How do you teach a service dog to find an exit during a panic attack, locate a seat during a POTS episode, or follow a family member when during a medical episode?
The answer isn't as simple as you think.
In this video, I'm sharing a new training project with my service dog Denver: applying guide dog training foundations to leading tasks for service dog handlers. Drawing from my experience as a certified Guide Dog Mobility Instructor (GDMI), service dog trainer, and guide dog placement specialist, I'll explain why so many leading tasks fail under real-world conditions—and why the missing piece is often the foundation training underneath them.
We'll cover: 🐾 The difference between guide work and leading tasks 🐾 Common mistakes people make when training navigation-based tasks 🐾 Why obstacle work, positioning, and independent problem-solving matter 🐾 How guide dog training concepts can improve service dog task training 🐾 Denver's progress after his first few weeks of training 🐾 What I'll be documenting throughout this project
This is not a guide to training guide dogs. Guide work is highly specialized and requires extensive education, apprenticeship, and mentorship. Instead, this project explores how guide dog training principles can help improve the clarity, reliability, and safety of leading tasks for service dog handlers.
If you're a service dog handler, trainer, or training nerd who loves diving deep into complex behavior chains, I think you'll enjoy following along.
🐶 Want the full training breakdowns? Join us on Patreon: Patreon.com/DOGGYU
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