You have a dog and you would like him to help you in some way. You've heard of dogs trained to do a ton of things, such as picking up fallen objects, carrying objects from one room to another or even turning off the light! That's all true, but teaching a dog to do those things (and more) takes love, patience, and time. A lot of time. If you think you and your dog have all the numbers to make a winning team, read on. Training your dog to help you requires that you and your pet develop a close relationship, be focused and work together constantly.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Develop the human / dog relationship
Step 1. Reward him if he comes to check on you
By nature, dogs tend to do this towards the group leader. So your dog may come to you, even if not called, to rest his head on your lap or lick you or, again, force his muzzle under your arm to demand attention. As annoying as this attitude can be, especially at mealtimes, if you are working on your relationship it is a good thing to reward the dog for checking you out. But only the first time: the following times invite him firmly to put himself in a more appropriate place, for example his kennel.
Step 2. Play together, even if your dog doesn't seem to want to
Like people, dogs also have preferences, so don't hesitate to experiment with different objects and games. Make up games, especially if the traditional ones don't work.
Step 3. Take your time and energy to meet your dog's needs, it's easier than it sounds
For example, brush your dog regularly if you notice that he likes it. Try to understand what kind of attention you need and do your best to satisfy it.
Method 2 of 4: Concentration
Step 1. Training without concentration, or without a specific goal, is doomed to failure
So before you go into the hard work of training your dog, decide exactly how your dog could help you in everyday life. Crutches, fallen keys, mail, pens, socks, cell phone and post-its. These are all things he can easily take and bring to you.
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Speaking of concentration, there are a couple of corollaries to be aware of.
- The first is: "Just because you need it doesn't mean your dog can or should do it."
- The second is: "Just because your dog, at first, refuses to do something, doesn't mean he doesn't have to learn how to do it".
Train a Service Dog Step 5 Step 2. Deal with your frustration
Method 3 of 4: Train constantly
Train a Service Dog Step 6 Step 1. Train every day
This really means every single day, several times a day. Be warned though: smart dogs get bored easily doing the same thing for a long time. However, switching training often for variety's sake carries the risk of confusing Fido; it is therefore better to train him in short but intense sessions, no longer than 10/15 minutes, repeated 2/3 times a day. Adjusted according to your dog's autonomy of attention.
Train a Service Dog Step 7 Step 2. Dogs interpret anger as a sign of weakness, so keep calm and walk away before raising your voice
Remember that you are the alpha male of the group, and Fido sees you as such, so he expects you to always have everything under control. So try not to lose control, or you will have to say goodbye to the idea of training your dog yourself.
Method 4 of 4: Conclusion
Your dog loves you and may qualify to become an excellent support.
Train a Service Dog Step 8 Step 1. Reward him, play with him and love him as much as possible to develop a close bond between you
Train a Service Dog Step 9 Step 2. Remember that you must have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from your dog before embarking on the training process
