Workshop #1: Assuring a Successful Assistance Dog Placement

Is your primary Service Dog goal to have a successful placement? If so, how do you define “success?” What are the 6 components of a successful placement and how do you attain them? Who sets the standards for success? How can you work with the recipient on their expectations? How many ways do you follow up with clients to ensure a first-rate team? What support systems need to be in place? How do you define and maintain “success” over time?

Workshop #2: Selecting Dogs for Service Dog Training

What do you look for in a suitable Service Dog? What types of dogs are best for specific functions? How do shelter and purpose-bred dogs compare? How good are current temperament tests for evaluating potential Service Dogs? What is the minimum age for assessment and evaluation? How should your testing vary with different kinds of Service Dog work? How do we balance structured testing with “real world” observations? How long do you continue to evaluate dogs after training begins? What behavior problems are “fixable?” How can we develop better, more predictive aptitude tests?

Workshop #3: Training and Placing Hearing Dogs

What kind of dog makes an effective Hearing Dog? Where can you find these dogs? What tests and evaluation procedures are used to pick the right dog? What methods are best for Hearing Dog training? What are the newest innovations in Hearing Dog training? How do you match each dog with the right person? What do you need to know about working with deaf and hard of hearing people? How does this knowledge affect your team training? What kind of placement model works best? How can you incorporate Hearing Dogs into your existing training program?