Keagen J. Grace - The Ultimate Service Dog Training Manual: 100 Tips for Choosing, Raising, Socializing, and Retiring Your Dog

Copyright 2020 by Keagen J. Grace

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Grace, Keagen J., author.

Title: The ultimate service dog training manual: a complete guide to choosing, raising, socializing, equipping, and retiring your dog / Keagen J. Grace.

Description: New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing, 2020. | Includes index. |

Identifiers: LCCN 2019057977 (print) | LCCN 2019057978 (ebook) | ISBN 9781510703162 (paperback) | ISBN 9781510703179 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Service dogsTraining. | Service dogs.

Classification: LCC HV1569.6 .G73 2020 (print) | LCC HV1569.6 (ebook) | DDC 362.4/048dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019057977

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019057978

Cover design by Qualcom and Daniel Brount

Cover photos by Keagen J. Grace and Gettyimages

Print ISBN: 978-1-5107-0316-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-5107-0317-9

Printed in the United States of America

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

T he service dog community is a diverse and eclectic collection of groups, individuals, and resources. Beginning with supporters, like donors, veterinarians, fund-raisers, breeders, and anyone who loves a service dog team, and progressing through programs, trainers, handlers, and puppy raisers, each facet of the community intertwines with the others.

Breeding, selecting, training, and owning a service dog, if diagrammed, would look more like a web as opposed to a straight line.

In the middle, theres the service dog, and woven throughout are the various pieces that go into the making of a good one. Some of them are linked (like puppy raisers, recipients, and formal training programs), whereas others, like breeders or suppliers, are connected only to the service dog.

Heres the fun thing: no matter where on the web you may fall, you share one thing with every other group, individual, or resource also on the web, and thats a passion for service dogs. Whether you value the freedom offered to a disabled individual, love a service dog yourself, or youre seeking state-of-the-art training methods for your organization, in some way, your enthusiasm for these unique and special canines is unmistakably clear.

Heres the other important thing to keep in mind: regardless of your position on the web, this book was written for you. If you are in any way connected to the service dog community, youll find value in The Ultimate Service Dog Training Manual .

Some will find the most use out of the detailed training breakdown, whereas others will be more interested in the legalities and logistics of service dog ownership. Breeders or veterinarians who provide service dog programs or handlers will likely gravitate to the genetics, temperament, health, and trainers sections, while programs and puppy raisers may find themselves returning to the book over and over to reference or research various aspects of the community.

Whether youre mostly interested in specific topics or you intend to read it cover to cover, please take a few minutes to review the organization scheme, features, and suggested use of this book. While youre certainly welcome to just dive right in, in order to get the most benefit from The Ultimate Service Dog Training Manual , youll need to understand why the book is laid out the way it is and how to find the information youre seeking.

PROGRAMS

Formal organizations, groups, or teams specializing in the selection, upbringing, training, and placement of fully trained or started service dogs. Will receive the most benefit from the Selection, Training, and Socialization sections (pages 81, 129, and 136).

TRAINERS

Active, practicing, aspiring, or interested trainers of service dogs or service dog candidates. May or may not function as part of a programs staff. Will receive the most benefit from Training (page 129) and Socialization (page 136) sections.

OWNER-TRAINERS

Disabled individuals who arent professional trainers or staff members of an organization who are planning to self-train working service dogs. Will receive the most benefit from the Legalities (page 19), Selection (page 81), Training (page 129), Socialization (page 139), and Logs (page 131) sections.

RECIPIENTS/OWNERS/HANDLERS

Everyone who receives a fully trained service dog from a program or trainer. Will receive the most benefit from the Overview (page 1), Training (page 129), and Care (page 199) sections.

PUPPY RAISERS

Volunteers or staff members who are raising service dog candidates for programs or trainers. Will receive the most benefit from the Socialization (page 136), Care (page 199), and Log (page 131) sections.

SUPPORTERS

Individuals, groups, organizations, teams, or companies who tangibly or intangibly provide support to any part of the service dog community. The most beneficial sections will vary depending on the type of supporter. Please see the table of contents or the index for specific topics.

SERVICE DOG OVERVIEW

SERVICE DOG BASICS

Service and working dogs have a lot of responsibility on their shouldersthey do extremely specialized, important work on a daily basis. Depending on each handler and their unique disability, the service dog could be the only thing able to protect them or even prevent them from death or injury. For these reasons, the training of any service or working dog is of utmost importance. The manners, behavior, and skills of any service dog should be above reproach, because at some point it may be necessary for strangers to direct the dog until the handler is able to resume management of the service dog. The dogs training should make that easy for anyone to do, without specialized knowledge.

An important note is that a service dogs training must mitigate their handlers disability. There are hundreds of tasks service dogs can perform. Federal law dictates, though, that the dog must perform trained task work that directly assists their handler. Merely having a disability and having a dog doesnt make a dog a service dog.