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training together, our life-line canine partners give us increased independence and daily living abilities |
    
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How self-training My Assistance Dog, Greta, helps me become more enabled every day!
In March 2005, my daughter took me to the Houston S.P.C.A., where I fell in love with a beautiful 6-week-old Australian Shepherd/Yellow Lab. I applied to adopt her; she was given a full veterinary health exam and spayed before we brought her home. She adjusted quickly to our family, and bonded with me immediately. There are several organizations throughout the United States whose mission is to train assistance canines for the disabled. My internet research detected the most well known, but the drawbacks can seem overwhelming, depending on the particular organization. Simply reading about the process of obtaining a service dog might dissuade some disabled people who would reap immeasurable benefits in regaining their independence with the assistance of a devoted canine companion.
Disabled owners wanting to self-train their dog face a myriad of obstacles that might exceed his/her own medical status, mobility, ability to communicate, or experience with dogs. Lack of access to specialized trainers or service dog training facilities, as well as knowledge on how to acquire needed supplies or ability to pay veterinary expenses on a restricted income, can make the endeavor appear insurmountable. I believe Assistance Dogs can be trained successfully by committed disabled companions with just a little help from family, friends and the community at large. The benefit is priceless in the long term. Self-training an Assistance Dog is not for everyone: if you and/or your disabled loved one is not capable of personally participating in the training, the endeavor will likely result in disappointment and frustration. The dog must clearly understand who is in charge, and look to that one person for commands, and rewards. Training methods can be modified to accommodate individual challenges, but certain aspects of the process are non-negotiable in order to unify a strong relationship between the Companion Team of canine and disabled owner.
We had two other adult dogs when Greta was first adopted. Both were strictly outdoor family pets. Chanel was a female 9-year-old border collie mix; Zeke, a male fox-red Labrador Retriever who was 3-1/2 years old. Since I had raised Zeke from birth (and his father, a black Lab, Biscuit), I had full confidence that he would accept Greta into their canine "pack." Our family also had to differentiate between our pets and my "puppy-in-training" assistance dog. Greta has a job, so I could not allow her to bond too closely with my husband, adult children, grandchildren, or other family members who visited frequently. Learn more about how I handle delicate situations in Training. MyAssistanceDog.com is about learning, training, and telling others about our important canine partners! |
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Training
any dog, under the best of circumstances, takes time and patience.
Teaching obedience and skills when the owner/trainer is disabled
presents unique challenges. While many disabled people could
benefit from having an assistance canine, during my research to
self-train my dog, it became more clear why few have such a wonderful companion to
help them in their daily life. 
Choosing an
she helps, working to "take care of her
person", the more confident and contented she becomes. The Companion
Team of owner and dog develop a bond and communication unique to
their individual situation.
Most
organizations who train Service Dogs for placement do not allow disabled applicants to own other pet dogs;
some will consider an exception if the existing pet dog is five years or
older. The explanation for this "general rule" is that
training a Service Dog is demanding enough without an added distraction of
another dog competing for attention, disrupting the Service Dog while
training or working, or creating distress for the disabled owner.
Another major issue is the pack mentality of canines: more than one dog
in the family might interfere with the important objective for the
disabled owner to be "leader of the pack." The maturity and temperament
of an existing pet dog are the most significant factors to consider if a
new Service Dog is joining the family. 
