Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
Sorted by date Results 26 - 29 of 29
I'm a service dog trainer in the habit of naming pups-in-training after people whose hearts have helped shape mine. The first was Fred, after Mr. Rogers; the current one is Betty, in honor of the inestimable Betty White. The day I picked up this precious two month-old lab with the eyes of a sage and a sweetness just as deep, I determined I would find a way for us to meet Betty's namesake. On December 19th, 2014 – via too many synchronous cosmic forces to count or effectively sort out – my dre...
There is more than meets the eye to a well-behaved service dog sitting quietly at an airport ticket counter. Pre-travel preparations – from booking the flight to boarding it – are carefully orchestrated. Because travel days can be hectic and unpredictable, taking preemptive measures to address potential issues that may arise is very important. Few places offer more advanced challenges than an airport for public access training with service dogs. So much of what Betty encountered today was bra...
Because dogs and humans are both highly social animals, social learning theory applies to both species respectively. There is also research into the theory that social learning in domestic dogs has been heavily influenced by dogs' co-evolution with humans. In other words, dogs learn from their own canine social groups as well as from their human group or "pack" members. Social learning can reduce the costs (e.g. time, effort, risk) involved in the acquisition of resources or new skills....
My job over the last year has been to train a Labrador puppy as a service dog for a child with autism. Having graduated with an A.S. in Assistance Dog Education from Bergin University of Canine Studies last spring, I was thrilled to be hired as a trainer right out of the gate by a wonderful organization called Good Dog Autism Companions. GDAC, a small non-profit based in San Diego, is run by a couple whose thirteen year old son has autism, and whose lives were transformed by a service dog named...
