What an amazing day! Sam from Stofers Labs just turned 2! He had an incredible celebration in Nebraska with his handler, Carey. It's so heartwarming to see Sam surrounded by love in his forever family.
Here’s our friend Sam, an almost 2-year-old pup from Stofers Labs. Sam and his handler Carey have been working quite a bit on retrieving items. After a lot of practice with bringing the item to Carey, he problem-solved on how to get the meds off of the table. It takes time and patience to train a service dog, but it’s worth it!
Becca is currently conducting a training session with Cinder and a staff member from Stofers Labs. Training a puppy requires a great deal of patience, but once they get the hang of it, they become eager to learn more. The use of yummy treats and a desire to see your dog succeed can be very helpful. Great job, team!
Every Friday at Stofers Labs we have a weekly challenge. Last Friday the challenge was to see who could get their dog to “DOWN” from the farthest distance. We will build on this challenge with weekly increases in difficulty until the dogs can down from a distance even when there are other dog playing on the yard for distractions.
Maggie is the newest addition to the Sherlock service dog program from Stofers Labs. This video has two separate public outing experiences. It is vital to get puppies out in public for socialization skills and confidence. This is true for all puppies, not just those entering into service dog training.
puppies will be exposed to environmental noises, smells and sounds while out on walks or family outing with their families. Going out to a variety of different settings is a great way for puppies to become confident and avoid fearfulness. Socialization is much more than just being able to walk through a parking lot or past another dog. Socialization involves confidence building, manners, and obedience in multiple types of settings, and encounters with strangers and other dogs.
Maggie never ceases to impress with how quickly she picks up new things.
Ainsley and Monty began the first steps of scent training. This training is the foundation for Monty’s seizure alert training.
Ainsley and Monty are doing such a great job. Monty is representative of all of the pups from Stofers Labs that are in the Sherlock Service Dog program.
Buddy -working through timid behaviors in public
Working through fear of environmental noise and public settings can be very stressful for some dogs. If you are working with a dog that is timid, do not allow misbehavior because of their fear. Redirect with calm corrections, take your time, be patient and always set them up for success.
Buddy is an awesome pup at Stofers Labs. He is available as a family companion dog. He will make a great addition to a family.
Ainsley and Monty
Ainsley and Monty, a Stofers Labs pup working on leave it.
Carey and Sam doing public access training. Sam is one awesome Stofer’s Lab. @stoferslabs
Carey and Sam go to town.
Carey and Sam had an awesome day doing public access service dog command work. These two always make me smile.
Sam is one of the awesome Stofer’s Labs Stofers Labs we have in our service dog training program
Puppy training Maggie at Stofer’s Ranch last week.
When teaching down I like to start in the puppy’s level. This makes it much easier for the puppy to be guided into a down. It also establishes the down command without the handler having to bend over to get the puppy to follow their lead. Starting this way makes it natural for the puppy to respond to a hand signal and verbal command. As the puppy becomes quicker with the down response I increase the distance from my hand to the floor by standing on my knees. There is no need to bend down for the puppy to follow through. From here move to standing. If you need to bend over for encouragement return to training on your knees. When you can stand up and give the command without bending over the puppy will be ready for more advanced work and incrementally weaned off of treats.
Retrieval training with Ben
This week I have had several people ask me why I would travel to the Midwest in the middle of a serious winter storm. This is why. I do it for sessions like this one. Ben is learning how to retrieve for Mr Dan. This skill will provide Dan with more independence, and give his wife Kathy a little help in the care giving process.
Ben is a Stofers Labs pup.
Using a retrieval bait bag makes retrieval training fun for everyone.
Confidence training with Maggie and Stofer’s Labs.
Using a teeter-totter is a great way to build confidence in puppies. Confidence is the cornerstone of a well balanced dog. It influences behavior, socialization, and ease of training. Always keep confidence training happy and positive. DO NOT use corrections during this type of training. Building in increments and praising accomplishments will boost this training experience with your puppy.
