Help finding a trainer for fear managment

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thunder

perfect

Barked: Tue Jan 15, '13 4:22pm PST


	So I want to use my Boxer a service dog but havent done much training with her yet I've been taking her out to socialize her etc. and she behaves and lays down/ignores people when I'm out eating at a resturant or something. I want to train her in fear management which I found this list on the canadian service dog foundation. Fear Management Reducing hyper-vigilance Keep strangers away Increase safety in public Provide a reality check Strategies with phone Call for help in advance Lighting up dark rooms Assist with escape strategies What really appeals to me is the keeping strangers away and increasing public safety. The only other thing I would add is for her to alert me when someone is walking behind me because thats a huge trigger for me. I can never go out alone because I'm so paranoid I make myself have panic attacks and work myself up. I could never go somewhere like the mall alone without being a total sketch bag and freaking out. I went to toronto in the summer and couldnt even use the damn bathroom by myself because I was too scared and wanted my bf to come stand out front of the stall. This summer I went to a common festival here, rib fest and some drunk guy grabbed me and started pulling me away from my bf who was ahead of me and didnt notice and that just made me even more paranoid about going out alone. Do you know how I would find a trainer to help me with these things? Or how to teach her myself? I also recently switched doctors after having the same doctor since I was about 10 (I'm 22 now) and I talked to her about a service dog and she agreed with me it would be a good idea but I never got anything in writing and now my new doctor doesn't know my history or anything. I'm located in Ontario and I also work with guide dogs of canada grooming their poodles but I they dont know of any trainers that help self train.

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Isaac

1278829

Barked: Wed Jan 16, '13 4:52am PST


	Do you know what it is specifically you want to train your dog to do for you? Like, how do you want her to keep people away from you? Do you want her to move so that she is standing between you and the other person? How do you want her to notify you when someone is coming up behind you? Do you want her to nudge your leg or bark once or what? To find a trainer to help you, I would just start calling all the professional trainers in your area. But you might have better luck finding one if you know what it is you want your dog to be trained to do.

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Member Since
11/29/2012

Barked: Wed Jan 16, '13 1:21pm PST


	the trainer i was talking to is john wade ( askthedogguy.com ) based out of london on. has experiance with service dogs. i too am near toronto =) and planning on being an OT also

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thunder

perfect

Barked: Wed Jan 16, '13 4:24pm PST


	I want her to bark when someone is behind me and be a barrier between me and people in a crowd. Apparently the csf has trainers that can come to you so I'm just waiting to hear back from them.

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Bretta - **Guardian- Angel Now**

10/2005 RIP- 12/2008

Barked: Thu Jan 17, '13 9:03am PST


	Barking is not considered an acceptable act/alert, especially in the type of situation you have mentioned. Having read your previous posts, I think you aren't understanding some of the terminology used. Several items on that list are just creative ways of making the normal benefits of having a dog sound like actual tasks. For example: Increase safety in public isn't a task/work (by US case law; I realize you are in Canada. Last I checked, their task/work definitions are still in-line with ours). In general, most dogs act as a deterrent just by their presence; it is a normal benefit of having a dog. Using a dog for fear management can have several meanings. The most beneficial would most likely be using CBT and self checks and depending on how your using the dog in that, can be tied to reducing hype- vigilance. The big part of all of that is YOU having proper, working coping tools to use; without them, none of this works. As far as alerting to people behind you, you'd have to decide on a realistic distance, with the help of a trainer.

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thunder

perfect

Barked: Fri Jan 18, '13 7:02am PST


	I work at guide dogs canada a couple times a months and dogs are trained to alert for seizures by barking. Since they are such a big company I would think if it was so un acceptable they wouldnt do it, no? I can understand for something like I'm looking for since it's more common to have someone walking behind you then having a seizure. So maybe something like nudging would be better. So I guess target practice would be the best thing to start her with and then incorporate it with touching my hand and then incorporate that with someone walking behind me.

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Isaac

1278829

Barked: Fri Jan 18, '13 7:16am PST


	Many seizure alert dogs alert in ways other than barking. But yes, people will probably walk up behind you much more often than a person typically has seizures, so your dog may be barking a lot in public if that's how you want him to alert you. It may appear disruptive, and businesses can ask you to leave if your dog is being disruptive, at least in the US they can. Another way to signal you might work better.