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SERVICE DOG TRAINING GUIDE
I created this guide because I wanted a place where owner-trainers could go to not only see the universal skills that I teach to all service dogs I work with, but also as a place where you could find resources on how to teach those skills. How to use this guide: Start by working through the “foundations” section of this guide. Regarding order after foundations: Every dog is different. I typically start with training skills that the dog will be most successful at (chill dog?
Jul 29, 20254 min read
Grounding Task Training for Psychiatric Service Dogs, PTSD, Anxiety, ASD (chin rest)
What if your service dog could help bring you back to the present when you’re overwhelmed, panicking, or struggling to stay grounded? In this week’s video, I’m breaking down how I trained a simple behavior into a useful grounding task—and why I really like this particular behavior for service dogs. I’ll show you exactly how we built the task, including how to add duration, transfer it to your body, and turn it into a reliable task. It’s subtle, versatile, and surprisingly eas
Sep 171 min read
Train Your Dog To Focus On You and Ignore Other Dogs (engage/disengage training)
What if your dog could see a barking dog, completely ignore it, and automatically check in with you instead? That’s exactly what I’ve been building with Denver using the engage/disengage game—and now we’re seeing that foundation work pay off in real-world situations. In my newest video, I revisit the game I taught Denver as a puppy and show you what it looks like when we put that skill to work around unexpected distractions. The goal isn’t to teach your dog to never notice di
Sep 31 min read
Best Tips for Attending College with a Service Dog
Heading to college and wondering what college life is like with a service dog? You’re not alone! In this video, Ariel Beete and her service dog Nova are answering the most frequently asked questions about attending college with a service dog. • Have you encountered access issues? How did you handle them? • How did you prepare your service dog for the college experience? • What did a typical day look like? • Best ways to ease the college transition for both you and your servic
Aug 201 min read
Flying with a Service Dog: How to Fill Out the DOT Form
In the last few years, several airlines have contacted me because someone listed me as the trainer of their service dog. The problem? I had never met them. Never trained their dog. And couldn’t answer a single question about that dog’s training. I made this short PSA because I really, really don’t want to accidentally be the reason you can’t fly with your service dog (and this has happened to several of my SD trainer colleagues as well!). 😬 Watch the full video to find out e
Aug 201 min read
How To Tire Your Dog Out When You're Not Feeling Well
Some days, my body just doesn't have the "spoons" for our usual hike, but that doesn't mean my dog has to miss out. In this week's video, I'm sharing two low-energy ways I help my dog burn both mental and physical energy, without necessarily even needing to leave the yard. These are some of my favorite strategies for the days when chronic illness, disability, or just life means I need to work smarter, not harder. They also work great if you need to burn some energy before goi
Jul 301 min read
Can a Wolf Dog Hybrid be a Service Dog? And What Makes a Good Service Dog?
Can a wolf dog hybrid be a service dog? This question that I was asked last month opens the door to a much bigger conversation about what actually makes a successful service dog. In this video, we're separating social media highlights from real-world service work and talking about why choosing the right breed is about far more than whether a dog can learn tasks. If you're considering a service dog—or wondering whether an unconventional breed is the right fit—this is a convers
Jul 21 min read
Service Dog Attacked On Video! + Tips on handling off-leash & reactive dogs
In his first week of guide dog training for leading tasks Denver was rushed by two off-leash dogs, and one immediately went after him. Thankfully, the situation was stopped before it became something much worse, but incidents like these are exactly why off-leash dogs can be such a problem for service dogs and dogs in training. In today's video, I'm sharing the footage, breaking down what happened, and showing how I help a young service dog recover from encounters with reactiv
Jun 181 min read
Flying with Your Service Dog: What to Pack
What do you actually pack for a service dog's first flight? When Denver and I took our first flight together, I had to think carefully about what we would need—not just on the plane, but for an entire day navigating airports, trains, and a busy city. Since it was only a day trip, everything had to fit into a small backpack that I'd be carrying around all day. In this video I share everything I needed for a day of travel with my service dog, including this one item that ALWAYS
Jun 111 min read
Service Dog Training: Training Leading Tasks Through a Guide Dog Framework
Most people think teaching a service dog to find an exit or locate a seat is all about teaching the destination. It's not. The hard part is everything that happens before you get there. In this week's video, I'm kicking off a major training project with Denver: applying guide dog training foundations to leading tasks for service dogs. I'll explain why guide dog training may hold the key to clarity and reliability in leading task training, why many navigation-based tasks fall
Jun 41 min read
AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY FOR SERVICE DOG HANDLERS
SERVICE DOG TRAINING GUIDE
I created this guide because I wanted a place where owner-trainers could go to not only see the universal skills that I teach to all service dogs I work with, but also as a place where you could find resources on how to teach those skills. How to use this guide: Start by working through the “foundations” section of this guide. Regarding order after foundations: Every dog is different. I typically start with training skills that the dog will be most successful at (chill dog?
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