Joella had a long list of tasks she could do. And it is hard to keep in mind that Quinn is not Joella and I cannot expect her to do the same. Plus, my needs for a service dog have changed and I understand those needs better.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal can only be a dog (and some miniature ponies) and must do at least one trained task that assists the person with the disability. Carrying a backpack is not a trained task since it doesn’t take training for it (unless the dog hates it and you have to work with them but that’s not “training”, that acclimatizing). So simply having a dog carrying your books in a dog backpack is not a trained task even if it helps. Pushing a door button so it opens, yes. Picking up your bag, yes. Handing you something you dropped, yes.
The wonderful thing about breaking down a task into bits is those bits can go into other tasks. TOUCH for example is the basics for a lot of tasks. You teach TOUCH in order for them to understand this is what we are working with. I want you to touch it (over and over). Once Quinn had the basics of TOUCH down, TAKE was easy(ish). So will be pull, push, open, and close. Each task can be broken down into bits. But more on training in another article.
(italics means she knows this!!)
Retrieves:
– specific object by name (get my shoe; get the phone; get your leash)
– person (go get Lorna)
– dropped object (get it/that)
– targeted object (get that thing I am pointing to)
– next object (get the next one; not that one, the next one)
Directions:
– Get behind (get behind me or my chair)
– Go around (go around from one side to the other)
– Look at me (focus!)
– back up (go backwards)
– Give (give me what you have)
– Take (take what is in my hand)
Situational
– pull sock (take off my sock; which also teaches “the next one”)
– push button (power entry door button)
– get drink (open cooler, take out container, close cooler, bring container to me)
– carry (keep what you have in your mouth and bring it along)
Regular obedience
– sit (butt on the floor)
– wait/stay (when I am training a dog, they are the same thing)
– down (lay down)
– free (release)
– leave it (don’t touch it, lick it, pick it up, just leave it)
– off (get off whatever you are on)
– easy (don’t bite; be gentle)
– drop it (whatever you got in there, let it go)
– up (jump up onto something)
– out/outside (go outdoors; also part of cue to do business)
– hurry up (do your business)
May or May Not Teach Her
– Pill alarm or alarm clock? (nudge me? go get water bottle?)
– Help to stand? (she’s up curb, I pull on harness)
As we continue to learn together, I’ll add to the list on the tasks page (to be made but look for it the top or side menu).