Training
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Often times, crossbred dogs are used as hearing and service dogs. Some dogs are donated by private breeders, and some are selected from shelters, though few dogs have all of the health and temperament qualities needed. The same may be true for assistance dog for dementia.
Puppies for assistance dog are often fostered by volunteer families until they are old enough for advanced training. During this time, the puppies are socialized through extensive interactions with various individuals as well as with other dogs and common animals. The families, called puppy walkers, take responsibility for teaching the puppies basic life skills, including basic obedience and manners, such as sitting, toileting, lying down, and coming when called.
The advanced training is typically done by professional trainers. All assistance dogs learn a working position. Core skills shared by all public access assistance dogs include focusing on a task in spite of distractions and generalization to work in a variety of venues. They are taught to toilet only on command when working. Advanced training can last six months to one year. In the last stage of training, the trainer specializes on teaching tasks for each dog to meet an owner’s specific needs. Trained dogs are matched with their future owners near the end of the training process. Professional trainers also train the owner to train his or her dog. To be most effective, the owner must use and reinforce the techniques taught to the dog.
There is, however, controversy about the most effective way to train a dog. Some dog trainers use positive reinforcement to elicit, motivate, and change behaviors. Other trainers encourage the use of punishment, often a physical stimulus. For example, special collars are sometimes used that give physical stimulus. In reality, many trainers use both reinforcement and punishment throughout their training. Dog training often includes operant conditioning, classical conditioning, or non-associative learning to achieve a desired behavior or skill from the dog. The underlying principle of all training is simple: reward desired behavior while ignoring undesired behavior. Assistance dogs are free to act as they normally would when they are not working. Typically, they are taught to identify work versus free time by whether or not they are wearing their gear.
Puppies for assistance dog are often fostered by volunteer families until they are old enough for advanced training. During this time, the puppies are socialized through extensive interactions with various individuals as well as with other dogs and common animals. The families, called puppy walkers, take responsibility for teaching the puppies basic life skills, including basic obedience and manners, such as sitting, toileting, lying down, and coming when called.
The advanced training is typically done by professional trainers. All assistance dogs learn a working position. Core skills shared by all public access assistance dogs include focusing on a task in spite of distractions and generalization to work in a variety of venues. They are taught to toilet only on command when working. Advanced training can last six months to one year. In the last stage of training, the trainer specializes on teaching tasks for each dog to meet an owner’s specific needs. Trained dogs are matched with their future owners near the end of the training process. Professional trainers also train the owner to train his or her dog. To be most effective, the owner must use and reinforce the techniques taught to the dog.
There is, however, controversy about the most effective way to train a dog. Some dog trainers use positive reinforcement to elicit, motivate, and change behaviors. Other trainers encourage the use of punishment, often a physical stimulus. For example, special collars are sometimes used that give physical stimulus. In reality, many trainers use both reinforcement and punishment throughout their training. Dog training often includes operant conditioning, classical conditioning, or non-associative learning to achieve a desired behavior or skill from the dog. The underlying principle of all training is simple: reward desired behavior while ignoring undesired behavior. Assistance dogs are free to act as they normally would when they are not working. Typically, they are taught to identify work versus free time by whether or not they are wearing their gear.