5 Tips for a Successful Farm Show Outing with your Service Dog in Training

For a dog, paying attention to their handler can be challenging, especially if there lots of distractions in the environment. The Pennsylvania Farm Show is coming up on January 7-14 (food court opens January 6), and many of our dogs in training will attend. It’s a great training experience! However, between the crowds, the delicious food, and all the animals, it can be hard for puppy raisers to keep their dog’s attention.

Here are five tips to help you set your puppy up for a successful outing.

Awesome Power Treats

One way is to make sure you have power treats, really good power treats. You might even want to go beyond hot dogs, especially if hot dogs are your typical power treat. Think chicken or leftover steak.

Keep the Outing Short

If you’re planning to spend hours at the Farm Show, you may not want to bring your puppy in training with you. Set your dog up for success by planning a short outing. If your dog is doing great, you can consider staying a little longer, but try to leave while your dog is still being successful.

Have a Plan

There’s a lot to see and do at the Farm Show, so having a plan can help you set your dog up for success. Check out the schedule of events and pick out a few things you think your dog will be able to handle. If your dog does well, you can always check out other exhibits. Make sure you also have plan in case your dog is having a challenging time and you need to leave, especially if you’re attending with friends and family.

Know the Stress Signs

Make sure you know your dog’s stress signals. By recognizing the early signs of stress and then removing your dog from the stressor, you can help your dog have a more successful outing. For example, if you’re walking near the cows and your dog starts to yawn, scratch, pant, or shake themselves, they might be telling you they’re stressed. Move your dog away from the cows (or whatever the stressor is) and find a quiet corner where your dog can relax. If you need to, take your dog outside and give them a sniff break. If your dog becomes too stressed, leave the Farm Show entirely.

Don’t forget to pay attention to the other end of the leash, too! If you become stressed, your dog will pick up on it, and it will affect their behavior.

Don’t Expect Perfection

The Farm Show is a difficult outing! Cues that your dog knows perfectly at home will suddenly become very challenging at the Farm Show. For example, your dog may have mastered “go on through” and walk perfectly through doorways at home and out in the general public, but at the Farm Show, you may have to use a lure to get your dog to walk through a doorway correctly. That’s okay!

You may also find that you need to click and treat much more frequently to keep your dog walking with a nice loose leash. That’s okay, too! You’re helping your dog be successful.

If you’re taken a service dog in training to the Farm Show before, what other tips do you have?

6 Tips for a Successful Farm Show Outing with Your Puppy in Training

Who’s excited for the Pennsylvania Farm Show? The largest indoor agricultural event in the United States officially opens tomorrow, and many of us in Central PA wait all year for a taste of that Farm Show food!

Many of our puppy raisers will be taking their dogs in training to the Farm Show. In fact, it’s an optional puppy outing for our dogs. (Make sure you send Becky a write-up so you get credit. Bonus points for photos!) The Farm Show might be one of the most difficult outings for our dogs, no matter what age they are. There are tons of people, all kinds of animals that the dogs may never have seen or smelled before, tight spaces to maneuver, and plenty of food and other things on the floor that dogs find tasty. 

However, it doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. The Farm Show is a fantastic training opportunity and wonderful experience for our dogs. You can make sure your dog has a successful outing if you take the time to plan ahead.

6 Tips for a Successful Farm Show Outing with Your Puppy in Training

Go with a Plan

Fifteen minutes of careful planning can mean the difference between a successful outing and a nightmare. The Farm Show is a challenge, so don’t expect to be able to tour the entire show with your puppy. Instead, focus on having a short, successful outing. If you’ve never been to the Farm Show before, it may be helpful to look at the map so you know which halls might offer your dog the highest chance of success.

Once you get to the Farm Show, don’t be afraid to take things slowly. Last year, SSD Hale and her puppy raiser Donna found a quiet corner in the bovine hall so that Hale could get acclimated to the sudden onslaught of smells and new animals. After Hale had refocused, they stuck to the perimeter of the hall until they passed the cows, and then Hale had no problem with the goats and sheep. Taking a few moments to help your dog focus can make the outing successful.

Power Treats, Power Treats, and More Power Treats!

If ever an outing called for power treats, the Farm Show is it! This is the time to pull out those special treats that keep your dog focused on you, no matter what else is going on around them. Spray cheese, small pieces of chicken, beef, salmon, liver, peanut butter – whatever works for your dog. Make sure you have more than you think you’ll need. And since your dog will probably be getting lots of treats, you may want to cut back on their breakfast or dinner.

Watch Your Dog’s Body Language

Keep an eye on your dog’s body language. Recognizing the signs of stress early on could mean the difference between simply moving on to a different hall and leaving the show entirely. If they’re getting stressed or too excited, it may be time to find a quiet corner to refocus or even leave the show. Knowing your dog’s body language can also help you manage your dog’s behavior.

Stay Calm

Your reactions at the other end of the leash are just as important as your dog’s. Dogs pick up on our emotions and if you stay calm, even in a stressful situation, your dog is more likely to stay calm.

Be Respectful of Other Animals

You may be having a successful outing with your dog handling everything like a pro, but please be mindful of the other animals. While your dog might be perfectly calm around the chickens, the chickens may not be happy being around your dog. If the other animals seem stressed by your dog’s presence, please be respectful and leave the area.

Be Prepared for Lots of Attention

As some of our puppy raisers have learned, there can be lots of different animals around, but people will still want to pet your dog. In fact, some kids pay more attention to the dog than to the farm animals! Be prepared to get lots of attention, especially if you have a young puppy. Don’t be afraid to tell people to ignore your dog if you think your dog will have trouble doing a calm greeting. Remember, your dog is in training, and although it’s important for them to learn how to do calm greetings, it’s also important for them to learn that they can’t get attention from everyone they meet. Tell people “No” when you need to.

We hope you and your dog have a fun, successful outing at the Farm Show! If you have other tips, please share them in the comments.

We can’t wait to hear about all of our puppies’ Farm Show experiences!

SSD Hale Takes on the Farm Show

The Pennsylvania Farm Show. These four words bring to mind images of milkshakes, fried cheese cubes and a giant butter sculpture.

These four words also strike terror in the hearts of puppy raisers.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is an extremely challenging place for service dogs in training of any age. Between the crowds, dropped food and animals, there are so many opportunities for dogs to lose their minds and completely forget all of their training.

Donna, SSD Hale's puppy raiser, knew that the Farm Show was a challenging experience, but instead of concentrating on all the ways Hale could fail, she saw opportunities for success. She came up with a training plan to ensure that she and Hale had a good experience at the Farm Show.

She knew from last year, when she took Nubble, that the Farm Show can be overwhelming. Donna recognized that her own stress level affects the dog at the end of the leash, and she was determined to stay calm and keep her own stress level from affecting Hale. Hale loves people, so Donna wasn't worried about the crowds. She decided that if she saw any signs of stress, she would retreat and give Hale a chance to relax. During that time, Donna planned to reevaluate whether they should call it a day or continue their outing.

Hale went into the Farm Show with her usual gusto! The first thing they did was visit the cows, and the floor was full of all sorts of things a dog finds interesting. Hale may not have even noticed the cows because she was so interested in the things on the floor! To help Hale refocus, Donna moved back into a quiet corner where Hale could sniff the air without actually eating anything. After that, they stuck to the perimeter of the bovine hall, and then headed for the goat hall.

Hale didn't even blink at being around the goats. Her puppy raisers have goats, so she just wanted to greet them. Donna made sure Hale kept her distance, though. While Hale was perfectly fine with the goats, the goats were not as happy to be around a dog. Donna didn't want to add to their stress. The sheep, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered by Hale, although Hale wasn't as comfortable around them. Donna used lots of treats, especially power treats like cheese whiz. At one point, Hale barked, so Donna moved her away. Once she settled, they approached the sheep again, and Hale did a little better. Donna decided to leave the sheep while Hale was still having a positive experience.


In the rabbit area, Hale sat down right next to a row of bunnies in their cages. She just rested and drank some water. Donna also took her to the chicken area, but they kept their distance because the birds could get agitated by a dog.

Although Hale did very well around the animals, she did manage to get into a bit of mischief. The children at the Farm Show loved Hale, and of course, she loved them! She even managed to give out a few kisses. However, considering the number of children who came up to her, she did very well. She even did well when one toddler tried to tickle her with a peacock feather! Many of the children asked if they could give her a treat, and Donna used it as a teaching experience as she explained that Hale is a service dog in training and only her handler can give her treats.

Of course, you can't go to the Farm Show without getting some fried cheese cubes and a milkshake! Hale was very patient while waiting in the long line, although she didn't tuck herself up close to Donna. She always seemed to lay down so that she was in the way. People just stepped over her, though, and Hale didn't seem to mind. She did manage to scarf down a cheese cube that ended up on the floor. She was so quick about it that Donna barely got out the first syllable of "leave it."

Since Hale was doing relatively well, Donna and Lindsey headed to the rodeo for a while. Even though they both wanted to see the rodeo, they decided they would leave if Hale was showing signs of stress.

They had to go up a very narrow, steep staircase to get to some empty seats, and when they got to the top, Hale shook herself, which Donna recognized as a sign of stress. However, Hale relaxed and settled easily under the seats. There were two empty seats next to Donna, so Hale had some extra room to stretch out. She even relaxed so much that she rested her head on her paws.



Once they settled into their seats, three teenagers, an 8-year-old boy and a 3-year-old boy sat in the seats in front of them. Their heads were at the perfect level for Hale to try to sneak in some doggy kisses, and she managed to lick the 8-year-old's ear. Luckily, he just laughed, said "hi" to Hale, and went back to watching the rodeo. Hale also tried to sniff the teenage girl's prayer cap. The 3-year-old occasionally watched Hale and reached back and scratched her back, but Hale was wonderful with him. Every time he interacted with her, she looked to Donna, even when he tugged gently on her tail. "I was quite proud of her then," said Donna. "She has definitely figured out that little kids are not her toys to play with."

Although Donna was watching carefully, the only time she saw any signs of stress that concerned her was during the rodeo. At the very beginning, all of the lights went out and the crowd got very quiet, then very loud. Hale seemed a little worried, licking her lips and yawning. She did the same thing halfway through the rodeo when the lights went down again and the music got very loud. But other than the lip-licking and yawning, she was fine.

As they were leaving, Hale tried one more time to scarf down some treats on the floor, but this time, she grabbed a bead! Donna had to reach in her mouth to get it. Hale knows the cue "leave it," but she doesn't follow it 100% of the time. Donna plans to work on it with her.

All in all, Hale did very well at the Farm Show, especially for an 8-month-old puppy. "I am so glad I took her," said Donna. "It was a great experience for her, and I think I had a good training plan in place so that I was able to enjoy our outing as much as possible."

For Donna at least, the words "Pennsylvania Farm Show" aren't quite as scary.