service Dogs? At first glance, it may be easy to mistake all three classes of canine canines as just highly skilled pets who are a bit more advanced than regular family pets. But, in truth, the three classes are actually quite different and should never be mistaken.
First off, Service dogs are bred specifically to assist their humans in certain situations. The dog training tips you’ll receive will teach your dog to behave in these situations by using positive reinforcement. If the dog were given no positive reinforcement, the dog would do nothing at all. So, the most important dog training tip is to start your dog out using positive reinforcement and continue to use them until they’ve gotten the hang of it.
Next, there are Service and Support dogs. These dogs assist their humans in various ways, such as providing assistance with physical needs, such as getting up from the chair or wheelchair to walk, pulling a wheelie cart, or other tasks. In order to qualify as a Service dog, the dog must have a history of serving in this manner. Some examples of Service dogs include: nursing homes, doctors, blind or deaf people, and the disabled. To become an Effective Service dog, the dog must exhibit the following positive behaviors: sitting on command, standing when ordered to lie down, standing when calling for assistance, walking on the leash without pulling or straining, and not chewing.
Then, we have the temperament aspect of dog training. Many dog owners wonder how they can train their dog to be more friendly or easier to train. Briggsy the Therapy dog from Scotland is one example of an Obedience dog with a friendly temperament. In addition to friendly behavior, they’re also trained to jump-start people by barking, fetch, and fetch-it. Briggsy can usually be found for sale at the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) store in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
Some dog breeders say that dogs with a good temperament are hard to train. They are sometimes right. The problem lies in trying to modify that good temperament to match an unruly or aggressive disposition. According to Bob Brigg’s dog training manual, “You can’t modify a dog’s temperament – the dog responds to the ‘sit’ command and nothing else.”
If you’re wondering how do I train my dog to be a therapy dog, consider a situation where obedience training isn’t complete: your dog is completely hyperactive. Your dog doesn’t understand sit or come, and it jumps on visitors and family members for no apparent reason. It barks incessantly and runs around the house, even though you tell it to stop. This is the time when you need some dog training advice. It’s easy to make the dog understand that barking, jumping, and running around won’t be tolerated.
You can train your dog to perform a sit command every single day, but you should start off each training session with an actual sit-stay-fetch session. Bring the dog into the room, give it the treat, and sit down. You’ll need to repeat this exercise at least two times before your dog will sit when you tell it to sit. Then, take the dog out, give it the treat again, and immediately after, tell it to sit again, followed by a command to lie down, then a treat, then sit, and so on.
To train dogs how do I train my dog to be a therapy dog, you have to realize that dogs are naturally playful, curious, fastidious animals. They have a thirst for knowledge, and love to see you demonstrate that you know what you’re talking about. Dogs are also incredibly smart, so don’t think they’re stupid. In fact, your dog will be able to catch up with you in no time because dogs can follow directions a lot faster than you can. Follow these instructions and commands consistently and your dogs will learn how do I train my dog to be a therapy dog in no time at all!
