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?

Five Tips for a Successful Farm Show Visit

It’s Farm Show time! The Pennsylvania Farm Show starts on Saturday, January 10. If you’re from Central PA, you’ve probably been counting down the days till you could get a milkshake from the PA Farm Show.

This is the largest indoor agricultural exhibit in the United States, and between the animals, produce, competitive exhibits, and vendors, and of course, the butter sculpture, there’s lots to see. And then there’s the food!

The Farm Show is a great experience for our service dogs in training. We usually take our advanced training dogs at least once. Because there are so many smells, crowds, and food on the floor, it’s a very challenging outing. Here are five tips to help you and your service dog in training have a successful trip.

Bring Amazing Power Treats

The Farm Show is chock full of things to distract your dog. You’re going to be competing with animals, food, and crowds of people for your dog’s attention. Make sure you pull out all the stops and bring amazing power treats. If your usual power treats are hotdogs, consider bringing something even better, like hamburger, chicken, or leftover steak. You want your dog to say “Wow, I want more of that!” so they stay focused on you instead of trying to vacuum the Food Court floor.

Plan a Short Visit

The Farm Show is a very challenging outing. While you might want to spend a few hours walking around to see everything, your dog may only be able to handle 30 minutes. Plan to keep your visit short and only stay as long as your dog is being successful.

Be Aware of the Other Animals’ Reactions

It’s a great experience for your dog to walk through the exhibits of horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, and chickens. However, these other animals might not be happy being around your dog. Please keep an eye on the other animals’ reactions to your dog, and if they seem distressed, remove your dog, even if your dog is being perfectly calm.

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No

The Farm Show is usually crowded, and many people will want to pet your dog. Don’t be afraid to say no if your dog can’t handle a greeting at that time or if you just want to keep your dog focused on you. Of course, the Farm Show is also a good opportunity to practice greetings if you think your dog will be successful.

Don’t Expect Perfection

We said it earlier, but we’ll say it again. The Farm Show is a hard outing. Your dog will not be perfect. Be patient and celebrate the small successes your dog has.

Do you have other tips for navigating the Farm Show with your service dog in training? Leave them in the comments.

Have fun and enjoy your Farm Show milkshake!

Tips for Going to a Restaurant with your Service Dog

Yesterday in Team Training, our partners ate lunch with their dogs for the first time, and next week, they’ll be eating in a restaurant for the first time.

People with service dogs have public access, which means they can take their dog anywhere that’s open to the public. This includes restaurants, which as you well know, normally do not allow dogs.

Here are some tips for taking your service dog or service dog in training to a restaurant.

Think about your dog when choosing a table

While you’re in the restaurant, your dog is going to be tucked under the table in a long down-stay. Ideally, your dog will fall asleep. When you’re choosing a table in a restaurant, keep your dog’s comfort in mind. If a table has one leg in the center, your dog may not be able to lie comfortably under the table, which means she’ll be less likely to remain in a down-stay while you’re eating. If you’re being seated by a hostess, don’t hesitate to request a booth if you see that your dog won’t fit comfortably under the other tables.

Be mindful of other patrons

When you’re walking into the restaurant and going to your table, be mindful of the other patrons. Don’t let your dog sniff other people. If the restaurant seems like a challenging place for your dog, you can hold a few treats in front of your dog’s nose to keep them focused until you get to your table.

The same goes when it’s time to leave. If your dog has been lying down for a long time, the first thing they’re going to do when they stand up is shake themselves. Try to have your dog stand where they won’t send fur flying in all directions. For example, if you’re at a booth, ask your dog to stand while they’re still tucked under the table. 

Watch out for food on the floor

Inevitably, food ends up on the floor in restaurants. And chances are high that if there’s food on the floor, your dog will find it. Keep an eye out for anything on the floor that might distract your dog.

But what if you want to go to a restaurant that offers things like peanuts to patrons and encourages people to throw the shells on the floor? This might be a good time to simply leave your dog at home.

Keep one eye on your dog at the buffet

Buffets can be very tricky to navigate with a dog. You have to hold the leash, serve yourself food, and carry your plate. It can be a balancing act! You can always leave your dog at the table with a friend or family member and ask them to hold your dog’s leash while you get your food. If you take your dog through the buffet line, keep a close watch on your dog because you don’t want them sniffing at the table or stealing a lick or a piece of food. As you move through the line, you can put your dog in a “down” while you serve yourself. This will keep your dog’s nose far away from the food. Then you’ll just need to balance your plate and hold your dog’s leash as you walk back to your table.

If your table is near the buffet and you know your dog has a solid down-stay, it can be very tempting to leave your dog unattended at the table while you get your food. However, while you might know your dog extremely well, you don’t know the other people in the restaurant. While you’re at the buffet, a child (or an adult) could pet your dog under the table, they could try to feed your dog, or someone could whistle or talk to your dog, all of which could easily distract him. It’s always best for you or someone you trust to stay with your dog at all times in a restaurant.

Have you taken your service dog or service dog in training to a restaurant? Share your tips in the comments.

6 Safety Tips to Enjoy Summer with Your Dog

As the weather warms up, we all like to spend more time outside, and it’s only natural that we want our dogs to enjoy the nice weather, too. But along with the beautiful sunshine and warm weather come several dangers for our canine pals. Here are 6 safety tips so that you and your dog can enjoy summer.

1. Never leave your dog unattended in a car. On a warm day, when the sun is shining, the interior of your car can quickly reach temperatures of over 100 degrees, even if the outside temperature is only 65-70 degrees. Never leave your dog alone in your car, even if you only plan to run inside for a few minutes. You never know when that quick errand is going to turn into a 30 minute shopping trip

2. Always bring lots of fresh water for your dog. When temperatures rise, you dog may need to drink more. Always carry extra water for him. You can also use the water to cool him down if you notice your dog is getting overheated.

3. Find a shady spot. If you’re working in your backyard or if you travel to the beach or some other fun destination, always make sure that there is a shady spot for your dog to rest and get some relief from the sun. If there is no natural shade available, make some! Set up a tarp or tent.

4. Avoid strenuous exercise on hot days. Try to avoid taking your dog outside for playtime or other exercise during the hottest parts of the day. It’s very easy for your dog to overheat. Instead, enjoy the cooler mornings and evenings together. We understand, though, that it may not be possible to completely avoid going out on hot days, especially if you have a working dog. If you must go out, have plenty of water for your dog, try to stick to the shade, and avoid walking on hot pavement.

5. Always supervise your dog while swimming. Many of our labs love to swim, and summer is the perfect time for it! Just be careful to always supervise your dog while he’s swimming. It’s hard work to swim, and you don’t want your dog to overdo it, especially if he loves the water! Also, if you take your dog to the beach, be wary of ocean tides and don’t let your dog drink sea water.

6. Avoid fertilizers and other chemicals. This is the time when many people use fertilizers on their lawn, flowers and gardens. While that might be good for the plants, it is not so good for your dog, especially if he has a tendency to eat grass. If you think your dog may have walked through fertilizer, be sure to wipe his paws so he doesn'’t lick them and ingest it. If you think your dog has eaten fertilizer, call your vet (or the puppy coordinator, if you have an SSD dog in training).

If you have other summer tips, please leave them in the comments. We hope you’re enjoying the warmer weather as much as we are! Have fun and stay safe with your dog!

Clicker Training Part 3: Tips for Training Your Dog

SSD Gideon watches his handler, then turns his head and looks away. Click. He immediately turns back to his handler and receives a treat. Now, standing and watching his handler, he tries to figure out what behavior got him the click. He cocks his head to the side, still maintaining eye contact. No click. He turns his head to the side and breaks eye contact. Click. He turns back for his treat. This time, he immediately turns his head to the side and looks away. Click. He gets another treat.

In this illustration, SSD Gideon, one of SSD's demo dogs, quickly learned that turning his head and looking away gained him the click and subsequent treat, and he learned this behavior without any cues from his handler other than the clicker.

SSD uses clicker training, and we've been very successful with it. Not only do we have fun with it, but the dogs have fun, too! Clicker training becomes a fun game for them - a game where they learn the good manners and behaviors that make them great service dogs.

So far in this series, we've talked about training yourself in clicker training before training your dog. We've shared several exercises you can practice to help you master treat delivery and timing. Now you're ready to try clicker training with your dog. We'd like to share some of the techniques that we use when we're clicker training our dogs.

Start Small
When you first start clicker training with your dog, think small. Chose a behavior your dog will probably do on his own, such as sit or come. Start clicking the instant he performs that behavior and give him a treat so he associates the click with a treat.

Keep your clicker training sessions short, about 5 minutes each. You know how your mind starts to wander during a long lecture and you stop learning as much? A similar thing will happen with your dog if you try to clicker train him for one long sesson. Break it up and work the short, 5-minute sessions into your daily routine. You dog will learn more and have more fun doing it.

Build up to the complete behavior. Click and treat for small movements in the right directions. You don't have to wait for your dog to give you the complete, perfect behavior before you click. Let's say you want your dog to lie down. Start by clicking any movement your dog makes toward the floor and gradually work up to a full down. After a while, when your dog is voluntarily giving you the full behavior, start asking for more. For instance, once your dog gives you a full down, make him stay down for a few extra seconds before clicking. This way, you can shape the behavoior.

One Click Is Enough
When your dog successfully performs a behavior or a small movement in the right direction, make sure you only click once. Don't click multiple times to show how happy you are with your dog. Remember, the click is a neutral sound and is not the reward - that's what the treats are for. The click simply marks the behavior the dog was performing and indicates that he will receive a reward for that behavior. Clicking multiple times to mark one instance of a behavior may confuse your dog and he may lose confidence in the clicker. Each click must mean exactly the same thing every time - that the dog has performed a desirable behavior and will now be rewarded for it. You'll be much more successful with your clicker training this way.

Time Your Clicks
You may have practiced timing your clicks using some of the exercises from Clicker Training Part 2: It's All About Timing. Now it's time to use those skills when you're clicking your dog. Make sure you time your clicks during a behavior and not after it. If you're looking for your dog to sit, click the moment his back legs start to bend or the moment his butt hits the floor.

Above all, have fun! Clicker training is a great way to communicate and bond with your dog. Enjoy it!

If you're looking for even more information about clicker training, check out clicker training expert Karen Pryor's website: http://www.clickertraining.com/.

Next week, we'll share some clicker games you can play with your dog.