From puppy to service dog

When the puppy is around 8 weeks old, it goes home to a specially selected puppy host family, where it spends the next approximately 8–10 months.

The puppy host family’s tasks include, among other things, ensuring that the puppy is well socialized, keeping the puppy healthy, teaching it good habits, providing diverse environmental training, and giving the puppy many positive experiences in interacting with people.

All our dogs have pedigrees from the Danish Kennel Club, and before a puppy is acquired for the organization, the health records of the parents are checked in the Danish Kennel Club’s dog database. If a litter appears promising, one of our instructors contacts the breeder for further information.

Although we set several requirements, breeders are very interested in collaborating. Most breeders understand that the puppy must have the right potential to be considered for service dog training.

Being a service dog is an exciting, varied, and extremely dog-friendly job, but it also places high demands on the dog, both physically and mentally. That is why we test puppies to identify the most suitable candidates.

Puppy testing

STH’s puppy test provides an insight into the dog’s innate qualities, such as curiosity, social instincts, and willingness to cooperate. These traits are important because a service dog will eventually need to learn a large number of signals and will work closely with humans throughout its life.

We also test the puppy’s nervous system. This includes visual surprises, such as opening an umbrella, a “threatening” object like a black-spotted football that resembles eyes, and reactions to sound, such as dropping a bunch of keys into a metal bowl. The puppy’s reactions reveal its courage, curiosity, and ability to recover from a startle.

The puppy test is conducted by STH instructors when the puppy is around 7 weeks old. Ideally, there should be 3–4 puppies from the litter to choose from. We only acquire puppies that have what it takes to become a good service dog.

Much effort is put into environmental training, but it is the puppy’s courage and curiosity that allow it to overcome hesitations, for example, when going up stairs, entering an elevator, or walking on a moving surface for the first time. These are key qualities we look for when selecting puppies.

Only the best

Mental and physical health are top priorities when selecting future service dogs. All dogs undergo thorough health checks, including X-rays of hips and elbows. They are also mentally tested before starting advanced training.

Great emphasis is placed on the dog being sociable, cooperative, and playful. The dog must respond appropriately to unexpected sounds and movements, act with focus and determination, recover independently, and remain calm and composed even after being startled in various situations.

Young and adult dogs

Occasionally, we also acquire young or adult dogs. These may be dogs that need a new home due to family allergies, divorce, or other circumstances. If a dog appears promising after a database check and a thorough conversation with the owner, STH instructors visit the dog and owner to conduct an initial assessment. This usually takes place in the nearby town, where the dog is observed in relation to other dogs, people, traffic, and noise. The instructor also evaluates the dog’s willingness to cooperate, retrieving instincts, and reaction to sudden surprises.

If the dog passes this “pre-test,” it undergoes a trial period of about three weeks with an STH instructor, who observes how the dog integrates into a pack and a home environment.

The trial period aims to identify any health or behavioral issues that might make the dog unsuitable as a service dog. We also test the dog’s confidence in different environments and play with it to assess its willingness to cooperate. The dog is thoroughly examined by veterinarians affiliated with STH. Only after this period and the examinations does STH decide whether the dog will be trained as a new service dog. The dog will then either go home to puppy hosts or begin specialized training directly with one of our instructors.

Puppy training

Mental as well as physical health is a priority when we select a puppy for to become a future service dog. All puppies undergo thorough health checks including x-rays of hips and elbows.
Before advanced training at 12-14 months the dogs are mentally tested as well and neutered.
The dog should seek contact, be cooperative and playful with good hunting qualities. The dog must react appropriately when surprised by sudden sound or motion. It should work independently with concentration and focus without showing recurring discomfort. These qualities are fundamental when we select a future service dog.

Advanced training

At 12-14 months the dog is ready for the next part of its training - the advanced training. The training takes place with the STH instructors and lasts for approx. 8 months.
During this period the dog is taught 50 signs in a number of combinations. The dogs are trained in varying environments; at home, in shopping centers/shops and other public places.
The versatile training makes the dogs confident when working in different situations.

Team training

When a team of service dogs has finalized advanced training they are matched with the successful candidates from the STH waiting list. The candidates are invited for team training.
Team training lasts for three-12 weeks, an intense and exciting period where the dogs and their users get to know each other, learn to cooperate by means of the 50 signals.
During the three weeks the teams are taught almost 100 hours partly theory about dogs' behavior, needs, learning psychology, etc., and partly practical training, grooming, exercise and play.

Access to public places

After completed team training the service dog team may wish to take a public access test. When the test is passed it allows the user to bring the service dog to places where dogs are not normally allowed, for instance supermarkets, restaurants, shopping centers, busses, trains, airplanes, etc.
The service dog wears a special STH ID-vest which signals that the dog is at work and the user carries an unique identification card referring to public test and STH.

Follow up

STH is characterized by keeping in contact with all service dog teams to ensure continued success for the teams and offering follow-up training several times a year, where all the teams meet, train and share experiences. It is mandatory to attend one team training a year and to fill in the annual evaluation form.

Disclaimer

Assistance Dogs International, Inc. (ADI) has not reviewed this material and does not endorse or recommend these materials. ADI accepts no liability for the content of these materials or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. Any views or opinions presented in these materials are solely those of the author and do not represent those of ADI.

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