Specialized Dog Training - Candidates for Service Dogs Tests

There are good reasons behind the fact that some breeds are more often used as working dogs. The physical characteristics, intelligence and temperament found in Retrievers, Shepherds and a few others, are required to perform the complex behaviors, and even these dogs need several years to master the skills.

Service, assistance and therapy dogs begin specialized training before birth and this continues for several years after.

Selector-trainers run a series of tests once the pups have matured to between a few week to a few months, determining stamina, aptitude and overall personality. A thorough physical check is always conducted on candidates to check for diseases or potentially debilitating conditions such as hip dysplaysia or weak joints. Once cleared, the personality tests begin.

Alpha or Omega?
Dogs are social animals with a natural hierarchy. In built character and early circumstances cause them to take on distinctive, varying roles from alpha (leader) to beta (second in command) to omega (submissive, sometimes on the periphery of the pack).

The human must always perform the alpha role in any human-dog pair, but service dogs require a certain level of assertiveness to perform their duties. A common indicator for this is the dominance-submission test.

Six to twelve week old puppies are placed on their backs and the evaluator puts a hand on its chest. They observe how strongly the puppy protests to being placed in that submissive, vulnerable position and how long the dog endeavors to break away before pulling back its paws and tilting its head to indicate surrender.

Variations involve having the dog stand on all four with the evaluator in front. The dog is then lifted by the chest and the evaluator monitors how much the dog struggles and for how long.

Too assertive, and the dog will probably not make a suitable working dog as they'll tend to ignore commands. Dogs that are too passive are also poor candidates, as they require the confidence to take on the role of guide, rescuer or other role involving some initiative and risk-taking.

Noise Sensitivity
Working dogs are often required to work in noisy, potentially distracting environments. Most canine’s would react to the stimulus with fear or playfulness. Working dogs need to be able to focus on a task.

Evaluators will clap hands in front of the face or near the ears, bang pots together and rattle chains to test the dog's potential. Preferred candidates will give a curious sniff. Excessive barking or running and hiding behavior results in a fail before they pass freshman class.

Foreign Objects
Most working dogs are required to undertake their role while dealing with various objects that many dogs might find intimidating. Fear of objects, such as cars, equipment and machinery results in dismissal from the working dog category. Curiosity, approach and exploration followed by acceptance allows a dog to continue to be considered as a working dog candidate.

Stamina
Service dogs are required to be able to work for long periods and undertake a variety tasks. Some breeds and individual dogs have a natural high capacity and even eagerness for extended periods of activity. Willingness to leap over a board or pole is just one test of many used to evaluate a dog’s stamina.

Motivation
The desire to work is the most essential characteristic for any working dog. Like humans, individual dogs vary in their eagerness to carry out assigned tasks. Intelligence, willingness, focus and command response are all tested with a variety of exercises and tests.

Once initial testing has been completed, the dogs with high motivation levels, who learn quickly and are eager to please are then trained to take on the complex roles performed by service dogs.

         

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