Nikki the service dog in training

One way is to have your dog sit to be greeted by people. If your dog isn’t sitting then tell the person you’re working with to stop or wait to pet them until your dog is sitting nicely. If your dog breaks her sit then make sure she is no longer being petted. If you do this consistently your dog will associate needing to sit in order to receive pets. 

I’ve gotten a few questions in the past about what I like seeing in terms of behavior in public, particularly heeling/navigating through stores. Here’s a quick demonstration :)

She’s scanning and aware of her surroundings, yet frequently looking back at me to check in. She also remains no more than a foot out from my left side, but she’s still not crowding. She doesn’t forge too far ahead or lag too far behind. She also sits and checks in when I stop.

The first seven completed pictures in the Royal Service dogs series!

This series is so fun to create and I love the mission behind it–to raise awareness for disabilities and service dogs, as well as show service dog handlers just how awesome they are.

If you want to follow the series as it continues, check the hashtag “royal service dogs” or follow the facebook page here!

As always, feel free to share to raise awareness and acceptance for people with disabilities and service dogs. <3

~Also, I’d really appreciate if you could donate to my service dog fundraising campaign here. Service dogs are expensive and I really really need one to handle my disabilities. Even just a dollar or two makes a difference and I’d be super duper grateful~

The best way I’ve come to find, is to just stop. Completely stop. If they pull, they don’t get to go anywhere, let alone where they want to go. So, stop, put them back in heel, wait a few seconds and continue walking, you’ll probably only get a step or two before they try again, at first. Just keep doing it. Not going anywhere is no fun, eventually they’ll figure out that if they walk in heel, they get to go places, and if they don’t everything stops.

You can also get their attention with treats, have them walk beside you and treat them every few seconds (as long as they stay in heel.) I start out around 5-10 steps, and they get a treat and then gradually increase the time.

Hope this helps

Hey all! I would like to announce that Patch an I (Nate) are going to be starting a podcast talking about all things service dog! The podcast will be called Keep 6! We are already working on our first episode! We could use some help getting started though! We are fundraising for suitable mics, as well as other things such as our intro and outro music! Our goal is only $300! If you could donate, even a dollar we would be ever grateful! Anyone that donates will get a shout out in the first episode!!

You can find more info on our hopes for the podcast on the gofundme page!

So you think you want a service dog, huh? Are you sure it’s the right choice for you?