Successful Working Dogs: Select, Train, and Use Service and Therapy Dogs

The last twenty years have seen an explosion of uses for working dogs. Service dogs are now asked to perform a variety of tasks for people with disabilities. And therapy dogs—once largely seen only at nursing homes—are now used for emotional support and motivation in schools, libraries, courts, universities, hospitals, churches and employee lounges. This book provides positive-motivation training techniques for basic manners and specific tasks expected of working dogs. Beyond training these animals, the reader can learn to evaluate both the suitability of a working dog and the suitability of the dog’s client. A final goal of this book is to help working dog owners, clients, and trainers—and dog owners in general—to understand the capabilities, needs and limitations of these dedicated animals.