VWB Blog When preparing to bring home your new service dog, it can sometimes be a little overwhelming!
If you’ve been considering service dog training or having a service dog, you may find yourself wondering “how do I train a dog?”
This means you need a dog trainer. If you’ve found the right trainer, they’ll help you get set up and trained with your new furry friend.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about training your service dog.
Teach Basic Obedience Commands
If you want to train your service dog to obey basic commands, you’ll need to start with the basics. Make sure that your dog is well-versed in obedience commands such as sit, stay, come, and down.
Start working on basic commands such as fetch, heel, and leave it. Once your dog has mastered these basic dog commands, you can begin working on more advanced commands such as drop it, roll over and shake. Remember to be patient and consistent when training your service dog, and soon you’ll have a well-trained companion by your side.
Practice Eye Contact
When training your service dog, practice eye contact so that they know to focus their attention on you. This is important when you need their assistance and they need to be paying attention. To do this, start by getting their attention with a treat or toy and then hold it in front of your face.
Once they are looking at you, give the command you want them to learn and then reward them with the treat or toy. Repeat this often so that they learn to focus their attention on you when you need it.
Get Them Used to Leashed Walking
If you are training your service dog to get used to leashed walking, there are a few things you can do to help them adjust. Start by walking them around your home or yard on a leash. This will help them get used to the sensation of being tethered to you.
Go for a short walk nearby your place, gradually going for long walks as they get more comfortable. Finally, take them to crowded places like parks or shopping centers so they can learn to navigate crowds and handle different environments. With patience and practice, your service dog will soon be a pro at leashed walking!
Take Note of Off-leash Training
To train your service dog to be obedient off-leash, you’ll need to put in a lot of work and have patience. You’ll need to train your dog with a long lead in an area with little distraction. Once your dog is responding well to commands with the long lead, you can begin practicing in a controlled off-leash environment.
Start with basic commands such as sit, stay, come, and down. As your dog masters these commands, you can begin working on more difficult tasks.
If at any point your dog is not responding to commands, you will need to go back to training with a long lead. If it’s still not working, you can hire a dog trainer. You may find one near you and take advantage of the benefits of professional training.
Train Your Service Dog Well
Overall, it is beneficial to society when service dogs are well-trained. It is the dog owner’s responsibility to provide adequate training for their animal.
There are many resources, both online and offline, that provide helpful instruction for dog owners. A well-trained service dog can provide invaluable assistance to their owner and improve the quality of their life.
For more helpful articles, visit our main blog.