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One of the dogs was wearing his 'hip waders' - I'd never seen anything like that before, but it sure would have been great for our spaniel who's long leg feathers and underbelly were often coated with muck or in winter with big snowballs. Looked like this - very clever I think! (this is an internet pic, not from today)Dog and me covered in spatter from walking

Everyone seems to do it differently though. There is online training info, and some suggests to start right away. I like the idea of holding off, there's extra stuff to get for training the service work too and some would be outgrown fairly quickly. Plus it's just a lot to do all at once, like puppy proofing and making a scent wheel.There is a service dog training centre in my area - dogs stay in 'foster care' for the first year of their life - learning all the basic behaviour and good manner skills for at least that first year before going into 'training' for specialized abilities - so I think your friend is certainly right ChemGal.
When we got our dog, it was about 9 months old - so it was housebroken & basically trained by the breeder before he came to us. I did further training - daily commitment of time in the home, at the park, and on city streets. If you intend to do a good job it's a big time committment - and the owner is trained as much as the dog I think! Consistency of approach amongst those living with the dog is also important IMO - if one family member is goofy about it, then the training is generally compromised - a lot like parenting![]()
I guess it's also important to figure out what skills the dog is to learn to be 'of service' - police and border patrol dogs that follow or alert for scents probably take a different level/approach/intensity of training than those who live with people who are deaf or blind.
Good morning all, happy 3rd Sunday of Advent. The cart is up and running, help yourself!
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