Psychiatric service dogs

I have always wanted to train dogs for a higher purpose, like guide dogs for the blind.  It has come to my attention recently that there are service dogs for people with mental disabilities.  I know there are service dogs that can detect oncoming seizures and problems with blood sugar, but psychiatric disabilities?  I needed to look into this.  I have been researching for several days now and this is what I have found out.  Anyone who has a psychiatric disability can have a psychiatric service dog (PSD).  That includes me. These dogs are granted all the same privileges that any service dog is granted.  These dogs are trained in a team with their owner.  So I have taken it upon myself to begin training Emma to a higher standard.  She has already passed her Canine Good Citizen test (CGC) which is suggested.  The is a therapy dog already.  I am prepared to help anyone who with a mental disability who wants to train their dog to become a service dog.  Each dog would be obedience trained, have to take the CGC test, pass a public access test and be trained to each owner specifically.  I am currently looking into what privileges are granted to service dogs in training so as not to run into any problems taking Emma somewhere I should not be taking her.

What kind of boss are you?

Let's think back for a moment on the types of supervisors you have had in your working career.  I have had ones that were very kind and I have had ones that I would rather forget.  Think about which kind of boss motivated you to do your best.  I know that the supervisors who criticized me and my work did not make me want to work for them.  The ones who complimented me on what a good job I did were the ones I for whom I wanted to do my best.  When I completed a particularly difficult task, a bonus was always greatly appreciated.  Now let's look at this in the light of dog training.  Does you dog only get told when he is doing something wrong, i.e. a jerk on the collar if he is not walking next to you, or does he get treated when he is walking next to you.  When you ask your dog for a particularly hard thing for him to do, i.e., to sit or lay down for an extended period of time, do you make it a party for him that he completed the task?  Since I have started positive reinforcement training, I have a dog that I can go in the obedience ring and win ribbons because she wants to work for me.  Take a look at your training methods.  Are they working for you?

Setting up for success

When you are training your dog, always set your dog up for success.  Don't allow the dog to do a wrong behavior and then correct the dog for it.  For instance, if you want your dog to walk beside you, that is where you want your dog to be.  Don't allow the dog to go out in front of you and then correct it for being in the wrong position.  There are several ways to train this behavior and set your dog up to succeed at doing the correct behavior.  Walking beside you will become a habit for your dog.  These methods keep the dog from being stressed and keep the owner from being frustrated.  I have found it works on all types of dogs from a Pekipoo to a Great Dane.