Mobility Dog Trainer Adds New Dog Breed

The types of dogs that Jamie uses include the German Shepherds, the Collies, Saint Bernards, and Retrievers. Recently he has added another breed - Boxers. He is thinking of adding several other dog breeds for those needing PTSD companions. The three of us have discussed this as Tom and I feel that with the Shepherds, Collies, and Retrievers, we have a group of dogs that work well for PTSD people.

Jamie said he has had requests for three other breeds and is researching the temperament and disposition of those breeds. Jamie said he has eliminated one breed because of the health problems and difficulty in training. He said that the person was very specific in requesting this breed and he is corresponding with the person to see if there are other reasons he wants that breed of dog and if he would consider another breed.

Both Tom and I were surprised at the ease of working with the Boxers and how well they responded to our working with them. Both of us had been in favor of the Saint Bernards, but the Boxer was easier to work with than the Saint Bernards. Jamie stated that he was changing suppliers because he felt that the three Saint Bernards he had received were not representative of the breed and while they can develop a stubborn streak, with our training they should be much easier to work with than the three we were training presently. He continued that he felt they had not been socialized as puppies like they should have been and may have had some harsh training.

Jamie stated that the Saint Bernards were for people living in the country with plenty of room for exercise and being out doors. I said that was a great idea as they could ruin an apartment that was too small.

For the rest of the week, Tom and I worked with two German Shepherds, two Retrievers, and two Boxers. Jamie worked only with the Saint Bernards and was doing well with them. Tom and I agreed that the Boxers were a pleasure to work and Tom said he would like to do a test run at the good citizen test. Jamie said not to get anxious, as he did not want the boxers tested for at least four weeks in the future.

Next, we really were enjoying working with the other dogs and felt they would be great for someone with PTSD. Jamie said that three of the dogs were for people with PTSD and one German Shepherd was for a K-9 unit in Western Iowa. That dog will be leaving next week and then be in their training program. You are basically training for socialization and good citizen test. Tom asked if this was the first dog for a K-9 unit and Jamie said it was his fourth dog, all for the same unit.

The two Boxers were for two handicapped individuals; one that lived near the edge of a town and the second person lived on a farm. Both will be required to have a fenced-in area for the dogs to exercise in and be confined in when outside and not working. Both dogs will be in the same county and the sheriff is not happy about the dogs and is supervising the fencing. Jamie said he will notify the sheriff when the dogs are to be good citizen tested, as he wants to observe. Jamie said he has invited him to observe training and one trip into town and he has accepted. I expect him to be here one day next week to observe training.

I commented that he is probably nervous about the size of the dog more than anything else. Is our sheriff going to be available when we go into town? Jamie said he had not thought about this and said he would call him at noon when we eat.

When we stopped for lunch, Jamie called and the sheriff suggested that he call the other sheriff, as he was familiar with Boxers as his daughter and son-in-law were raising them. He said he would still be present when we came into town and unless we objected, he would have his daughter bring one or two of her dogs as well. Jamie said that would work and one of his assistants could handle the second dog if she wanted. The sheriff said he would let us know.

Later that afternoon, Jamie had a call from our sheriff and he told us the sheriff where the dogs were going was still unhappy and would still be present for everything set up. Even him telling the other sheriff that his daughter raised boxers had no effect. Jamie concluded that we will cooperate.

More on Dog Training

On the April 24, I returned to Jamie's farm to assist in more dog training. Again all three of us were working with dogs for mobility training. I asked if there had been any more problems with the other trainer in town. Jamie said no, and that he has been in contact with me to talk about training as he was missing something in the training and wanted to learn more. He will be here this afternoon to learn from us and more about training.

Jamie said he would be training him and he did not want any problems from us. I said I hope you know what you are doing and don't end up with him taking your business away from you. I continued that is my first impression of this fellow and I did not like it. Tom spoke then and said that he hoped I was wrong, but he agreed with me. Jamie finally admitted that this was one fear he did have, but thought he would start and if the fellow started contacting his customers or dog suppliers, he would end the relationship quickly. With that statement, we relaxed and said we would cooperate within reason.

The six dogs we were working with all were ready for the good citizen test. Next Jamie introduced us to three new dogs (Saint Bernards) with no training and new to the farm as of yesterday. The breed was not one Tom or I had ever worked with, and we asked how old they were. Jamie said they were fifteen months of age and were litter mates. Two were male and one a female.

Jamie finally told us that the other trainer would be bringing his own dogs and we would be working with them and him. At that point, we stopped for lunch so that we would be ready when the other trainer arrived. While we were eating, Jamie handed out equipment for us to use. We knew the equipment, especially the clickers, and muzzles, and knew why we would be using them.

As we finished, the other trainer arrived with four dogs, all barking and noisy. When he started to unload the dogs, we stepped forward and started to put a muzzle in each dog. When he asked why we were doing this, Jamie said to start training and teaching them not to bark. Then after several days when we take the muzzle off, we use the clicker and a reward when they don't bark. The second clicker is used to teach them commands and give a reward when the do the command correctly.

The second trainer asked how long this went on and Jamie said until the dogs are trained and ready for the good citizen test. At that point, the second trainer admitted that he was not ready and could not spend that much time in training, especially with the size dogs he was working with since they seldom obeyed his commands and he doubted they would follow commands. Jamie asked why he was giving up. The person said that he had planned on training the dogs for people with diabetes and other diseases that needed companionship dogs that could help mitigate the stress of a chronic disease.

At that point, I said that the breeds he was working with would make very poor diabetes alert dogs or companion dogs for other diseases. When he asked why, I said they don't have the temperament or disposition to be the working dogs needed. When he asked what dogs fit this, I said most Labrador Retriever dogs and the Shepherd breed. The trainer admitted he did not have the funds for those dogs and did not have the time necessary. He said that he could sell the dogs he had and would be leaving the business. With that, he started loading the dogs and thanked Jamie for attempting to help him.

After he left, Jamie asked if the breeds I had mentioned worked for diabetes. I said yes, and I know of several breeders that sold them and organizations that trained them for diabetes patients. There are other breeds, but they are of similar temperament. When Jamie asked if it would be worth his time training these dogs, I said possibly. I did suggest that he consider dogs for people with PTSD first. Jamie said this was something he was considering and would need to investigate this also.

I commented that the training of dogs for PTSD was very similar to the training for mobility service dogs and would not require additional work. Plus, many of the dog breeds he was using worked well for people with PTSD. Yes, he could use a few smaller breeds and a couple of the largest breeds would be unacceptable except in a few cases. The size of the dog would depend on the customer and the amount of room in the residence and yard. Apartment living could require smaller dogs.

Jamie said he would do some investigation and let us know. He knew that the American Kennel Club good citizen test would apply to both and that the dogs for PTSD would need to be dependable and loyal. Jamie said that he had received two dogs back when he started that a couple of veterans could not handle or care for at the time. He said they were well trained and he had reviewed their training and then given the good citizen test which neither passed. A month later, they were tested again and passed. Both were German Shepherds and the training helped their disposition and friendliness. When the veterans paid them a last visit, they were both ready to take them back and with three days of work with the dogs, both asked what additional training they had needed. This caused them to stay an additional day and my friend taught them about the good citizen test and how to refresh their training.

Jamie said both dogs have recently passed and he has had requests for replacement dogs for the two individuals. Now he knew what needed to be done and he would have three dogs in a week and would like our help in their training.

Training Service Dogs

On the April 18, Jamie added a surprise to my routine. He introduced a second dog that would be tested the following day. He said that Tom would be testing three dogs and he would be testing possibly four dogs. He said that the last dog was not ready for testing and he would leave this dog for another day.

We worked all day getting the dogs ready for the test. I was comfortable with the two dogs I was working with and asked where the last dog was and if I could try the dog. Jamie said the dog was not ready and he did not want to test the dog.

Then on Wednesday, the American Kennel Club tester arrived and was very surprised when told he had nine dogs for the test. We had a good chat about which dog would be a replacement for the one eyed dog. Jamie said that he would be able to chose from three dogs and would be there in the afternoon to start working with two of the three dogs. The tester asked if he could accompany us when we went into town. Jamie said yes and we started testing the dogs.

When we were finished, the tester said all the dogs passed and he would receive the certificates yet that afternoon when he printed them. The tester spent some time talking with Tom and then with me. He said he was pleased the way the dogs tested and asked how long each had been training and commented that they had been in training longer than many of the dogs he tested. Jamie said that he prefers longer training for mobility dogs as then they work quicker with the person needing a mobility dog.

The fellow getting the replacement dog arrived shortly after noon, looked at the three dogs, and asked how many he could work with that afternoon. When he was told that we could use all three he said he would have a room for the evening and could extend his stay for a day if needed. With that, we loaded the three dogs and headed for town.

When we arrived at the store, Alfred was there to greet us and when he saw the AKC tester, he thanked him for being there. The individual selected the dog for starting and worked his way around the store and then they went to another store. There the owner met him at the entrance and told him that there was some floor remodeling happening and asked if he could avoid the need to enter the store for today. With that, they went to another store and worked their way to two more stores.

When they arrived back at the first store, the fellow said he felt very comfortable with the dog and asked Jamie if he needed to work with the other two dogs. Jamie said that was the dog he had for him and while the other two were also trained, he could select that dog. The fellow said that this was the dog for him and the tester handed him a copy of the good citizen certificate and another copy to Jamie.

Jamie sent the two of us and the two dogs back home and gave us directions of what to do. He said he would contact me the next day. The tester remained with Jamie and would return with him.

Tom and I talked on our way back and he thanked me for helping with the testing and stepping forward about the trainer that did not have his dogs trained. He said the previous week had been nerve wracking and it was as if that trainer was trying to interrupt their training. He was happy that Alfred had found the relevant information to end the trainer from coming into businesses with untrained dogs.

I said that not all of Jamie's dogs were trained completely the first time they are taken into town, but most are ready for the good citizen test. He agreed and said this is why he likes working for him as most of the training is done at his farm and the customers are often introduced to the dogs before they are taken into town. He then said in the two years, he had met many people that needed mobility service dogs and in that time three people did not want to go into town as they felt the dogs would work in the communities in which they lived. One was a second dog to replace a dog that was retired.

Then he asked me about the AKC tester and I said the judge had him at the trial and he had us retest both dogs for the judge and knew what happened. I said I am happy that nine dogs were tested today and I wish the last dog had been tested, but Jamie had his reason, so I will let it go.

Then he said that there were four other dogs in training and all were for clients. He said that there were more dogs going out each month than the previous year. He added that they had more access to dogs than when I started working for him and more breeds suitable for mobility dogs.

I thanked him and said I was returning home. He thanked me and said he would be finishing the chores for the day.

Service Dog Replacement

This is a continuation of a blog from March 24, 2017 at this link.

On April 5, my friend (Jamie) called and asked if I could assist him in training a replacement dog for the fellow that had his dog loose one eye. My friend said that on April 4, the fellow had told him and the judge that the dog had passed. The veterinary said the whip had gone beyond taking out the eye and had damaged the dog's brain and the dog had passed due to the injury. The veterinary found the evidence when he posted the dog.

Jamie said that under normal circumstances, he could handle an additional dog, but he was already working with six dogs and adding another dog would not help the dogs he was training. I asked if he could use another person and gave him the name (Tom). He said that person was already working with three dogs for him and was unavailable at this time.

I said I would be there on Monday, April 17 but that we would need to go over my schedule of doctor appointments. He agreed and thanked me for helping.

On the April 17, I was at Jamie's and all three of us were present. I was told I would be working with a dog ready for the American Kennel Club good citizen test. We would be working in town today and then on Wednesday, I would take the dog for the test. The AKC tester from the trial would be doing the test and was aware of what happened to the dog from the trial. I would have the dog on Tuesday to work for the test and become better acquainted with the dog.

The dog was a pleasure to work on Monday and I felt that the dog would work with anyone. The store owner (Alfred) that was with us for the trail was happy to see us and said that his employees would be working with us as he had a meeting he could not miss. He did not tell us that we would be facing a pair of noisy dogs and that they could be problems for us. Our dogs behaved, but the other two dogs would not.

It turned out that there was another service dog trainer and it was his dogs that were not properly trained. The employees did ask the trainer to remove his dogs from the store while our dogs were in the store, but he refused and said his dogs had just as much right as our dogs to be in stores. At that point, we pulled our dogs out and went on to several other stores. That trainer tried to follow us, but when we split up, he was not able to follow.

Because all of us knew our way around the town, we were able to go more businesses. When we were back to the first store, the employees wanted to know how they could refuse entry to dogs that misbehaved so poorly. Jamie hesitated, so I said that the behavior was all they needed to have the dogs removed. I asked how many times have our dogs behaved poorly. One employee said only once and that was caused by a store customer creating the problem. I said that most of the dogs brought into businesses are near passing the AKC good citizen test or have passed it. The two dogs we saw today are not ready for the test.

In addition, businesses do not need to accept dogs with behavior that poor. The trainer is doing all service dogs a disservice and this will allow all businesses to reject good service dogs.

My friend was trying to get me to stop and I turned to him and asked how he could accept the behavior of such poorly trained dogs. They are a threat to your dogs being accepted in this town and will not make good service dogs. They are obviously not going to be mobility service dogs because of their small size and their poor behavior will cause other business owners to reject your larger mobility dogs and rightfully so.

Tom spoke then and said he agreed with me and said he needed to do something about the other trainer. As he spoke, the trainer and his two dogs entered the business. Both dogs started barking and raising a fuss at our dogs. I had my dog lie down and stepped in the path of the trainer and his two dogs. The trainer asked me to move aside and I said when his dogs behaved as if they had been trained and not before. Jamie stepped forward and his dog dropped in place.

Jamie spoke and said that all three of us agree that your dogs do not belong in businesses. They are too poorly trained and showed it. They bark incessantly and try to go in any direction. Businesses do have the right to refuse entry to any dog that has not passed the American Kennel Club good citizen test. You will notice that our dogs do not bark, when I walked away from the dog I am working with, it dropped in place as did my assistant's dog. I will not allow other dogs to ruin the position they have earned over the years I have used businesses in this town.

The other trainer said, but service dogs are to be allowed in any business under the American Disabilities Act. Wrong, Jamie answered. They can reject dogs that do not pass the AKC good citizen test. I can say and I know my assistants will agree that your dogs will not pass the test. When my dogs go into a restaurant, many people don't even know they are there unless they see them come in. My dogs don't bark unless the wheel chair their owner is in tips over and their owner cannot move. Plus the barking is not continuous like your dogs.

At that point, the store owner, Alfred, entered and asked what the problem was. The two dogs started barking loudly and would not quit. Alfred asked the trainer to remove his dogs and he refused. At that point, he had an employee call the police and ask an officer to be there quickly.

While we were waiting, the two dogs continued barking and misbehaving. When the officer arrived, he had a copy of the American Disabilities Act and read the section about businesses being allowed to prevent misbehaving dogs from being allowed in businesses. Then he asked the trainer of the two dogs to remove his dogs and keep them out of businesses in this town until they were trained and could pass the test of the American Kennel Club. The trainer complained that he was being forced out and his dogs were being discriminated against. At that point, another officer entered the business and together they removed the dogs and the trainer. What was said outside we don't know, but Alfred said he was the one that had gotten the American Disabilities Act for the police department and marked the section about misbehaving dogs for the police.

Jamie asked if he had made copy that he could read. One of his employees handed him a copy and he read this to himself and then asked if he could keep the copy. Yes, the copy was for him and he could have a copy for each of his assistants. He took two more copies and thanked Alfred. Alfred said because his dogs were well trained, there would always be a place for them in his business and most other businesses.

I Am Restarting This Blog

Because of some recent events, I am now working more frequently with a dog trainer and feel that I need to blog about some of the new activities.  On April 18, 2017 I will have the next blog.