Barbara Handelman Service Dog Training Course

13/04/2022

04/10/2021

21/09/2021

From Martha Hoffman:

Love is love. Humans cannot help it. And that's why I recommend people hire a trainer to help them select a Service Dog...hopefully we can avoid some heartbreak from falling in love with the wrong dog.

When people mention fear periods, I often ask, "When was the pup's Confidence Period?" Often the answer is, "Well, he never did seem very confident."

I recently was upset when at about 4 months old, my new pup suddenly started hysterical alarm barking at kites and any sound out in the street, but after a few weeks it passed like a fast moving storm. I was so relieved when he regained his former boldness.
Many young pups test well in friendliness, but then their genetic tendencies to fear show up after 4 months or so. It's very difficult to evaluate young pups, and so I often give more importance to testing on the parent dogs and their temperament.

If a pup is friendly at 8 weeks, it's a "maybe".
If it is even a tiny bit fearful at 8 weeks, it is a definite "fail". That almost never improves. Fearfulness usually goes one way...worse and worser, with temporary improvements and many setbacks.

You want a pup that has one long "confidence period" with maybe only a week or two of a "fear period". Or no fear period at all. Rescuers with poor ethics or lack of knowledge of dogs, and breeders with "kennel-blindness" often make excuses for fearful pups, but try to avoid heartbreak by selecting a confident puppy.

21/09/2021

From Martha Hoffman:

Once on a field trip with the Hearing Dogs, I was training a big Lab who was so good sitting under the restaurant table. I looked under and he had gotten some spaghetti. But actually it was chewing gum, and he had learned to pick it off from the underside of the table!
It was so funny then, but now I’d be terrified that it was Xylitol gum and xylitol is fatal to dogs. And I just read that products are relabeling xylitol as “Birch Sugar”, so we need to look for that in ingredients such as peanut butter, also. Human food we might feed our dogs.

21/09/2021

From Martha Hoffman:

This might be helpful when discussing feeding with clients:
Sometimes people get upset at the idea of stopping free feeding and regular meals, with most of the food being fed for training, but as long as the dog is getting a full day's food amount each day, it really doesn't matter to the dog how it is given.
And zoos now feel that giving free-fed available food or regular meals is actually detrimental to mental heath of the animals. Using their food finding instincts whether scavenging, digging, or chasing, is essential to their mental and physical well-being and prevents boredom.
Dogs and humans are both hunter-gatherer species (well, I am thinking that "gatherer" is the same as "scavenger), and enjoy both gorging and snacking equally, I feel!
Hmm, I am descended from hunter-scavengers...

21/09/2021

Yes, it's something of a fad, and this is the first article we have seen that looks at all the aspects of this interesting idea!

https://iaabcjournal.org/pushing-all-my-buttons-dogs-using-communication-buttons/?fbclid=IwAR06RZUW-RJTMLwadxA2j_VQWJZ-joAtEvjf1Go_JbvpVHIx1jrPqH4xRMk

An IAABC Foundation Publication

20/09/2021

New regulations coming in California about Emotional Support Dog fraud.

By Kristina Launey Seyfarth Synopsis: California enacts new law, effective January 1, 2022, to crack down on fraudulent emotional support dogs.

21/07/2021

From our instructor Martha Hoffman:

When talking to pet owners who think their fear-barking pup is trying to protect them:

Imagine two people. One is anxious and has a fear of being around strangers, with intense fear that they and family will be attacked, and will lash out verbally and physically at anyone who stares at them. They might carry a firearm with the safety catch off for rapid defense.

The other seems calm and secure, but has high confidence in their ability to defend themselves if anything happens to threaten them or family. This person seems relaxed but has intense inner aggression they can call upon if needed. If they carry a firearm, it is kept safe and secure even though loading it would take extra time.
Which one do you hire as your personal or business security guard?

Also: "Don't let your dog make legal decisions for you until it graduates law school and passes the bar."

21/07/2021

From our instructor Martha Hoffman. This piece is about Hearing Dogs, but applies to the other types of alerting as well.

Training a dog to alert in public places needs a different approach from training at home. The first step is to be able to trigger the dog’s alerting mood in various places, and reward it.

Training formal alerting behaviors in public places can come later. If the dog can access the alerting mood, then all else will fall into place.

There is a lot of sound pollution in many places with lots of small alarm sounds and others, so dogs habituate fast, and if not trained regularly in those places, don’t respond. That makes Soundwork training more difficult in public.

Switching from trained public-access behavior to alerting is not easy for a dog. In that situation, your dog has probably been consistently rewarded for ignoring sounds and situations. The dog needs to learn that it is okay to change moods from following your cues and inhibiting itself, to using its initiative and going into active alerting mode.

Play some easy fun games in public places: find a quiet secluded place, and set the mood by acting happy and relaxed. Make a sound happen. Reward ANY sign of interest, even an ear twitch. Hold a timer or other ringing gadget in your hand and move it around with a treat on it or in that hand. Reward the dog for following the sound and treat for a few inches.
Just capture and reward the activated mood caused by your behavior and the sound. That associates the alerting mood with that environment.

Build a variety of locations where the dogs is happy and confident to notice the sound and get treats simply for an ear twitch or looking at the sound.

Carry a gadget and ring it a few times and treat, while you are out. No need for formal sessions.
Just train the mood switching. Then later in training, the actual alert behaviors the dog does at home will be easy for it to learn to do in a public place.

Any focus toward the sound, or a curious instinctive Orientation Reflex (the cute head tilt dog perform when trying to triangulate the location of a sound) is all you need to see and reward when starting with Soundwork in public. No other behaviors are needed at first. You are simply rewarding the dog for interrupting it’s previous obedience mood and for noticing a sound. And changing moods is not easy for dogs or people, so give meaningful rewards!

Please share. Martha's Soundwork 101 online is hosted at e-trainingfordogs dot com

02/06/2021

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1kUNA98Wf3hZScx1SvEewlkHxBf60RRzj/view?usp=sharing

30/04/2021

“Dolphins don’t just make whistles—they also employ body language and a variety of sounds, including clicks, which they use for sonar echolocation. From the acoustic reflections created by the clicks, a dolphin can form a mental picture of an object’s size, shape, and density. Dolphins can interpret one another’s sonar signals. “They are able to see shapes of things when they passively eavesdrop on someone else’s clicks,” Magnasco said. Using sound alone, they can see what another sees.”

Artificial intelligence may help us decode animalese. But how much will we really be able to understand?

13/04/2021

Play "Hide and Sound Seek" to help sound alerting. Finding a person has multiple rewards for the dog that become associated with the sound: food, toys, social interaction, reconnection after a separation, feeling energized from moving, and activating the "Seeking" Emotional Circuit as described by Jaak Panksepp: he describes searching as being a self-reinforcing activity for an animal Or shopping for humans: we enjoy it even if we did not find the item we wanted.)

07/04/2021

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hLif1__AWZVzMsoy6mNGlOtTWey4wlJSok-C0I7Y4kk/edit?usp=sharing

Announcing Exciting News! The Barbara Handelman Service Dog Training Course (BHSDT) Adds Two New Instructors! For Tier 1 The BHSDT course, for professional pet dog trainers, has admission prerequisites, and most resembles an in-depth graduate school program, complete with a substantive final...

03/04/2021

I’m enjoying helping instructing this course! I learn from Barbara Leonard Handelman and Christina DeJuan, as well as from our talented students!

31/05/2020

A handy skill to have when working more than one dog at a time.

20/04/2020

EXCLUSIVE: A new project will see the dogs receive samples of fabric worn by coronavirus patients to see if the virus has a unique odour which they can detect which could allow them to screen people

18/04/2020

Please feel free to share this post.
https://e-trainingfordogs.com/blog/

15/03/2020

COVID-19 Information about dogs, please share.

A new human coronavirus that emerged from China has put public health officials on high alert. Here’s the information veterinarians need, both to answer questions and to address potential medical shortage issues.

15/03/2020

I have been searching for reliable information to replace the confusing bits and pieces circulating on social media and elsewhere. They even mention Service Dogs. PLEASE SHARE
https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19?fbclid=IwAR2oa8YSQwRzt3lQ0k1VM61CFl2iGcyxJ2pYZL61oitrWJdNS79FAw04QYE

A new human coronavirus that emerged from China has put public health officials on high alert. Here’s the information veterinarians need, both to answer questions and to address potential medical shortage issues.

13/02/2020

Piper joined me at the dentist today. I hate dental x-rays, those stiff film things, cut my mouth! So I prefer to have Piper stay with me, rather than send him out of the room while the x-rays are taken.

For the first time, I asked for an extra led blanket for him. He wore it without complaint! Proud of my adaptable boy.

05/02/2020

Really interesting training video, well worth watching for lots of reasons. Flying with guide dog, back chaining new skill, the importance of a long down stay, and much much more.

Erik's Book, No Barriers: https://amzn.to/2Si3IWP Shop Our Favorite Products! https://www.amazon.com/shop/doggyu In this video I have you follow along as we ...

03/02/2020

ANNOUNCEMENT:
Barbara Handelman Service Dog Training Course (BHSDT)
Offered by https://e-trainingfordogs.com
Rolling Admissions for Tier 1 Will Continue Until We Are at Capacity

Tier 1 is the most comprehensive level of the BHSDT program, designed to prepare professional pet dog trainers to become Qualified Professional Service Dog Trainers. There are prerequisites and an application required for admission to Tier 1.

Students study at their own pace; participate in monthly on-line chats with their cohorts and Barbara; complete written assignments and hands-on training projects, related to webinar lectures and readings.

All Tier 1 students receive individualized mentoring from Barbara Handelman. Students have both written and hands-on training assignments throughout the course. Barbara personally critiques all written work, and videoed submissions of students’ hands-on projects. The assignments build on each other as the course progresses.

Students submit videos for critique while their projects are in progress; thus receiving opportunities to absorb, discuss, and assimilate Barbara’s critiques as their hands-on work continues.

The course culminates with a finale project involving the planning and training of a complex service dog task. Students choose the task according to their personal interest in clients with a specific disability.

Students have 18-months to complete Tier 1. When finished, students receive a certificate of completion, signifying their readiness to train service dogs for others.

To request a copy of the prerequisites and an application, please contact Barbara at: [email protected] or Cheryl Agular at: [email protected]

Tier 2 is a shorter, less comprehensive option. An excellent choice for novice pet dog trainers and disabled owner-trainers.

Tier 2 is an entirely self-paced and self-study learning opportunity. Students have 9-months to complete this course which is presented in webinar format, with on-line lectures, readings and quizzes. There are no prerequisites or application; no written or training assignments and no mentoring. Tier 2 students receive certificates of completion and CEUs. However, Tier 2 is not designed to qualify students to train service dogs for others.

Upon finishing Tier 2, if students have also completed the remaining prerequisites, they may apply to transition to Tier 1. When accepted to Tier 1 they become eligible for discounted tuition that will allow them to partake of the hands-on critiqued portions of the course. Ultimately earning a certificate of completion as described for Tier 1.

Tier 3 offers some of the same material included in Tiers 1 and 2, in on-line webinar format, available on an A la Carte basis. CEUs may be earned for each of the individual lessons. Tier 3 is a great option for those needing CEUs for other programs, and for disabled owner-trainers who want to increase the knowledge that can assist them in training their own service dogs.

Testimonials About the BHSDT:

"Tier 1 of Barbara’s Service Dog Trainer Course is perfectly designed for professional dog trainers who want to lead the field in Service Dog training. The course is comprehensive in its approach to working with Service Dogs and their owners. You will gain such a vast array of knowledge!
Pamela Leland KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, IAABC, RFE-CI
Colorado Springs Dog Training Center

“Taking the BHSDT course is one of the best professional decisions I have made. As a certified pet dog trainer and certified behavior consultant, I recognized a need in my community for Service Dogs for children with Autism, Veterans with PTSD, and people with Diabetes - I also discovered that there are no qualified professional trainers to fill those needs in my community. The BHSDT course is extremely comprehensive, and the ability to interact and discuss with other students and the instructor is unparalleled in relation to any course I’ve taken in the past. I would recommend these courses to anyone interested in the Service Dog field, whether to train your own Service Dog or to add Service Dog Training to your current business plan.”
Bev Wells CBCC-KA
www.confidentcanine.ca

“Barbara Handelman has put together such a thorough and invaluable course for anyone serious about training service dogs.
As a professional dog trainer and service dog handler myself, and a student in this course, I have already gained so much from her course, and begun to apply it to my own training program. I particularly enjoyed watching the video journal of the first year of training of one of Barbara's service dogs. This course provides a wealth of learning materials: training videos, handouts, video lectures, group chats, and more. One-on-one guidance from Barbara's keen eye and vast knowledge is truly priceless.”
Christina de Juan, PhD, CPDT-KA, LSHC-S
Owner & Lead Trainer | Luna Service Dogs Inc.
Image may contain: 2 people, including Cissy Stamm, dog

10/01/2020

I had a fun encounter in the hospital corridor! Usually, when Piper and I encounter other dogs at the hospital, they are snarky little dogs, with no obvious training. After they have lunged in Piper's direction while snarling and barking, Piper will usually turn and watch them be dragged off by their handler. Piper is momentarily distracted, somewhat excitedly aroused by, but not reactive to such encounters. I often wonder, would Piper respond that way had the other dog ignored him, or otherwise responded appropriately, perhaps with mild interest, passive curiosity, or indifference?

On Wednesday, I had a chance to find out. I was stranded at the hospital due to whiteout conditions outside. Time to practice SD skills! As I came down a corridor, Piper and I both noticed a pup in his person's lap. The pug watched us but did not move, did not bark, did not lunge or make any inappropriate movement toward Piper. For his part, Piper glanced at the pug briefly, and then promptly responded to my cue for focused attention. We walked past the pug at a polite distance, the dogs ignored each other.

This was an opportunity too good to pass up. I sat down across the wide corridor from the pug and his person. We began having a conversation. I found out that the 20-month-old pug had been purchased by his elderly female owner, as a candidate for DAD alert and alerting to cardiac symptoms. He had been professionally trained by someone I do not know, not the breeder, who herself uses one of her pups as a medical alert dog.

As this man, the son of the Pug's person, and I conversed, Piper quietly vied to bring my attention (and treats) back to him. He offered me several different tricks, and a few focus oriented tasks. These were appropriate behaviors since I had not given him direction as to what to do with himself.

When I asked him to settle (his cue to lie down and remain calm) he would do so with alacrity. Piper remained peripherally aware of the Pug, as the Pug was of him, but neither of them made any effort to elicit a response or display overt body language comments to the other.

Needless to say, I was very impressed by the young Pug, whose attitude and behavior were as close to perfect as could be. Off course, I was proud of Piper for proving to me, once again, that he too knows correct SD etiquette when another appropriately behaved SD is working nearby.

Sadly, far too few dogs we encounter, while out and about in places of p***c accommodation, are as professional in attitude or behavior as that young pug. I was so grateful for this opportunity to practice and reward Piper's skills. I was also pleased to see the Pug receiving frequent food rewards. I wish I'd thought to film the behavior of both dogs, it would have made a great impromptu demo. Honestly, I was too happily engrossed in the pleasant encounter to consider asking if I could film Piper and the little Pug's excellent behavior.

I welcome questions and comments! Please feel free to share this post.

14/12/2019

12/12/2019

Of importance to anyone interested scent based medical alert training.

Graphic illustrations used to describe scent theory and movement

11/12/2019

https://fall2019.iaabcjournal.org › an-interview-with-michelle-pouliot

This is an excellent interview with Michelle Pouliot. Anyone with an interest in service dog training will find this article valuable.

The online magazine from the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants. Each issue is a unique collection of articles, case studies, interviews, and video from across the world of companion animal behavior, free to read for everyone.

08/12/2019

We ask so much of service dogs! This article really made me think about one of the cornerstones of public access training. Service dogs are expected not to sniff while out and about in the world doing their jobs. “No Sniff” in grocery stores; “No Sniff” human strangers passing in tight quarters; “No Sniff” other working dogs passing by in corridors; “No Sniff” when entering a medical facility with lots of foreign smells.

In essence we are asking them to turn off their most natural, innate and astute information gathering ability. While, at the same time we are taking them into environments rich with foreign and familiar smells, which they not only want to explore, but also need to process in order to quell anxieties they might have about strange sights, sounds, objects, and activities around them while out in the public realm we expect them to calmly travel by our sides.

Don’t we owe it to our working dogs to at least give them off duty opportunities to sniff their hearts content. Perhaps we should be taking them to unusual “pet friendly” places Just to give them permission to sniff to their hearts content. We train “No Sniff” and expect compliance. Shouldn’t we also be training “Free Sniff” (“go sniff”, sounds too much like “no sniff”).

What about all the medical alert dogs who are learning the complexities of identifying changes in human body chemistry and or foods, perfumes, or other environmental odors that alert them to threats that could endanger their handler’s health or even kill them. life.

As this article makes clear, we owe it to our dogs to watch their body language for signs of stress when they are “turning off” the urge to sniff, as we demand they must.

Sniffing is vital to the way dogs gather information and interact with their environment. Scent is the predominant way in which dogs make sense of their world.At times, depending on the context, a dog is not just sniffing a scent; he is communicating. What he is communicating can vary according to t...

08/12/2019

We ask so much of service dogs! This article really made me think about one of the cornerstones of public access training. Service dogs are expected not to sniff while out and about in the world doing their jobs. “No Sniff” in grocery stores; “No Sniff” human strangers passing in tight quarters; “No Sniff” other working dogs passing by in corridors; “No Sniff” when entering a medical facility with lots of foreign smells.

In essence we are asking them to turn off their most natural, innate and astute information gathering ability. While, at the same time we are taking them into environments rich with foreign and attractive smells, which they not only want to explore, but also need to process in order to quell anxieties they might have about strange sights, sounds, objects, and activities around them.

Don’t we owe it to our working dogs to at least give them off duty opportunities to sniff to their hearts content. Perhaps we should be taking them to unusual “pet friendly” places Just to give them permission to sniff to their hearts content. We train “No Sniff” and expect compliance. Shouldn’t we also be training “Free Sniff” (“Go Sniff”, sounds too much like “No Sniff”).

What about all the medical alert dogs who are learning the complexities of identifying changes in human body chemistry and/or the scent or foods, perfumes, or other environmental odors that alert them to threats that could endanger their handler’s health or even kill them. life.

As this article makes clear, we owe it to our working dogs to watch their body language for signs of stress when they are “turning off” the urge to sniff, as we demand they must.

Sniffing is vital to the way dogs gather information and interact with their environment. Scent is the predominant way in which dogs make sense of their world.At times, depending on the context, a dog is not just sniffing a scent; he is communicating. What he is communicating can vary according to t...

08/12/2019

I think this study, and hopefully more like it to follow, may provide some of the first real guidance on breed choice and candidate selection for specific service dog specialties. I found this statement especially interesting: "It’s not about having a brain that can detect if the scent is there. It’s about having the neural machinery to decide what to do with that information.”

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/09/harvard-researcher-finds-canine-brains-vary-based-on-breed/?fbclid=IwAR0cF5JWnnS7P7EwzC_kyWTwyb5hNU3h0JWxDu7GIyjfqtSx1Blifl8OvPI

Erin Hecht, who joined the faculty in January, has published her first paper on our canine comrades in the Journal of Neuroscience, finding that different breeds have different brain organizations owing to human cultivation of specific traits.

07/12/2019

Enrollment Open Now for New Cohort Starting in 2020

30/11/2019

Welcome! Below is some basic information about the Barbara Handelman Service Dog Training Course and other instructional offerings from Barbara Handelman.

More information, including how to apply and about pre-requisites, is available here: https://e-trainingfordogs.com/service-dog-trainer/

The Barbara Handelman Service Dog Trainer Course (BHSDT) is offered in 3 tiers. The tiers are designed to give access to the material commensurate with the students’ levels of interest and desire to attain competency.

Only 10 students may be active in Tier 1 at any given time. Having your application accepted will hold a place for you on a first accepted, first admitted basis. If you are not ready to start the course when a place becomes available, you may opt to delay your start, but also remain at the top of the waiting list for the next available space. Enrollment in Tier 2 and Tier 3 is unlimited.

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TIER 1: FOR EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONAL PET DOG TRAINERS

Tier 1 is the most comprehensive, self-paced course. It is an intensive course, with lectures, related reading assignments, quizzes, writing assignments and long-term projects. You are assured access to and interaction with your instructor throughout the course. There will be monthly, online, live group meetings with your instructor and fellow students. There will also be scheduled, live one-on-one online chats with your instructor for designing your projects. You will receive written critiques of your projects. Brief emails related to curriculum questions will also receive responses.

Professional pet dog trainers need to apply to take this course and meet criteria for acceptance per the application process. Tier 1 is for experienced professional pet dog trainers who want to become service dog trainers. This course will prepare you to help owner-trainers select and train their own service dogs. The focus is on handlers and their dogs, not training theory or business practices. The course will provide knowledge essential for developing a service dog training program. The course will also prepare students who wish to train for established programs.

There are 3 phases to the Tier 1 course. Students must complete assigned readings, projects, and quizzes to move forward into the second and third phases of the curriculum. Tier 1 students who have not already taken the Understanding Canine Behavior course must do so, at their own pace, as a requirement for completion of the BHSDC. CEU’s can be earned for full participation in and completion of both courses.

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TIER 2: FOR DISABLED HANDLERS TRAINING THEIR OWN SERVICE DOGS, AND NOVICE PET DOG TRAINERS

There are no prerequisites for taking this course. This course alone does not prepare students to train service dogs for clients with disabilities.

The Tier 2 course is a knowledge-based curriculum covering the basics of service dog candidate selection; socialization and public access training; service dog laws; the ethics of being a service dog handler; and developing the foundation skills dogs must learn for task training.

Students must also purchase and complete the auditor’s version of the Understanding Canine Behavior course, in order to complete requirements for completion of the Tier 2 BHSDT course ($180.00 USD – Instructions to access this special price are provided after registration).

If the student wishes to continue their studies and become a Professional Service Dog trainer, the Tier 2 Course may serve as partial prerequisite fulfillment to qualify for Tier 1 of the BHSDT certificate program. There will be a substantial tuition reduction for those who apply and are accepted to continue on with the Tier 1 Course.

For those students wishing to earn CEUs for the Tier 2 course there are quizzes to assess the students’ knowledge acquisition.

Tier 2 is a self-paced course for which students have 9-months to complete the requirements.

Unlimited email contact with the instructor, regarding curriculum content, is included in the tuition.

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TIER 3: For owner trainers and for professional trainers seeking CEUs.

This course is for owner-trainers who would like to learn about service dog candidate selection, socialization, public access and task training. There will be links to relevant readings and videos to view. Students will have no assignments or quizzes to complete.

Professional trainers may take Tier 3 courses to bolster their knowledge of service dog training and to earn CEUs.

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À LA CART OFFERINGS

The lectures from the Service Dog Selection and Training Webinar Series, and service dog related lectures from the Ethology and Behavior Webinar Series are available for purchase and viewing on-demand. CEU’s attainable per lecture after quiz completion.

Selected, narrated PowerPoint presentations from the BHSDT course curriculum will be available on-demand. CEU’s attainable per lecture after quiz completion.

Video On-Demand: Selecting Canine Candidates for Assistance Dogs and other Working Careers. CEU’s available after quiz completion.

Video On-Demand: Clicker Train Your Own Assistance Dog. A Four-Hour narrated video series. CEU’s available after completing four quizzes

This service dog trainer course provides knowledge essential for developing an SD training program, training an SD, and working with owner-trainers and their SDs.