Training a service dog is a life long process. It isn't a process where all of a sudden your dog is trained and he'll be perfect from then on. Training starts with basic obedience then progresses to learning tasks that help accommodate a person with a disability. All of these skills must also be practiced out in public in various situations. For example, Apollo was practicing looking at me in a grocery store instead of paying attention to all the food around him (VERY hard for a golden retriever).
Public access for service dogs in training is allowed with no restrictions in the state of Florida. Some states restrict access for those dogs that are still learning. Apollo has been going to a variety of places since he was 3 months old. To be honest, his public behavior is much better than at home. He turns back into a 9 month old puppy when we get home 😆😆!
The video I will post on Apollo's FB page will show how I am working to desensitize him to being brushed. For whatever reason, he does not like it. I will also have a helper from my other dog Isla who is 4 years old and loves to get brushed. Apollo follows Isla's lead for a lot of things. By posting to his FB page, I also hop it will increase my traffic to his page. Homemade videos tend to draw more people. Most likely because they are attracted to Apollo's adorableness 😀😀💓
Here's the link to his training video...make sure to stop by his FB page too!
Wow, you are amazing! It takes so much patience and love to train a puppy. Apollo is so handsome, too. :)
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