A service dog has special training to help a disabled person be more independent. There are different classifications of service dogs for varying levels of disability, and each has individualized training. Initial training can take up to two years, with refresher training occurring almost daily with regular exercises.
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When a service dog is working or training, it can be distracting if people always want to pet the dog. That is why trainers love to see parents who stop young children and explain service dogs to them.
Children are naturally curious, and they are almost always drawn to pets of any kind, but especially dogs. When this toddler’s parents were in a public space, their daughter saw a dog and wanted to play with it. Her parents stopped and took a moment to explain that the dog was a service dog in training. That brief moment, while keeping their daughter a reasonable distance from the animal, was brilliant.
The girl seemed to understand as she stood still and watched for a short time. Then she toddled off with her parents. A perfect teachable moment. Each excellent interaction like this gives trainers hope that this trend will continue.
Kiba, named after the Wolf’s Rain character from the Naruto world, is a full-size standard poodle. He is currently under training with Joonie, who trains in Ohio. Most people are familiar with miniature and toy poodles, but they don’t always see the full-size version. However, they are gaining popularity. They are highly intelligent and easy to train. They have a good sense of humans and make exceptional service dogs.
During training, handlers will take dogs to busy places to help the animal fine-tune their concentration around distractions.
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