YOU can train your own ESD - Emotional Support Dog

OneMoreTime · 12-01-2006, 01:21 AM

[SIZE=1]Selection Criteria Items That Were Tested for Effectiveness in Predicting Future Behavior and Training Aptitude

Many (not all) dog shelters (as opposed dog pounds) have employees or volunteers who have been trained to administer this test. If they have no such person, then it is best to pay for an hour of a qualified dog trainer's time to come to the shelter and thoroughly test a dog who seems to you and the attendants to be a potential good client to pass this test. Having a professional do this keeps YOU from possibly being bitten on the pain, pinch and the settle down test (where the dog is held in a submissive position).

If you decide to do this test yourself with a shelter employee nearby and helping with the test (don't forget the halloween or party mask), then print out these test procedures so you do them correctly and grade them exactly as directed.

for more please follow this link http://www.animalsandsociety.org/***...jaawsweiss.pdf

OneMoreTime · 12-01-2006, 01:29 AM

SO, How Successful Was The Above Screening Process In Selecting Trainable Dogs??

The dog was first given a couple or so weeks to get used to living in the new environment. During this time, it is important for the new owner to not begin instilling bad habits by rough play (by owner or children), encouraging the dog to develop bad habits and do limit the number of new people and situations. Work on calmness and normal behavior, and no exciting play, just calm petting and lots of loving praising talk. Lots of GOOD dogs.

If the dog is not yet crate-trained, this is the ideal time to initiate this and to house train the dog with the crate (and if needed) by keeping the dog contained to a small area with tiled easy-to-clean floor surfaces. Some people close off a kitchen with toddler or dog gates. This gives the dog a view and a sense of being part of the family. Don't close the dog up in a bathroom or utility room, or shut him up in the garage.

Use wee-wee pads if necessary and they are made in a variety of sizes and inexpensive in discount stores. There are instructions on how to transition your dog from indoor wee wee pads to going only outside. For dogs who continue to have training problems, this can save a relationship.

But how did the Training go in this study?

Forty of the 75 dogs learned BOTH the obedience and the retrieval tasks in the allotted 5 weeks of training.
And Thirty-three dogs had learned all the obedience tasks in those 5 weeks and had entered the retrieval portion of training but had not reached the success criterion those 5-weeks.

Only two dogs did not complete training because it was later determined that the trainers were at risk of injury because of their aggressive behavior. These were dogs who passed the prior tests, but who apparently had some prior problems or who had problems with the particular training.

73 Dogs out of 75 is PHENOMENAL. WIth carefully screened and selected puppies, you are still lucky to get 50% to grow up and achieve this success in such a short time.

Some dogs completed their obedience traing very quickly, and some a bit slower, but all of these carefully tested and selected dogs trained in a reasonable period of time.

None of these shelter dogs had any prior retrieval training, but again the rates of success were tremendous. Dogs trained to do such things as retrive a critical medication or bring a cellphone or paw at an emergency alert button, or wake their owner or a number of other tasks can be certified as full-fledged Service Dog.

Regardless, any of these dogs that were rescued from shelters on the basis of BEHAVIOR rather than cuteness were universally qualified to become successful "out in public" Emotional Support Dogs.

OneMoreTime · 12-01-2006, 02:23 AM

Post Training

In the category of good service (good service dog potential), 5 dogs of the 73 were given the highest rating and 15 the lowest. Dogs also were rated on the degree of reinforcement needed to produce a consistent response when learning a new command.

What did the study prove? That dogs that respond well to human contact are likely to be more pleasant to train.

So realize that a properly thoroughly trained Emotional Support Dog can be available to anyone who can afford the adoption fee of an adult animal at any number of shelters in your area. You get the chance to spend more and better time, and get the testing done at a shelter than you do in buying a dog privately or going thru most breed-speciality rescue organizations.

The idea of a puppy can be very appealing, but if what you want and truly need is an emotional support dog, then a puppy is a very risky bet. Even if he is professionally screened for you, the odds still against the puppy growing up into the dog your need.

On the other hand, with an adult dog, you know EXACTLY who and what you are getting. Plus you are gaining a valuable assistant to make your life better for you and go places with you within two months.

I am already planning to secure my own Emotional Support Animal. Living in an apartment, I will have to get print-outs of all the needed federal law details to provide the manager along with the prescription from my doctor (the prescription can ALSO come from your therapist).

I was looking at getting a tiny toy dog, but decided to get a medium sized dog who can jump on the bed and off without risking a broken leg. Also, I need the exercise and a toy dog can get all the exercise they need in a very short distance -- and I need a couple of miles a day.

Teri

my resource for information about that study - found in an earlier given study...

Selecting Shelter Dogs for Service Dog Training
Emily Weiss

Department of Psychology
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

published in the
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE,

http://www.animalsandsociety.org/***...jaawsweiss.pdf

OneMoreTime · 12-01-2006, 09:45 PM

This is the MOST terrific thread on the "Our Pets" Forum
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=6245

This is about the famous trainer, Cesar Millan, who works WITH ADULT DOGS by using the pack theory... that dogs simply need to know who the alpha pack member is so the dog can be happy and relaxed in knowing his place in the pack. He teaches Dog Psychology based on a dog's reality.

This theory did certainly not start with this trainer, but he is the first to use it (and use it so well) as the very core of Cesar's training. It is so exciting and impressive to see him "walking" an entire crowd, a PACK of dogs --and not a leash in sight-- but all of them are focused on him and all of them are under his control rather than running wild, sniffing and peeing on things every step of the way.

It was pointed out that you can find these used, sometimes discounted, and at many librries in their DVD lending library. Cesar Millan has a book, too, but they say you truly need to see Cesar's show (on the National Georgraphic channel on Cable and satellite) and watch the DVDs of his shows to really let him train YOU how to interact with your dog.

I know from (second hand) experience (and it is talked about on this thread above) that some "dog training classes" teach you a great deal of very bad, even counter-productive techniques and advice.

So PLEASE read this thread http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/showthread.php?t=6245 and take the advice to heart.

Teri

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