Hi,
I have been looking for a source of training material to train my dog for certain functions I will need from the dog in the future. I will have a professional trainer when the dog is at a year or so, but, I wish to know how to train for specific tasks myself. I am retired at 47 and it is something to do besides sitting around. It is a great hobby for me and the dog gets me off my butt.

These tasks are: Alarming for help when I fall and coming to "Help" me so I can use the dog to climb up off the floor. Helping me balance walking up a flight of stairs without my cane and blocking me from falling down stairs if I get tipsy. Pull my wheelchair and fetching objects for me when my situation gets worse (two years or so down the road)

At 7 months the GSD watches me and follows me everywhere I go in the house as I have been training him (much help from Eds DVDs). He is still a pup, and per advice here, I am letting him be a puppy, but he is learning Ed's way from the start so he can progress easier, later.

Many of Ed's DVDs help with basic obedience and socialization and I am doing all that. I use marker training for example. There are a lot of articles on Protection dogs, but, none that I can find that give me the tricks of the trade on specific functions Service Dogs perform for disabled folks. Any help is appreciated.

Regards,
Ken

He is probably too young for any of the tasks you foresee except fetching items. (However, others will have better opinions and suggestions.)

At 7 months, I'd have a good time teaching the names of items and the retrieve, though.

Dennis Jones here http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=168&Number=248635&Searchpage=1&Main=23822&Words=service+Dennis+Jones&topic=0&Search=true#Post247158 has taught Erika to pick up and return to him whatever he has dropped.

For teaching named items retrieve, I would probably start by teaching touch. Do you know that? http://leerburg.com/search/searchResults.php?terms=touch&Submit=Search&checkbox2=checkbox


Then I would work with one item.

Follow this link:
http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=cfrm&c=22

Or you can be a smarty pants and follow Will's link.

 Quote: connie sutherland

Or you can be a smarty pants and follow Will's link.

Well......we *do* have the "assistance forum" for that reason...

Thank you for the help. I will start teaching touch. I am specific about what I want him to fetch. Ball, Tug, but that is it. Later I want Phone.

Knowing what I should be teaching at this age is very helpful. That is exactly the kind of help I need.

I take him everywhere and I am socializing him with NO PET tags everywhere. He is doing well for his age I think.

Thank you all for your input. I would not know where else to go to ask these questions.

Regards,
Ken

It is easy to teach service dogs through using a clicker and marker. I have a service dog who I raised as a puppy did a basic obedience training: like sit, stay, come, etc. I taught him since he was eight weeks old so his training to become a service dog wasn't hard as I thought it might be. Teaching him to alert for cars were tough.

Thanks, I have been using a marker from the beginning. I use YES as Ed suggests....I just find myself saying yes, yes, good dog to him sometimes when he has just done something generally good and then....oh crap I gotta give him a treat now because I said the word YES and run for my treat bag....Now I have multiple treat bags. Now I am better prepared.

See how easily I am to train ;-)

" I use YES as Ed suggests....I just find myself saying yes, yes, good dog to him sometimes when he has just done something generally good ... "


Not marker training!

I would go back to Step One. Do you have any marker DVDs? Or have you seen any of the tons of free marker training streaming video?

"Yes, yes, good dog" is not marking the instant when the dog did the wanted action.

It sounds like really backing up and using a new marker might even be in order; I would choose one that you do not use in everyday talk. You don't want to use a mechanical one (pen, clicker, etc.)? "Yes" is my verbal marker, but I would probably consider it to be tainted, I think, after using it the way you describe.

It's easy to load a new marker and to be careful about its use. But first, I'd probably watch some marker-loading. Back to "Do you have any marker DVDs? Or have you seen any of the tons of free marker training streaming video?"

On no....that was kind of a joke. Sorry...He knows the difference between a firm Yes, and when I am just talking to him. I will put a <joke> in there next time. I can't even run....let alone for a treat...Our family has always used a Verbal marker with our GSDs. I used to use GOOD, before. I like YES better.