First steps in training a service dog

To start, I enrolled my pup in basic obedience. Once a week, we showed up and worked on basic commands like Sit, Stand, Down, Stay, Come, Heel and Wait. My guy had some trouble with Stand and Down. We did a lot of work on our own on those. He was naturally good with Come, Stay, Wait and Heel.
In addition to his normal obedience class, I began to work with him on tasks I would want him to do for me as a service dog.   The first is to “Watch Mommy”.  It is very important for the dog to pay attention to his owner.  Service dogs need to be very observant – watching for changes in his owner’s mood, actions, needs.  The second task I want him to do is to remind me to take my medications.  I take medication three times a day.  His job is to remind me to take them. 
So, to train him in these two tasks, I began with a treat in hand.  I would show him the treat (and let him sniff it), then I would take it to my mouth, and tell him he was good to “watch Mommy”.  He was of course really watching the treat, but the treat was at my mouth.  After several times of doing this (taking a treat to my mouth and then talking to him), got him to watch my mouth, because treats seem to come from my mouth – as does copious amounts of praise and love.   Now, I don’t need to have a treat for him to watch my face.  He watches my face naturally looking for clues about what I need him to do.
Next, was getting him to remind me about the medication.  Again, it took treats and a lot of praise.  I started with the evening medicines.  I take two in the evening.  One at 10pm, and then one right before bed (usually around 11pm).  I started out with making a big deal about “Mommy Medicine”.  Showing him the pill container, saying “Mommy Medicine Time” making it exciting, and then telling him that when mommy takes her medicine, he gets a treat.  At first, I would just take the pill, and give him a treat and tell him “Okay, good boy,” even though he hadn’t done anything.  But after a few days, he started to come to EXPECT that treat, and would come and sit in front of me when he was waiting for the treat.  So I would ask him if it was time for “Mommy medicine time?” Then I would get out the pills, make a big deal of it being Mommy Medicine Time, take my pill, and remind him that when mommy takes her pill, he gets a treat. 
Pretty soon, he no longer just came to sit by me when it was medicine time, but would come up and put his paws on me and interrupt what I am doing in order to remind me.  Of course, he is really reminding me to give him his treat still.  But, there is a next step, and I will discuss that in tomorrow’s blog.

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