My Dad recently had a stroke and just entered a rehab facility today. Our family pet is an 8 month old black lab. I was wondering if anyone could help me with some information to try to train my lab to be able to help my Dad with simple tasks when he is released from the rehab facility. I guess what I'm asking is are there any books or videos or anything that could help me train my dog to help my Dad with simple and basic tasks? Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.
I'm sorry this happened to your father and hope he's making his way in recovery. Are you in the US or UK? If in the US, my experience may help you. My dog, Brogan, is no longer with me, but he was a trained mobility service dog. I got him as a small puppy and worked with a school in Tucson, Arizona called Top Dog for the service dog-specific part of his training and they then tested and certified him. I searched long and hard for an ADI accredited school that would let me train my own dog under the supervision of a professional plus allow me to do the internationally-recognized certification test. I don't think the test is important to you for your dad, you just need a good trainer and guidance. At the time of my dog's training (over 10 years ago now) Top Dog was unique in that you could learn remotely, then fly to Arizona for the final tests. They sent me print materials and DVDs - pretty archaic now but it worked! We had lesson plans and email and phone conversations with the trainer weekly, or more if I needed them. Brogan got through the SD training in about 3 months - usually it takes a year. But he had gone through a LOT of training classes with me previously (obedience, agility, freestyle, tricks) so we were already a good team and he already knew all behaviours except the SD-specific tasks. We then did the testing - 4 days in a row, 3 hours per day - and "voila"...official service dog. So is it do-able? Absolutely! Here's the catch - at 8 months old, your dog still has a severe case of puppy brain. And not to freak you out or anything, but you are coming up on the dreaded teenage rebellion stage. My advice to you would be to focus on getting a good solid training foundation set down now. Downstay, don't touch/leave it, watch me, recall...these are all key. Get your pup loving learning and training sessions. Make it a game and don't overshoot...step by step wins the game. If your father is physically frail at the moment, the first goal with your puppy will simply be a "settle" behaviour so not to risk knocking your father over. The more complicated behaviours you see SDs doing are really dozens of simple behaviours taught in sequence then put all together. It's not hard with a dog who loves to learn (as most Labs seem to) but it takes time. Especially for a younger dog, little training sessions spread throughout the day (for example 3 minutes, 5-6 times a day) are better than one or two longer sessions. As to what SD behaviours you want to train, have a look on YouTube as there are lots of videos of people training their SDs or showing off what they do. If your father's stroke affected his body more than his mind, behaviours like picking up socks, keys, mail, etc. off the floor and placing in his hand or by his side would be helpful. My dog's "party trick" was picking up a quarter. But picking up house keys that you've dropped or his own leash? For me, this was super useful. Talk to your father's physical therapist as well - they will likely have some really good ideas of what your puppy can eventually learn to do that will be helpful to your father. Also, if it possible depending on the effects of the stroke, get your father involved in the discussion and training plan. Rehab is a tough haul and getting his mind off himself and onto the dog could be the most helpful of all. For example, giving him the task of feeding or brushing your puppy daily could be both a good mental and physical exercise, plus help build the all-important bond with your dog. Finally, keep your expectations realistic. It takes a long, long time to train up a service or guide dog (ask @Boogie ). Years. And that is even when people start with the training in mind from 8 weeks old. And to be honest, when Brogan and I passed our test, I thought, "We are so on top of it!". Ha, ha - when I look back on how much we learned together in the years AFTER his test, I realise that at our graduation day, we were pretty much still at the embryonic stage as an SD team. So set small goals but remember you can get there.
Oops - also forgot "target" as a key groundwork behaviour to train and something you could do now. I trained that with a clicker and it really became the basis of all the SD-specific tasks involving retrieving. Plus it was easy to learn and my dog loved it - hey, I touch something with my nose and I get chicken? Cool! Here's Brogan showing off his "carry" skills during his exam:
Thank you so much for the detailed reply, I really appreciate it. My Dad starts his rehab today so I know it's going to be a long road. I am in the US by the way and before he had this happen to him my Dad loved my lab and he loved him, in fact. As we all know labs are very smart dogs and he can sense something is wrong because he lays at the foot of a chair he used to sit in all the time and he just whimpers so he knows something is up. I'll ask his therapist some questions you suggested and I appreciate your reply.
I wish you and your father the best of luck. Even if your puppy doesn't learn any service dog skills at all, he will be a huge help to your father. My mother had a stroke and my dog Mama Jodhi became her little orbiting moon and never left her side. My mother was never really a "dog person", but Jodhi was meant to be her special dog. Having a service dog is invaluable, having a dog who loves you no matter what changes the stroke has done to you and still sees you as the same person is without price.
You are exactly right, if my Dad was even able to do something as simple as pet him I know it would make him feel better. My Dad used to scratch him behind his ears and then he would flop on his back until my Dad would scratch his belly. I have heard that dogs can sense when something is wrong and it just feels like he knows he hasn't seen my Dad in awhile. But again, thank you for the reply and the support, I really appreciate it.
@Mag44 I am so sorry to hear about your Dad and I wish him a good recovery. You have had lots of help from a very experienced @Emily_BabbelHund Emily so I wish you lots of luck if you should go down the Service Dog route. xx
