Lessons from Raising Service Dog Puppies with Matthias Lenz

Last updated on: April 30, 2021

In this episode of Pandemic Puppy, Kayla and Matthias Lenz discuss raising Service Dog puppies. They cover the lessons you can learn from how service dog puppy raisers work with their puppies.

What is helpful when raising and training guide dog puppies that other puppies may be missing?

The typical service dog makes an ideal pet

Breed is often important; labrador retrievers are used for a reason
Start early on with impulse control exercises

Turning Distractions into Reward

Set your dog up for success, make the training easy
Reward your dog for not responding to distractions
Turn distractions into an opportunity for reward

Engage Disengage game
Creating Desirable Behavior Around Distractions

Settling tips and tricks:

Settling is an important skill for a service dog, or a pet dog
It is important not to be too enthusiastic with your rewards
- Give a treat slowly, don’t make eye direct contact, be calm

Reward baby steps to slowly shape it into a full settle
Sit on the Dog Exercise
Using a lower value reinforcer is helpful

Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol

How much sleep do puppies need? What happens if they don’t get enough?:

If they are biting a lot more than considered normal, it might mean they need more sleep

Leash Frustration:

Be empathetic to the dog; leashing is so unnatural for them and it’s understandable that they will get frustrated
Teach your dog about leash pressure and what it means along with rewarding loose leash walking