Service Dogs In Theme Parks
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Out of all dog topics, I post about service dogs the most. Not just because I have my own, but because most people have a hard time truly grasping the level of training that goes into a service dog in order for them to function in public.
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Tiva recently came with me to @horrornightsorl for the first time. Even though I consider her fully trained and she has been to the parks often, this was a new situation for her—so we trained for a good portion of the night to make it as fun and positive as possible for her. She did so well that we’ll be going again tomorrow night.
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On this same note, this is why it is so infuriating to see people bring pets into places they shouldn’t (like theme parks, malls, and restaurants). Not only because it is ILLEGAL, but because the vast majority of dogs are extremely stressed in these environments. They don’t have the level of training that service dogs possess, and owners would rather allow their dog to be stressed all day than just leave them at home.
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So let me make this abundantly clear. Your dog, with separation anxiety, while he may not enjoy being home, far less enjoys being out and about in public places where they have not been trained to behave and relax. It is cruel to take an untrained dog out in public and force them to be stressed in this kind of environment for 6+ hours.
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So next time you see a service dog out in public, instead of wishing your dog could do that too and deciding to bring them on the next trip, think about and truly understand the effect that level of prolonged stress can have on your dog.
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#servicedog #servicedogs #multipurposeservicedog #servicedogtraining #servicedoglife #servicedogtrainer #publicaccess #expeditionpaws
Who has ever had a mouthy, bitey, feisty puppy? 🙋🏻♀️
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This video is a perfect example of one of the ~easiest~ ways to stop this behavior BEFORE it becomes a nuisance. If you’re dog already finds this behavior reinforcing, this may not work.
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The number one thing I tell my puppy clients when it comes to dealing with puppy biting is to not engage your puppy when they engage in this behavior. You can completely disengage and turn into a statue, or you can get up and walk away (depending on how feisty your puppy is).
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When puppies bite like this, they are looking for attention. They WANT you to engage with them. If you engage with them (yes, even saying no or pushing them away), you reinforce this kind of behavior!
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You can see here that I’m playing with my puppy Rhye. She gets a little spicy with me and starts biting my arms. I immediately disengage. In a matter of seconds, she settles down and I reward her by engaging with her again now that she is displaying appropriate behavior. It really is that simple!
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#puppytraining #englishretriever #englishcreampuppy #dogtraining #servicedogintraining #expeditionpaws
@nicojones2020 just went home yesterday from bootcamp. He is an ESA getting ready to fly with his mom for the first time tomorrow—and I have no doubt he is going to rock it!
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We spent two weeks generalizing his obedience and getting him comfortable in new environments, along with practicing airport-specific scenarios like going through TSA, riding elevators, and relaxation for take-off and touch-down.
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While ESAs are not required to have formal training, airlines are cracking down on poorly behaved pets, ESAs, and Service Dogs. This makes appropriate behavior for assistance animals extremely important, they set an example of what true assistance animals should act like.
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At 5 months old, Nico still needs practice to fine to tune some behaviors, but with the training he received, he is ready to tackle anything! You’ll notice in the video that he is hesitant around glass windows; also note that I never force him but encourage him to investigate and reinforce for bravery. Practice makes progress!
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**IT IS AGAINST THE LAW TO PASS YOUR PET AS A FAKE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL OR SERVICE ANIMAL.
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***ESAs ARE INLY ALLOWED IN AIRPORTS AND NON-PET FRIENDLY HOUSING.
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#assistancedogintraining #assistancedog #emotionalsupportanimal #emotionalsupportdog #servicedogtraining
It is still Service Dog Awareness Month so I have another post for all of you—what is the difference between a service animal, an emotional support animal, and a therapy dog?
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There seems to be some confusion out there regarding the definitions of each, and while service dog handlers are very aware of the differences, the general public are often not! Hopefully, this post will clear things up. Below, I’ve listed the major differences between each:
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Service Animals 🦮
✅ must be task trained to mitigate a disability
✅ have the right to accompany their handler in public locations that are non pet-friendly like stores, restaurants, and theme parks
✅ allowed on planes and in non pet-friendly housing
✅ have a standard of behavior under ADA law
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Emotional Support Animal (ESA) 🐶🐱
✅ allowed on planes and non pet-friendly housing
❌ not allowed to accompany their owner in public locations such as restaurants, stores, and theme parks
❌ not required to have any formal training
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Therapy Dog 🐕
✅ required to have formal training
❌ not allowed to accompany handler in non pet-friendly locations unless for the purpose of a therapy visit (usually hospitals, schools, nursing homes, etc). This means you can’t just take your therapy dog to a restaurant or store for fun.
❌ not covered under ADA law
❌ not allowed on planes or in non pet-friendly housing
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It is also important to note that under the Fair Housing Act, Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals are both considered “Assistance Animals” however even with that title, the above differences still apply.
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Have questions about how to make your dog a service dog, ESA, or therapy dog? Comment or DM!
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#servicedogawareness #servicedogawarenessmonth #knowthelaw #emotionalsupportanimal #therapydog #assitan
What makes a dog a service dog?
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Putting an amazon vest or patch on your dog does not make it a service dog. Professional looking gear doesn't make your dog a service dog either. Under federal law, service dogs are not required to wear identifying gear at all.
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If gear doesn't make the service dog, then what does?
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Training.
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Hundreds of hours of training. Obedience training, public access training, relaxation training, and most importantly, TASK training.
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In order to be a service dog, the dog MUST be task trained to directly mitigate a disability that interferes with a major life activity. "Emotional support" is not a task. A task can be anything from behavior interruptions, medical alerts (like diabetic alert, cortisol alert, or migraine alert), mobility assistance, or guide work. But a dog simply providing comfort is not a task and does not make a dog a service dog.
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Here is a video of my personal service dog working naked. She is task trained to assist me with mobility and medical response, and is being trained in medical alert. We have put over 300 hours of training in, and are still training new tasks. So next time you or someone you know put a vest on your dog thinking that makes them a service dog, think twice, because you are not only breaking the law, but undermining the countless hours of training real service dog handlers put into their dogs to help them lead a more normal life.
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#servicedogawareness #servicedogawarenessmonth #expedtiionpaws #runyourdognotyourmouth #servicedogtraining
Intention is everything in dog training. Every interaction with your dog should be purposeful. Even if you don’t mean to tell them something, they are learning through everything you do with them.
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From the moment they come home to the moment they cross the rainbow bridge, you are teaching and communicating with your dog.
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As a dog owner and a professional trainer, I can admit that it is hard to make every interaction meaningful and purposeful. It’s easy to forget that everything you do impacts the way your dog thinks and behaves. So today I challenge you, as a dog owner, to think about each interaction with your dog. What are you communicating to them? Do you feel they truly understand what you ask and what you want?
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This video is a perfect example of intention. When I taught Apache this trick, we moved with the goal of him actively looking to make contact with my body with all four of his paws. In the slo-mo, you see him literally grip me with his front paws so he can make that contact. This was consciously done by him, and intentionally taught by me.
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Think back to bad habits your dog has, or good habits they have somehow learned that you didn’t intentionally teach. Dogs are always learning. The question is what are you teaching them?
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#dogtrainingadvice #foodforthought #livewithintention #trickdog #stuntdog #sportdog #workingdog #bordercollie #bordercolliesofinsta #redmerlebordercollie #bordercolliesofinstagram #expeditionpaws
Apache’s first day trying out K9 Toss & Fetch with @soflotossandfetch and he killed it on his first run! I am beyond proud of him. He got spooked by the speaker for his second run but we worked through it and had a great time. So excited start the real competition next weekend!
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#dogsports #discdog #k9tossandfetch #bordercollie #redmerle #discsports #bordercolliesofinstagram #bordercolliesoftheworld #bordercolliesofinsta #workingdog #herdingdog
We’ve been working hard on Apache’s disc tricks! He hasn’t quite nailed his flips or leg vaults yet but we’ll get there. So proud of this boy, and so thankful for this time that I have to enjoy more time with him 💙
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I hope this edit brings a smile to your face, and maybe inspires some of you to have a little extra fun with your pups!
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#discdog #bordercollie #expeditionpaws
When you can’t take your dog to agility, you bring agility to your dog 🐕
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I’ve been wanting to start Apache in agility, but for obvious reasons our intro class was cancelled. So here we are, working on front and rear crosses—so proud of how engaged and amped he gets to work on these things!
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#quaranTRAIN #expeditionpaws #stayathome #agilitytraining #bordercollie #redmerlebc
For your viewing pleasure, my sister helping me teach my 60lb dog to backstall 😂
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#quaranTRAIN #expeditionpaws #stayathome #tricktraining
Just a little fun with my favorite little monkey 🐒
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#quaranTRAIN #expeditionpaws #tricktraining #stayathome
Join us in Episode 5 of our QuaranTRAIN series to teach your dog a fun new trick-"Take a Bow"
Expedition Paws Dog Training offers in-home pet dog training, service dog training, puppy raising, an
