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Harness
Level 1 Harness
(http://malcolmsquest.blogspot.com/2014/10/14-months-training-days-260-264_19.html)
Step 1 - Dog applies pressure to the breastplate.
Step 2 - Dog maintains pressure on breastplate while taking two steps.
Step 3 - Dog maintains pressure on breastplate while taking 5 steps.
Step 4 - Dog maintains pressure on breastplate while taking 10 steps.
Step 5 - Dog maintains pressure on breastplate while taking 20 steps.
Level 2 Harness
(http://malcolmsquest.blogspot.com/2014/11/14-months-training-days-265-269.html)
Step 1: Dog walks 2 feet at a fast pace with handler maintaining pressure on brestplate.
Step 2: Dog walks 5 feet at a fast pace with handler maintaining pressure on breastplate.
Step 3: Dog walks 10 feet at a fast pace with handler maintaining pressure on breastplate.
Step 4: Dog walks 20 feet at a fast pace with handler maintaining pressure on breastplate.
Step 5: Dog does Steps 1 - 4 in a new location.
Come Afters
Repeat Steps 1 - 5 at a medium pace.
Repeat Steps 1 - 5 at a slow pace.
Level 3 Harness
(http://malcolmsquest.blogspot.com/2014/12/16-months-training-days-305-309.html)
Step 1 Dog learns to walk a straight line with distractions
Step 2 Dog learns to walk with head up.
Step 3 Dog learns to ignore people
Step 4 Dog learns to ignore other animals
Step 5 Dog walks past a nightmare distraction without reacting
Level 4 Harness
(http://malcolmsquest.blogspot.com/2015/04/18-months-proofing-days-360-364.html)
Step 1: Dog clears objects on handler's left side without touching
Step 2: Dog clears objects on handler's right side without touching them
Step 3: Dog stops at elevation changes
Step 4: Dog stops at over head hangs
Step 5: Dog stops at full blocks and waits for direction
Find It
In service dog work we may need our dogs to find many things from an elevator button to a door outside to our car in a parking lot. I have had many requests from students/clients for such behaviors for dogs. Some have asked for finding people, cars, safe locations during disassociative episodes, doors out of buildings and more. The concept for finding something, be it small or big is very much the same and will be built on the same concept. We will be building it backwards from the object out and will be one of the few times we'll name an object. Often we don't need to name objects when working with our dogs, such as in retrieves or opening and closing things we can use generalizations, but in this case we will be naming a few items so our dogs have specifics they can work with. Some of these specifics can become generals, but not all.
Outside
We will be doing what is called a back chained behavior. This means we will start at the door and work to the back of the building. Do not work the entire building in one session. Work for 5 minutes for one day and end your session. Make sure you work all angles around the building before you try to proof the behavior.
- Go 5 steps into the building and stop.
- turn and face the door you entered
- say "Outside" and exit the building and give the dog a treat
- Go back in the building for 10 steps and stop
- turn and face the door you entered and say "Outside" and exit the building and give your dog a treat.
- Continue in 5 step increments for 5 minute sessions.
At the 3 minute mark pause and see if the dog heads for the door you entered on their own, if they do not, that's okay. Just keep practicing. If they do, fantastic, your dog is learning to trace your steps and figuring out what the word "Outside" means for this building.
Do this for many buildings. One day, don't practice this in one building, walking 30 steps into a building, stop and say, "Outside" and see if your dog turns you toward the door you entered and starts to lead you outside. If he does, great, he's learned to find the way out of the building. If not, keep teaching him the cue.
