INTENTION CANINE

Shake Paw. This is a behavior that many of the puppies perform naturally. However, Artist didn’t raise his paw to seek the food reward as a natural behavior. I had to teach him to “Shake” the way that I do with adult dogs which arrive for Service Dog training that don’t use their paws to solve problems. I typically encounter nose-oriented dogs and paw-oriented dogs. If it wants to gain access to a crate with a slightly closed door, a nose-oriented dog will pull open the door with its muzzle. A paw-oriented dog will use its foot to pull open the door. Artist had no natural inclination to use his paw to try to pry open my hand to get the treats. But, he’s smart and learned via my standard training methods. And, while I taught him to raise his right paw during the training, once he figured out the game, he also began to present his left paw.

Circle and Twirl – these behaviors are fun tricks and are also very useful in Service Dog work. A circle (clockwise) can alert the handler of a low blood sugar condition while the twirl (counter-clockwise) can signify a high blood sugar situation.

Dogs in general (and Artist in particular) are pretty resilient to a person’s mess-ups. I struggle holding a small camera in one hand, a treat in the other and attempting to lure the puppy to learn a new behavior. But, truly, the puppies are very accommodating to my less than perfect direction.

“Down” I am mobility challenged and reaching the floor to lure a puppy to a down position isn’t easy. With some puppies I put them on a grooming table to teach the down. If the pup is a willing learner, like Artist, I am able to help them learn to go to a down position even from my chair. Good boy, Artist!

“Come, Sit, Shake” I like to combine sequences as soon as the pup has a handle on a specific behavior.

“Paws Up” is often used for “grounding” or “deep pressure therapy” a Service Dog tasks. The pup must learn to perform the behavior only when requested, and also get off when commanded. Jumping up on people, without permission, is not permitted.

Love this pup!

Artist is available to the right home. He will make an amazing family companion, hobby – sports dog (Agility, Nose Work, Therapy Dog, Obedience etc…)

If you are interested in Artist, please CONTACT us or use the application process.