At Your Service Dog Training

23/04/2026

Iris is learning to settle under Kim's legs or chair while she teaches class. After just two weeks in our foundation course, PEARL DISC, Kim sent me this picture. Good girl, Iris!

23/04/2026

I think some dogs do recognize themselves, just like some dogs understand how video works. What do you think?

Whole Dog Journal‘s mission is to provide dog guardians with in-depth information on dog food, training, behavior, health, and more.

15/04/2026

"Since starting Bronze DISC, there's an awareness that every situation is a training opportunity." That's what this service dog handler said to me at the start of her private lesson today. I thought, "What a wonderful encapsulation of one of our mottos!" She said I could quote her, but wanted to be referred to only as "a beloved student"! 😍😄

(Photo description: Long-haired German shepherd service dog lies down on tile floor surrounded by grocery store shelves, a shopping cart visible in the foreground to the side. Her handler -- only legs and lower torso visible -- holds her leash. sweater

12/04/2026

ONE SPACE available in the service dog foundations class starting this Tuesday! Register for PEARL DISC at https://aysdtschedule.as.me/ . 10-week online course with live individual coaching. Learn more about our classes at https://atyourservicedogtraining.com/take-a-class . Questions? Drop us a line!

12/04/2026

Congratulations to Celina and Leila for passing their Public Access Evaluation at Whole Foods Market on Friday! They finished up their assessment by demonstrating Leila's deep pressure therapy behavior. I was delighted to be able to give Celina the embroidered patches for Leila's vest. The high point of my week.

08/04/2026

Interesting article on whether mother dogs recognize their adult pups, and whether adult pups recognize their parents (whether or not they ever met them!).

Dogs may remember their parents, and parents may remember their puppies even years later. However, it is hard to know for sure.

24/03/2026

Reputable breeders are worth their weight in gold. What they do is so difficult! A great explanation of why price should not be the first question you ask.

Wanted to come on here and speak a bit about puppy pricing. Thankfully I haven’t had anyone complain directly to me lately, but I have been seeing it a lot in groups, so it prompted me to give my two cents.

I personally price my puppies at what makes sense for my program. I look at the cost of things like vet bills, monthly preventatives, dog food, supplies, increases on my utilities, gas prices, and so on. Do we make money on top of our investment on some of our litters? Yes, we do. But do we also lose money on other litters? Also yes. And the cost to take care of our adult dogs are there whether we have puppies on the ground or not.

We also keep puppies from litters to grow out. And what helps fund being able to send our dogs to the trainer or with the handler? You guessed it! The money that the puppies we didn’t keep generate.

So many people will say that a breeder shouldn’t be making any money on puppies, but my perspective is that as a buyer, I wouldn’t want to deal with a breeder that isn’t! Why? Well, that breeder is able to have an account for their dogs to cover anything the dogs should need. Which means they are never having to choose between paying bills and taking care of their dogs. Wouldn’t you want a puppy from someone that isn’t skimping on the care of their animals?

Breeders doing things the right way are not out here getting rich off of dogs. But they absolutely should not be looked at poorly if they are able to bring in enough puppy money to cover their costs. We all have bills, we all know money is needed for literally everything in life. So you should not be angry at a breeder that they are charging a price for their puppies that allows them to keep doing what they do.

Puppy buyers may shop for a puppy every few years. But a breeder has dedicated their lives to the breed. Everything they do revolves around their dogs’ needs, breeding schedules, due dates, event dates, puppy family meet ups, and so on. Breeders are EARNING every dime that comes in. Puppy families are getting to benefit from that breeders dedication and hard work that goes back for years prior to their puppy being born. And it is time they are treated like it 🫶

24/03/2026

This is so exciting! Service dogs are now recognized in the CDC's Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) guidelines. Thanks to the scientists and advocates who have increased accessibility for scientists with disabilities!

WE DID IT! Service animals have now been formally recognized by the CDC BMBL clarification, and it is the first time this has been explicitly stated in alignment with biosafety guidance at the federal level.

URGENT UPDATE: Federal Clarification on Service Animal Access in Laboratories—Attention Safety and Compliance Personnel

Nearly 3 years ago, a scientist lost their career over one sentence. They contacted me for help.

They were highly qualified. They had an exemplary record.
They were also disabled and relied on a trained service dog for independence.

Then the newest edition of the CDC’s Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) was released.

One sentence changed everything:

“Animals and plants not associated with the work being performed are not permitted in the laboratory.”

That sentence—without context—was used to terminate them, and many others, as well as be used to deny students with disabilities utilizing a service dog for independnece access to labopratory experience.

Not because of risk.
Not because of performance.
Not because of science.
Because of interpretation.

I took this on directly.

I reached out to the authors and leadership behind the BMBL asking for one simple clarification:

That service animals may be an exception based on individualized risk assessment.

For months—nothing.

So I escalated.

I contacted Arizona Representative Juan Ciscomani and worked alongside his Legislative Director for over two and a half years.

We engaged direct conversations with the CDC.
We sent a letter signed by several others members of Congress and over a dozen biosafety organizations.
We engaged in NIH modernization discussions.
We spoke in open forums.
We pushed—consistently, persistently, and with evidence.

Today, there is a major step forward.

CDC has issued a formal clarification:

“Clarification on Service Animals in Laboratories: Compliance with Federal Laws and BMBL Guidance.”

And it says what should have always been clear:
• The BMBL does not override federal, state, or local law
• It cannot be used to deny reasonable accommodations
• It is guidance—not regulatory authority
• Risk assessment—not blanket exclusion—must drive decisions

Most importantly:
Service animals must be considered within the framework of lawful accommodation and individualized risk assessment.

This is more than a clarification. It is the first time this has been explicitly stated in alignment with biosafety guidance at the federal level. This is precedent setting.

It closes a policy gap that has harmed careers, limited access, and forced talented scientists out of the field.

To every Environmental Health & Safety office, compliance leader, biosafety professional, and institution: Please read this. Share this. Implement this.

Because inclusion and biosafety are not in conflict—they were just never clearly aligned. Until now.

I owe a great deal to Rep. Ciscomani and his Legislative Director for their trust, dedication, and commitment to making this possible!

Direct link: https://lnkd.in/guhepBzG

24/03/2026

We often recommend using cheese or hot dogs as a high-value training treat. BUT these treats can be high in salt. As long as these treats are not a significant amount of your dog's diet -- used in small amounts or only occasionally -- you're probably OK. Two important cautions:
1. If you're still house-training your puppy, avoid salty treats. They make your pup drink more, which can throw off your house-training schedule.
2. Tiny pieces of plain cooked chicken breast or pork chop will work just as well, without all the salt. EXCEPT: When you buy meat to cook for your dog, make sure to read the label. Chicken (or other meats) sometimes are "enhanced" with "broth," which means a lot of extra salt. If the package says check the label for phrases like "injected," "enhanced," or "contains up to X% of a solution" OR check the sodium level. If it's under 100 mg per serving, you're OK -- it's not enhanced.

In excessive quantities salt is bad for dogs. So you should think twice before sharing salty snacks like French Fries or hot dogs with your dog.

23/03/2026

1 working slot + discounted auditing spots open for Tuesday's online Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) course. This 7-session class is taught LIVE on Zoom, with lots of individual coaching for you and your dog. It's a favorite because it results in a useable task, often by the end of the course! (This picture is from a team using this task before the course even ended.

23/03/2026

1 working spot left in Tricks & Games class, starting tomorrow (3/24). Working spots are $215. Discounted auditing spots are just $150. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18BTquetQL/

Paw targeting is a great foundation for many tasks you want to train your service dog to perform. For more tips and help training your service dog, visit aty...

21/03/2026