American Poodles At Work

This is the continuation of Service Dogs: The Inside Scoop by Jillian Gartner. Due to the length of Part 1, we have decided to break Part 2 into multiple sections. This is Part 2b – a focus on some of the commands taught to many Service Dogs.

SERVICE DOG VERSION OF COMMON COMMANDS

HEEL – For a Service Dog, heel position is further back than what is seen in the obedience ring. The dog’s nose should not pass the handler’s knee, whether walking or wheeling. This allows for easier turning but, more importantly, it helps the dog focus with fewer distractions as their line of sight on one side is blocked by a leg. This is especially helpful while training young dogs that are naturally curious. The dog also needs to learn the same position on the handler’s right side in case that is a better location for the future client. “Heel” is for left position and “Side” is for right position.

FINISH/HEEL POSITION – Service dogs are never allowed to cross behind their trainer’s back, as most clients will not be able to manage the leash. Dogs are taught a flip-finish (from a position in front of the handler, the dog flips around to the handler’s side), but because service dogs generally have calm temperaments, it is more of a circle that places them back at the handler’s side.

DOWN – Service Dogs frequently need to hold long down-stays so they should be comfortable while in this position. Most dogs will naturally roll onto a hip after a few minutes, but the trainer can also let the dog know they will be there for awhile. My program teaches a separate command to relax onto a side.

LEAVE IT – This command is crucial for a dog who has access to public locations. Not only is it unacceptable for the dog to sniff at food in a restaurant, they must never touch anything off the ground. Whether it is rotting food, animal feces, toxic substances, or another animal, service dogs may not eat, sniff, roll in, jump on, or otherwise be distracted from their job.

STAY – This command is rarely used for short periods, so it tends to be given for a “Down” position and means the dog should settle in for a rest. Ten to sixty-plus minutes isn’t uncommon (while their partner works, eats, etc.), but unlike in the show ring, it’s okay for the handler to praise and reinforce the dog . . . and the dog should not treat the attention as a time to get up.

COME – Formal command meaning run to handler and sit until given the next instruction. This is mainly used when exiting the car or in other situations of potential danger. The command “Here” is used as the informal recall and, if the dog is already nearby, the act of pointing a finger/hand tells the dog where to position his head, allowing for access to his backpack or moving out of the way.

STAND – Should be solid, long enough for the dog’s backpack to be looked through. Dogs also learn to “Brace” to provide stability for their handler.

RELEASE – In general, a service dog is given a follow-up command rather than being told “Okay.”  When he has finished working and is free to do whatever he wants, he is told “Release,” and he may run off to find a toy, come back and ask for attention, or he may choose to continue a nap – but, the choice is his, and he should have at least a full few minutes to enjoy it before starting to work again.

Some service dogs are now being taught to read flash cards.  These cards have either a text word or a stick figure drawing which the dog responds to as cues.

SOME ADDITIONAL TASKS

ALERT – Dog pushes entry button with nose to open door, or nudges person’s hand to get their attention.  The latter is followed-up with “What?” which instructs the dog to indicate whether he needs to go out, is thirsty, that someone’s at the door, etc.

BEHIND – The dog slows down and ducks behind the wheelchair.  Mainly used for going through narrow doors: the dog then returns to the same side he was originally on.

BETTER HURRY – Tells the dog that now is the time to potty.  Always used before going in any public location to make sure dog is not uncomfortable while there.

CLOSER – Dog should move closer to handler.

DRESS – Dog puts his head though collar or cape.

FIX – Used when the leash is under the dog’s leg, tells dog to untangle himself.

GET IT, BRING IT HERE, GIVE – The series of commands used when having the dog retrieve an item.

GO THROUGH – Dog moves in front of person, turns to face them, and walks backwards until there is enough space to move to the side again.  Used when going through a skinny passage or doorway when “Behind” isn’t suitable . . . either an automatic door that may hit the dog, or another reason to want the dog in sight.

LAP – Dog puts front legs on his partner’s lap to deliver an item, allow access to backpack, or to show affection.  The dog should come from the side and rest his legs across the lap to distribute the pressure, rather than all of his weight pressed down through the paws.

LIGHT/SWITCH – Commands for the dog to flick a light on with his nose, and to switch it off with his teeth.

LOOK – Tells dog to survey his surroundings for the item he should retrieve.

PUSH – Dog should use his front paws to push a door/object.

SNUGGLE – From the “Lap” position, the dog leans across his handler’s body and rests his head on the opposite shoulder.  This command has two purposes.  The first is as a hug – people who spend most of their time in a wheelchair rarely receive contact along their torso (try getting hugged when you’re sitting down), but a service dog can fit into the available space almost perfectly.  The second purpose is potentially life saving, though not many applicants will have a need.  If someone falls forward in their chair and either doesn’t have the mobility, strength, or energy to push themselves up again, their circulation can be cut off from the rest of their body.  Using the “Snuggle” command, a dog can learn to get under the person’s chest and push up and back until the handler is upright again.

SPEAK – This command instructs the dog to call for help if, for example, the wheelchair’s power dies, the keys fell out of the dog’s reach, etc.  There are two additional cues for eliciting the dog to bark in other conditions – if the handler feels threatened by a stranger, he can tell the dog to “Guard,” allowing the stranger to think the dog is protection trained.  If the handler doesn’t want the stranger to realize he feels threatened, he can make a little click sound with his tongue . . . this sends the message that the dog is suspicious and taking matters into his own hands.

THANK YOU – Showing appreciation for a job well done.  This is especially nice to use in public, because it displays that the dog and handler have a close relationship and that neither takes the other for granted.

THAT’S IT – This encourages the dog to keep working at it – that he is on the right track.

TUG – Tells the dog to tug on a rope that is attached to a door, or to pull off socks, pants, etc.

UP – The dog puts his front feet on the wall (to reach a light switch), or on a counter to retrieve or deliver an item.

VISIT – Dog rests his chin on his partner’s lap, either to deliver an item or to show affection.

The following is part one of a two-part article written by APAW Program Director Jillian Gartner, and was first published in the International Parti Poodle Gazette, January 2008.

I am a Standard Poodle owner and service dog trainer living in Massachusetts. I fell in love with the breed nearly a decade ago and cannot imagine living without them. I started working with assistance dogs when I was 11, but my reasons for choosing the program were that it was the closest place that would allow me to handle dogs and it was a wonderful form of community service. I never planned to be a service dog trainer or even have a large part in that community once I went to college and ‘found my calling’. As the time approached, the college I decided on was the only one in the US that granted degrees in cynology [the study of dogs], but they happened to focus on the service dog aspect. The program they offered was excellent and well-rounded so I elected to pack my bags and move to California.

The Assistance Dog Institute (http://www.assistancedog.org), located in the northern town of Santa Rosa, was even more than I had hoped. The curriculum was exactly what I’d tried to teach myself for so many years. Every professor had enormous amounts of experience in their subject and many others, all having come from varied backgrounds with dogs and/or people with disabilities. The dimension that really got me was the passion. They all had it. They weren’t just making a living or really liking their job – the staff and faculty loved everything about the role they played in society – be it taking a puppy home for it’s first field trip, greeting a client who just drove hundreds of miles to receive their new partner, learning to use a wheelchair to improve a dog’s skills, and teaching new people how to go out and change the world. By the time I graduated the passion had grown inside me as well, and I knew I’d always be a part of the assistance dog community.

Since I was introduced to the world of assistance dogs I have met many Poodles that were still in training or already placed and noticed traits that I hadn’t associated with the breed before, that I personally would not want to live with. These may have been a result of genetics, raising/training, or expectations from their new partners, but regardless of how it happened it is sad for me to see – if I ever need a service dog, I want one with all the traits that made me fall in love with the breed in the first place. Thus after spending 8 months of school learning under the pioneer of the service dog movement, I am in the process of forming my own non-profit organization. American Poodles At Work (http://www.americanpoodlesatwork.org) will breed, train, and place Standard Poodles as service dogs for people with disabilities. My program’s focus is to provide Poodles who work, look, and act like the breed we all love… many clients want a Poodle due to allergies or because of the breed’s reputation for brains and personality, so providing a dog that is atypical of the norm seems so unfortunate.

The purpose of this 2 part article is to provide information about service dogs and how you can help. I hope the details covered in this article are of interest… it is based on personal experience and not found in many books. The topics included in Part 1 are a little bit of background, a description of the Poodle suited for service work, and raising puppies for their future roles in society. Part 2 will cover training methods and tasks in more detail, how to match dog to client, and how you, a Poodle lover, can help the cause.

What are assistance dogs?

Assistance Dog is a broad term that covers any dog that has been trained specifically to help someone who has trouble doing a task themselves. Guide dogs lead people who are blind or visually impaired, avoiding obstacles and pausing at changes in elevation. Hearing dogs help people who are deaf or hard of hearing, by alerting them to important sounds. Diabetic Alert dogs tell their owner when they sense a drop in blood-sugar, especially at night. Seizure Response dogs are trained to respond to a seizure by moving dangerous objects out of range, carrying medical information in their backpack, and providing physical and emotional support as their partner comes to. Service dogs act as the hands of a person with limited mobility, retrieving objects and flipping switches.

It is the role, training, and placement of the Service dog that will be covered over the course of this two-part article.

Who may qualify?

There are many people with congenital disorders (‘birth defects’) due to genetics or complications in the environment or health of the mother at any point of the pregnancy. Babies may be born with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, missing or deformed limbs. There are other diseases and disorders that generally are genetic or environmental, striking in youth, mid-life, or senior years… some examples would be multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (more commonly known as Lou Gherrig’s disease). Then there are injuries: wounded soldiers returning home, car crashes, freak accidents. Amputation, paralysis, and brain injury are increasingly common. For the individuals that need assistance for some daily chores a service dog can allow them to lead a life independent of human assistance, relieving a spouse of the additional duties of an attendant.

How do dogs help?

Service dogs can retrieve a hat blown off in the wind, a dropped cell phone, or a cane. They can also fetch items from another surface such as taking a dish from the table and placing it in the sink, or getting a blanket for their partner’s lap. Some service dogs are also taught the name of specific items to find and bring back, such as their leash and backpack, a remote control, or the car keys.

By standing on their back legs, most dogs can reach a light switch to flick it on or off, and similarly learn to activate the powered doors at major stores. By attaching ropes to the refrigerator and other doors a dog can tug to retrieve or hold the door open until the wheelchair is through. The front paws can be used to push doors and cabinets closed.

Another very useful task for people in manual wheelchairs (able to push them selves rather than use an electric chair) is the ‘pull’ command. When wearing an appropriate harness service dogs can keep the momentum of a chair going while their partner takes a break. This is done by the handler grasping a handle on the harness by which they can steer, using their voice to control speed.

All assistance dogs offer a large amount of emotional support to their partners – they are constant best friends, always ready to help or snuggle, and never criticize. Studies have shown that people who have dogs tend to have lower blood pressure and stress levels, and may live longer and healthier lives. This is even more pronounced in the assistance dog community, where the bond certainly is the difference between relying on other people forever or living independently.

Unfortunately many members of our society are scared of or at least reserved around people with noticeable disabilities. Most people avoid eye contact and pleasantries, possibly stopping to help only if there is an obvious need for assistance. A dog operates as a fantastic ice-breaker, encouraging people to approach and learn about this special dog and how they help. Many schools are now teaching children about working dogs and how to react when they see one – and the children go home and teach their parents! Assistance dogs help to provide a community-awareness of disabilities, leading to a sense of kinship among otherwise strangers.

Choosing a Canine Candidate

Although any dog with a suitable temperament can be a service dog, a good one will have excellent structure that will hold up for years of physical work, and will be free of chronic issues such as ear infections, allergies or diseases that require medications (all of which are thought to have a genetic basis in at least some cases)… the purpose of a service dog is to make someone’s life easier!

The ideal service Poodle has a harsh coat that is resistant to dirt and doesn’t mat if kept short, preferably slow-growing so that the amount of grooming does not need to be a factor that rules them out as a possible candidate. They are a moderate dog – no extreme angulation in front or rear, but built as a working dog. Elbows should be placed under the withers to allow the dog to brace their partner for balance, getting-up from a chair, or transferring out of bed. The stifles should be bent placing the feet just behind the point of rump so that there is power enough to keep the wheelchair in motion while covering flat distances, as well as providing assistance on small inclines – no cow hocks. The rear also needs to be put together such that repeatedly standing on the back legs to operate buttons and lights, pay cashiers, and retrieve items will not cause undue stress on the joints. Ewe necks affect a dog’s ability to pull a weight, but unfortunately are very common in the breed… as long as the forequarters are otherwise sound a ewe neck shouldn’t cause major trouble.

An interesting concept to note is ‘neoteny’ - the retention of juvenile traits, when adults still look and act similar to puppies. Breeds that are considered more child-like tend to share certain physical characteristics, including floppy ears with hardly any cartilage, square bodies and heads, big round eyes, low set and carried tails, soft light-colored hair. Examples of these breeds are Golden Retrievers (mainly show-bred), and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. These neotenized dogs (whether purebred or mixed) are generally very willing to please, social, and have ‘soft’ personalities making them ideal service dogs.

As the ears and tails go up, skulls narrow and other traits change, dogs show tendencies of more prey-drive, aggression, and dominance. Other breeds (such as German Shepherd Dogs and Airedale Terriers, for example) are great workers, but generally need a handler who is always in control and sets clear rules and expectations… they are less likely to consistently want to work for someone who may not have good timing for praise, not show physical enthusiasm, or can’t raise their voice above a whisper.

Poodles usually have floppy ears but high tail carriage – in the potential service dog a lower tail may signify a desirable calmer temperament.

A service dog should be calm, steady and reliable – they should not spook or show any aggression under normal circumstances… any lines that are known to be protective should be avoided, though a dog won’t necessarily be eliminated from training for passively protecting a person if the situation warranted it. They must be willing to please and take pride in accomplishing their tasks, content to ignore any prey that may be visible.

Breeding a litter

Health testing must be done on both parents, the results of which are very important but not a definite answer as to whether they will be bred. For service dogs there are additional factors that come into play, especially temperament. A dog that can work for 5 good years before developing arthritis at age 7 can still be a good service dog, but one who isn’t willing to please should never graduate as a means to make someone’s life easier even if they are healthy to the age of 13.

Hips should be tested using the Penn-HIP method, as that provides detailed information as to what exists and what can be expected over the next few years. A dog whose hips receive a poor rating but without signs of joint trouble may be a fine candidate for a client who doesn’t have an active life-style.

The dam may be relatively young – 1 ½ to 2 years old or up to around 6. With Penn-HIP testing the results are generally accurate by around 16 weeks and other testing can be accomplished around the first birthday or through DNA testing at any age. The benefit of using a young bitch is that after the litter she can still be placed as a service dog… this is especially great since the best dog to breed is the one that has the best temperament for service work (the structure is important, but if her littermates and ancestors are decent that should be good enough – what she teaches her puppies about the world is the critical part). In this case the bitch would be bred one or two times, and be matched with a client when she is 3-4 years old… meaning she can probably go to someone with an especially high level of disability because she is now older and steadier in demeanor and work ethic. This is very desirable as only a minority of dogs reach this level in the time a program is able to keep and train them, so the brood bitch can go to a person who may have been on the waiting list for a long time.

The stud can be any age (tending towards 3-9 years), but is generally never placed as a service dog – though they are typically fully trained and used as a ‘demo’ dog to educate the public as to how dogs can help people. The stud should have the qualities you are looking to get out of the litter, with minor exceptions made due to testosterone levels… for example, they may be suitable even if they don’t always get along with other intact males, but their handler should certainly be able to get them to stop any aggressive behaviors and follow through on commands without use of physical corrections.

Puppy Handling

The puppies should be handled from the minute they are born – puppy-petters are brought in to hold them the first business day after birth. Dogs, like people, are born with countless neurons that will quickly die if not activated. The activation occurs by touching every part of the body and slightly ‘stressing’ the puppy by gently tipping them in different directions. This should happen for each pup at least 20 or so minutes a day, though more is beneficial.

Hopefully the genetics of the puppies will result in even tempered adults even without the early socializing, but studies conducted at the Assistance Dog Institute have shown that handling puppies as much as possible makes them significantly stronger in terms of problem-solving. The risk of parvo or distemper can be controlled to a large extent, making it a wiser decision (in many cases) to go for the puppy-petting program to exponentially improve the chances for each puppy to become an excellent helper. No dog should be released from the program until it is clear they will not be a good candidate – at least 9 months, but up to around 18 if possible. It costs a lot of money and time to work with a dog that ends up being too fearful, which in turn can jeopardize a program which relies on grants based on the number of dogs they are able to successfully place.

Puppy Training

Around three weeks of age puppies are taught to eat thickened formula, and to follow a tapping finger to get their treat. Within a few days the puppies start making conscious decisions, so training can begin. Using formula on a finger tip, puppies can be lured to sit, shake, down, go under an object, put front paws up on an object, and pups will call for help (‘speak’) if put behind a barrier (x-pen).

By week four the puppies’ ears should be open and they will start to anticipate the commands and recognize words with less use of the lure. Other commands are introduced including spinning in a circle, jump on a little table, waiting, and retrieving a soft toy. Next come turning on lights and tugging doors open.

Soon puppies also start going on short outings being carried in pouches, no petting allowed but getting used to the sights, sounds, and smells of the city. While it is true that there are health risks involved at this young age, it has proven a great way of introducing puppies to the big world, while they are small enough that you can hold them securely without sending messages that there is anything scary. They are also at an age where everything is interesting and they are seeking to learn the secrets of the universe.

As the weeks progress, the puppies’ repertoire expands quickly, encompassing 50 commands by the time they are a few months old! The lure is now gone from the old commands, replaced by a verbal command and perhaps a small hand signal and followed by a moist dog treat and lots of praise. The puppies have large vocabularies, great self control, and the things they’ve learned are ingrained for life.

As Pups Grow

The puppies now need to spend the next year and a half being socialized and not allowed to develop bad habits, whether they are placed in foster homes with puppy-parents, or stay at the facility to continue training. Regardless, the main thing is for them to grow-up to be healthy, sound dogs who will only need a few months to brush-up their skills before they are ready to be matched with a client… Read part 2 of this article in the next issue of the IPPG to learn more about the advanced training and skills, the matching process, and how you can become involved.