Service Dog Skills Faster

This book and method are about showing a dog a concept, starting with the first step, which we call the base step. Showing the dog what tools nature gave it–teeth, nose, paws, and their smell–is the first step. Then show the dog the little steps leading to the task. Going up and down, the idea steps like concept spiraling, using the number three for the smallest number you can remember, like chunking, and using tools to insert to help the dog learn better, like scaffolding tools. Using it all like a foraging puzzle, they can figure out the task for themselves.

The best thing is that even though this is a tough method for the trainer to learn, it's the easiest and fastest for the dog. When done correctly, a smart dog can learn a skill in ten minutes, something that can take many months with conditioning. Even a dumb dog that wants to work can almost always learn in three sessions, maybe lasting up to an hour each. The dog is not burnt out and does longer sessions often when it's working for itself, solving a puzzle.

What we hope to accomplish with the sharing of this method is to shorten the time it takes to train a service dog and the time it takes for people with disabilities to get one.

-- Timothy Martyn and Barbara Miller