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Top Dog is a non-profit organization based in
Tucson, Arizona. They teach physically-challenged people to
train their own assistance dogs. I used their first book
Teamwork I, in training Greta, and am applying Teamwork II
for her advanced training.
Training is always fun for Greta: she associates putting on her
leash with pleasant experiences. In fact, the leash represents
being "in service", and she feels secure when it is fastened to
her collar. Sometimes she carries it to me - similar to a
child with a security blanket - if there is company in the
 house
or unfamiliar activity, and she wants to be "attached" to me for
comfort and safety.
Greta has acquired an impressive vocabulary, but this must be
continually reinforced. Each toy has a unique name, so she'll
identify it when I give the command to "get" bear, squirrel,
bunny, doll, baseball, red bone, "blue" (which is a different
bear!) - this is the same technique I use for practical tasks.
She knows my cell phone looks different from my husband's, and
will retrieve "find my cell phone" from any room. We play the
"hiding game" with a variety of items, so she has to look and
bring the designated "Find" to me.
Rewards are treats, affection or the clicker - variety keeps
Greta interested and motivated.
Greta with my niece, Kiersten
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What
Greta has learned to do for me is remarkable and I want to take
this opportunity to celebrate her accomplishments. Greta has
given so much to me, in terms of security and independence,
allowing me to rely on her to help me in situations that I
didn't even train her for specifically - yet her intuitive sense
of caring for me added to her learned behavior. Since she is always with me, I don't
have to wake my husband in the middle of the night for things
like a dropped medicine bottle - because Greta automatically
picks it up and gives it to me.
On command, Greta will:
• Pick up/bring the television remote (command words are "get tv")
• Bring my cellphone ("get phone"/"find phone") and place it in my
right hand
• Bring my cane that is out of reach ("get cane")
• Pick up anything that I drop and give it to me wherever I am, in bed or
in my chair - glasses, medicine bottles, ink pen, water bottle,
checkbook, paper towel, washcloth, blanket, etc. (point to
item, tell her to "get it, bring it")
• "Sit" obediently at my right side, lay down, get up,
back up, come, walk with me in the wheelchair, pull me in the
wheelchair, "sit-stay" while I transfer from the
wheelchair to bed, chair or the car.
• Carry items for me, like envelopes, papers, water bottle,
small purse - when I can't for some reason. "Hold/carry"
- this is very helpful when moving things from one room to
another, sorting junk mail that needs to go to the trash, etc.
• When Greta goes out with me and my husband, she lays
on my right, next to my
wheelchair, and is not distracted by the large
groups of strangers, busy activity or restaurant food.
• "Open" the door: I attached a simple rope pull-toy over
the door handle. I turn the knob to loosen the door, back up in
my wheelchair, then ask Greta to "open" door - she grips the
rope and pulls until the door opens - this helps me be able to
go outside without any "human" assistance, or to let in a guest.
Command: "Greta, get keys"
Left to right: keys are on the floor, she picks them up,
carries them to me, places them in my right hand (my left
hand can't grasp, on my affected hemiplegic side).
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