What Are Some Of The Tasks Our Dogs Are Trained To Do:

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•  Alerting to anxiety

•  Calming during the anxiety

•  Waking veteran/first responder up from a nightmare

•  Being the “bridge” out in public

 

If there is a physical disability with a PTSD/TBI diagnosis:​

•  Picking up dropped items

•  Open/close doors and cabinets

•  Push handicapped buttons

•  Retrieving items from a table

 

How Does A Service Dog Help A Veteran/First Responder:

 

We refer to them as the “Bombproof” dogs:

• ​ Confident out in public places

•  Do not react to loud noises

•  Confident with all different types of people and places

 

For the veteran/first responder that means:

• Overcoming fear of public places

• Overcoming social anxiety

• Helps to cope with flashbacks

• Motivation to get up in the morning

• Learn to trust again

• Help with sleep issues

• Feeling safe and comfortable

• Calmer in general

• Coping with anxiety triggers

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Team Training:
Our team training is usually two weeks long. We use this time to teach the new handler and service dog team how to work together and the commands needed to effectively do so. This is also an important time for the team to start building that bond and trust with our professional guidance. If possible, we invite at least two veterans or first responders to go through team training together. This generally makes them feel more comfortable due to the life experiences and the comradery they will experience.

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Who Raises and Trains the Future Support Dogs:
All of our dogs in training are either raised by a qualified Volunteer Puppy Raiser under our
professional supervision and guidance and/or with a Professional Dog Trainer. It is very
important that these dogs in training are raised in a home environment and NOT in a kennel
setting. If you would more information on how to become a Volunteer Puppy Raiser, please
contact us!

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Where Do Our Dogs Come From:
Most of our dogs are purpose bred in house. The genetics of the dog is the first and very important key to success. Currently we use English Labrador Retrievers, Goldendoodles and Labradoodles in our program. 

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Training Methodology and the Power of Marker Training

There are many ways to communicate with dogs. Training with a marker is one tool
that makes communication easier by providing a means of communicating precisely which
responses are being reinforced. Some people prefer using a word like yes and
some people prefer using a clicker. The mark is a tool that aids in making that communication
happen. It is a way to indicate to your dog that he/she has done something correctly. Marker
training takes advantage of a very natural and meaningful process in a way that tailors the
outcome to suit the life for our dogs.

A really important difference between traditional training and marker training is that we create an active dog verses reactive dog. We create an animal that wants to work versus has to work in order to avoid punishment. We create confident dogs and see less stress signals like lip licking, yawning and whining, just to name a few.

A new task can be taught fairly quickly. These dogs are not afraid of making a mistake since there won’t be any negative corrections. He/she will try and offer you behaviors
until you mark the desired behavior. Positive reinforcement is also empowering dogs
to make choices that help us understand what motivates his/her behavior. In our experience, an
empowered animals is calmer, more creative, and also better at navigating difficult situations. 

Marker training is much more than a formal training method. It’s a philosophy, a
way of viewing the world. It means looking for and reinforcing behaviors we like and ignoring
behaviors we don’t like unless it’s dangerous. Marker training also means that we don’t just
follow this philosophy during a training session, we do it all the time. It’s about reinforcing the
animal for what we consider good behavior whenever it happens. We set up the
environment to make the right choice. We set them up to succeed, not to fail. It is also about
respecting the animal’s natural behavior and guiding him/her to live more happily within our
human rule structure. Ultimately, marker training is about honoring the animal’s choices. In fact, science tells us that letting an animal make choices is one of the most powerful reinforcers out there. Positive reinforcement makes the process fun and exciting for your dog and helps build a

strong relationship between teacher and learner, that ultimately will create an amazing
relationship.

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