After deciding with the trainer what breed is best for the job, and finding a litter of eligible puppies, they are temperament tested to find the most likely to succeed at working long hours in public

Future service dogs are socialised and exposed to new things from day one, setting them up to be confident around new experiences and people

The puppy is introduced to bathing/grooming and being held/handled, as well as basic crate training and the introductions of potty training

Within 1 month, the dog is learning the basics (Sit, Down, Leave-It) as well as the continuation of Crate and Potty Training

The puppy begins to be taken to low-distraction but pet-friendly places, to practice their new skills in public and begin learning to ignore people and objects that aren’t a part of their job

The dog, now almost completely potty trained and good at the basics, starts going to pet-restricted places to practice their obedience, especially the “stay” command, slowly increasing duration and distraction levels

Dog works on advanced public access, including curling up under tables and loading into the foot spaces of cars, introduction begins to the dog’s future tasks as easy “Games” that make them enjoy their job

With the basics and Crate/Potty training complete, the focus of training shifts to advanced public access and their future tasks, as well as managing puppy behaviors like chewing and hyperactivity

(At the end of the day, they’re still just a puppy, and aren’t expected to have the impulse control and decision-making of an adult dog)

This is their first evaluation, to make sure they have the temperament and working drive for a future career, they are often put into a really busy environment and expected to stay focused and well-behaved while their handler purposely gives little instruction, proving they can take the initiative to do what the handler wants without direct and constant command

(This was during Black Friday)

By now, the dog has great behavior in public and is focused on learning the tasks specific to their future handler. The dog can consistently behave decently even in high-distraction environments and begins off-leash training and is trained against people purposely trying to distract them, using the “puppy voice” and waving toys in front of them

The dog is now working up to a daily working schedule, practicing its tasks and increasing the duration of stay and focus, as well as leaving dropped food automatically and immediately turning away from things when told “leave it”, no matter how tempting

(This was a photo op at a public holiday festival, full of food and people)

Distraction difficulty is pushed even higher, asking the dog to do increasingly complex tasks even in new, crowded places and on moving terrain. The dog is desensitized to loud noises like hospital machines, EMT sirens, Fireworks, and any specialty experience their future handler and their job/lifestyle may include. Future handler begins to become more involved in training, showing up at training sessions and doing short bouts of working the dog, who has never received instruction from anyone else before. This may be difficult for the dog, so do not feel discouraged if they do not listen as well as they do to their trainer, time and consistency will improve responsiveness.

Dog is given multiple commands in a row, working on improving their problem-solving. They are also introduced to Intelligent Disobedience, where they purposely disobey an order where the handler’s safety is concerned. They are left in long, out-of-sight stays and owrked through a demo of a normal working day. They are introduced to advanced distractions, like ignoring treats and squeaky toys while working, as well as costumed humans and moving figures/statues

Future handler takes over sessions multiple times a week, as well as the beginning of “sleepovers” so the dog can spend 24 hours at a time in the life of their future handler. Dog and handler are bonding and the dog listens to the handler as they are learning how to work as a team. The handler gets lessons on using the dog’s tasks, When and when not to work the dog, and makes sure they have a space in their home and at their work the dog is comfortable with.

By this time, the dog is spending full time with their handler and is only referred to the trainer to learn new things or for questions/problems.

The next dog will have begun their training during the last 6 months of the previous dog, so they can learn good behavior and boundaries from the fully-trained dog