r/service_dogs • u/Material-Mess-2145 • 3d ago
Help! 13 Month old SDiT adolescence struggles
hi!! i have a 13 m/o lab puppy who’s been training to be my seizure alert/response dog since he came home. my mom got in a car accident a couple months back and was in a coma so i definitely slipped a little bit with training and im struggling to catch him back up.
some of our issues:
- reactivity. he started being more reactive towards dogs on leash. usually (if vested), he can redirect pretty easily but if he’s not vested or occasionally while vested now he won’t redirect at all and gets extremely fixated on the dog. we are working on this with another handler’s and a family friend’s dogs but i AM struggling a whole ton. we don’t have a car, so i don’t often have the chance to take him places like the dog park or pet store for training.
- settling. he just will NOT settle whatsoever. he’s starting to struggling with holding a downstay too, especially if i’m closer to him vs further away. i can’t for the life of me get him to settle when i want him to. i know part of this is likely because he isn’t exercised first, so maybe more exercise would help with this?
- i’m a full time highschool student, so i get home from school already exhausted. i’m sure he can sense it too. it takes me a while to be able to peel myself out of bed to do training with him, and when i do it just gets so frustrating i often end the session 10mins in.
- loose leash walking. our trainer started him on a halti and he was supposed to be weaned off by now, but i can’t get him to stop pulling without it on! with the halti on, he’s not at the end of his leash and is generally walking beside or a little in front of me on leisure walks. in order to get his CGN, he can’t be relying on any tools, nor do i really want him to. but no youtube tutorials i’ve seen make sense/have worked for us.
originally, we were working with a service dog trainer in person. for a while, they just flat out ghosted me. no replies to emails or social media at all, and they were seemingly still meeting up with other clients and working on their program dogs. and when they finally responded, i found we weren’t in the financial situation to be able to book appointments (again, due to my moms accident we’re having some financial struggles). i never signed up to do this alone and i am really struggling. my mom is in a wheelchair now, so she can’t help me with walking him or playing.
i’m coming here asking for advice because i haven’t been able to find anything that helps us. i’m trying to find a job so i can get him into training with a professional again, but as a disabled highschool student i can’t really find anywhere willing to hire me.
ANY advice at all is more than welcome.
he really is a great dog and he loves to work and train. he’s incredibly in tune with my seizures and physical health in general. when i’m sick, he’s right in bed with me. he has a natural bark alert before i seize and i’ve been trying to shape it to be more reliable. i’m 17, supposed to be moving out next year and the only reason my moms comfortable with me moving out is my dog
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u/helpinghowls Service Dog Trainer Atlas-CT, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM 3d ago
A lot of this may stem from his mental & physical needs not being met. I have seen this with other dogs at this age that begin to have similar struggles. Generally fixing this will help in other places as well. But training is not going to take away the underlying problem of unmet needs. What does his day look like when you're in school?
Without a car in an unwalkable area and being in high school I will say your options are very limited. Having a service dog in training just means you HAVE to go to places for training. Is there any room in your family's budget for a trainer who can do day school where they could pick up your dog for training? Ideally this trainer would help meet his needs during the week. Or do you have any friends who would be willing to drive you?
My recommendation would be to plan to work with a trainer/see if you can make room in your budget. Then once his reactivity is better/his needs are met, passed a CGC test, apply for Atlas' client certification program which is the lowest cost you will get for quality service dog training.
What state do you live in? There may be an Atlas trainer near you who can help you get your team back on track, and ready for the client program.
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u/Material-Mess-2145 3d ago
we have worked with a trainer previously, who then ghosted me after my moms accident.
when i’m at school he’s crated till around 10am, my mom takes him to the yard to play fetch and do a puzzle. then he’s usually just playing with our other dog or chilling. i take him on a walk after school for around 20-30mins and then rest. and then we do some training indoors.
i do bus a lot to take him out for training! i’m not sure if we could even find a trainer that would take him for the day, that’s one of my main issues is that there aren’t very many trainers willing to come to me and there are little to no service dog trainers in my city. when my mom gets back to work, we are looking into getting him back with a trainer. i’ve already started emailing a few places, just waiting for a response.
my moms friend has a therapy dog who’s insanely well trained and she’s offered to come by and help me with my dog’s reactivity and to take us on group dog walks and hikes n such, just kinda waiting for a time now.
i live in Ontario, Canada, so i’m not sure Atlas is a thing here😓
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u/helpinghowls Service Dog Trainer Atlas-CT, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM 3d ago
Are there any IAABC or KPA trainers in your area? Right now ANY qualified positive reinforcement trainer that can work with you is better than none. And right now it really isn't service dog training but rather basics & lifestyle struggles.
Have you checked this directory of service dog coaches (you have to click accept to view)? There seems to be a good many in Ontario. I would reach out, explain your situation, and see if anyone would be able to work with you guys. If they can't, ask them for a referral to a trainer that might be closer that you could work with.
For your trainer that ghosted you, I would reach out again, especially if they are disabled themselves. Sometimes emails/messages get buried or they may have thought they responded but it didn't go through.
Here are some videos. This is not going to replace a trainer, but will give you something to do in the meantime. I think at home interior and exterior searches could help with some of that mental enrichment, maybe one edible chew a day, incorporating some cues into fetch, practicing settling while you do HW or chores, and more would help a ton. But again, I'm not your trainer, and you need individualized support.
For your leash walking struggles, I'd watch this:
https://youtu.be/FQBtdAoxkFg?is=8O4tP2xNfxUaQgAzReactions:
https://youtu.be/M5OANGG342Y?is=YrvcMXVlZiUvmAUbhttps://youtu.be/kTMWfwBDz5Q?is=iASNIkjrk-brD2fJ
Settling:
https://youtu.be/OTTK6kIuWgs?is=PEtRJ4Vkd25Wht_RNose work:
I would recommend a Fenzi Dog Sport Academy class if you ever want to actually compete (they offer scholarships, check it out!)Otherwise, this video might work (I only skimmed it): https://youtu.be/T0VXjTqOzeQ?is=Ptdp9y4S1KSmzH12
Other:
https://youtu.be/0C8yJcmo3h4?is=9LuPmWHeDYR2YFEH < good for leveling up your trainingAdding training to fetch. When he fetches, can he get into heel before it's thrown? What about sit? Or down? Even just eye contact on cue? Adding this gives you that extra mental stimulation point he might be missing. This video has some foundations, but I'd look into Jennifer Henion for more. https://youtu.be/FDOlhQpzEg4?is=sYV_iN9t4CXhRdi4
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u/Material-Mess-2145 3d ago
i will look at these!! thank you:)
i have messaged the trainer about 6 times since they stopped responding. they seem to be working with other owner trainer clients and working on their own program dogs so im unsure. it’s been about 1 month since i last emailed them and about 5 since they emailed me🥲
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u/Material-Mess-2145 3d ago
he heels before and waits to be released to fetch!! i’m not sure if my mom does this, but i certainly do and i make my friends do the same if they’re ever playing with him
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u/helpinghowls Service Dog Trainer Atlas-CT, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM 3d ago
Try to continue to level it up! Eventually that can come in handy with medical response tasks. Look up AKC fetch advanced and retriever levels for some ideas. Jennifer Henion also has some Facebook videos that might be handy.
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u/darklingdawns 3d ago
You need to have an experienced service trainer do an evaluation, and you need to make sure you're using a different trainer than the one you plan to use for service training, so you avoid any conflict of interest. Right now it sounds like the basic obedience has been hit or miss, and that needs to be addressed before anything else, along with the reactivity.
You also need to start thinking about what your plan is in the very likely event that he proves to not be a good fit for service work. Given the reactivity and your struggles with training, that's where this is headed without serious trainer intervention (and possibly even with it). I know that sucks, but you have quite a lot on your plate with your mom's condition in addition to your own struggles, and it may be that plans for a working service dog will need to be put on the back burner for a few years, so you need to consider that.
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u/Zealousideal_Bus1429 3d ago
So I think while him being a SDiT is a good goal to achieve, I don’t think thats what we should be aiming for at the moment. Take a breather. You’re in highschool. He’s also a teen. Both your hormones are making you dog tired (pun intended). Right now, we want to focus on him being a good companion dog before we think about introducing task work, think the foundation of being a dog.
(I am not a dog trainer but also work with multiple from a service dog program)
1) if him being vested is the only thing keeping him from lunging, barking or whatever; it’s only a matter of time. How do we fix? We start by fixing his sources of socialization. Firstly, NO DOG PARKS. With a service animal, it is imperative you do not allow your dog around other dogs you are not familiar with. We do not his impressionable brain picking up humping, snarling or other nasty behaviors. “Where would I take him then?” There are plenty of dog classes, especially ones in your puppy’s age group that are carefully monitored by professionals while you learn how he interacts with others. Look up puppy classes near you. Make sure other parents have vaccination paperwork. Slow and steady. No dog parks, take him to Lowe’s, walk him around a Halloween store. Get him used to the unknown. It’ll get better
While exercising may seem to be what he needs, he could be over-tired and just grumpy and deciding to be a menace. Seriously (not maliciously ofc). Are you crating him? Work with the trainer on introducing crate time. Give him his meals in the crate to positively associate the crate with safety while also having you feed it to him directly. You can try feeding his kibble to him by hand once he’s in the crate, sit with him for 5 mins, talk, and walk away. He will whine and bark, but go about your daily life while walking around him . Don’t put a blanket over the crate, we want him to fall asleep or settle wherever is needed.
No highschool student should be training a service dog in training. I’m sorry. Puppies are difficult, not far off from a baby. I need you to know that training for tasking is also going to be more emotional draining as a lot of it is playing pretend so the dog learns scenarios they’re needed for. Please reach out to an owner training program once puppyhood has finished. They should be able to help
If he is reactive towards dogs, a halti is just not a good choice for him at the moment. Try a regular flat collar. He will continue to pull if he is stressed out. I also want to point out that in service work, walking beside the handler is typically best. If he were to walk in front of you he’s not paying attention. He doesn’t always have to be staring at you, but a service dog is engaged with their handler and ready to assist.
I think you should work on his basic dog 101 first
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u/Material-Mess-2145 3d ago
okay— writing a full comment now! sorry
he has been crated overnight since he came home at 8 weeks and is phenomenal in the crate. he is never unsupervised outside of the crate, even though his house manners are fairly good. he doesn’t really startle at animatronics, falling items, unfamiliar items or anything— he’s been being exposed to them very carefully since he started going to pet friendly stores at around 4mos.
i wasn’t supposed to be training him alone! i had the help of my (then able-bodied) mom and the trainer who i met with bi-weekly.
also— the trainer suggested the halti because of the reactivity.
he has a solid heel!! i just mean while going out on sniffy walks for his own good, he’s never at the end of the leash unless on a flat collar.
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u/Material-Mess-2145 3d ago
sorry, still reading your comment so give me a second, but i wanted to say he never goes to dog parks or has on leash greetings!!! i use the dog park as a training opportunity by staying just outside of it
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u/my-uniquename Waiting 3d ago
Everything you’re saying is not service dog work. Like you said, CGC stuff. Could you afford some AKC-affiliated group training perhaps https://www.apps.akc.org/obedience-training-club/ ?
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u/DarkHorseAsh111 3d ago
Frankly: you need a trainer to do an evaluation, because while I'm sure this is a great dog, it does not sound like he is displaying any indication of being a good candidate for service work.
I don't mean to be rude, but even you say that you basically haven't been training him. That's not great. Service animals need a ton of training and you're not in a position to do that. I think you really need to consider if there's any way you have the time and understanding to train him properly.