With a Service Dog, however, the lines often cross into a very delicately woven relationship as the dog is helping the handler as he is being trained by the handler. A much more intuitive bond is being formed - and training the Service Dog to realize his role in service is very sensitive issue.
We've had to absorb a lot through his puppy hood, because as anyone can verify who has raised a puppy into adulthood, some days are better than others...
And you have to roll with it, while training him to display better manners through the process of discipline and patience. A lot of patience.
Getting angry is not an option. It is very hard to train your own dog for that reason - when they torque you off you have to be the one to keep your cool. Dogs live in the moment, so when they are getting into trouble it has to be handled as carefully as it is quickly.
As an example, he may (will, actually - count on it) stick his nose into places where it doesn't belong - hoping it isn't a skunk, you call him off with the command "No, OUT!" If he responds as you hope he will, instantly and comes to you when called in the sequence of events, don't make the mistake of busting him for what he was doing wrong before your commands - he won't get it.
To him, he was doing his dog thing, following his nose - an ancient primal instinct that has insured the survival of his species for countless centuries. Bluntly put, he didn't know what he was doing was wrong, even if you think he should have known.
But when you called him off, he came out and came to you - that was exactly what you've trained him to do, and he's expecting to be praised because it has brought a favorable response before.
If, however when he comes up to you, you chastise him for the act you thought was wrong, you send him a seriously confused signal - he just did what he was supposed to do - and got busted for it. Lesson he learns? Quicker than you would like?
The next time you call him, he will do everything possible to avoid you, to prevent getting busted again. Leaving you more confused and angry, because you aren't getting the results you want. You are getting what you've trained him to understand instead.
I had to deal with that frustration recently - he had jumped out of the back of my Jeep when my attention was turned to the bush behind us. At first coming alongside me and receiving his usual welcome, he then took off across the field and into the hedges. I called him, but couldn't see where he had gone.
As I circled around to the far side of the hedges, I finally saw him appear, only about 40 feet from me. I was upset, as I had called him before and had not received the response I had trained him for.
Trying to remember that he was still a very young puppy, when he turned to look at me I called him again, kneeling and holding out my hands. That did it - he came at a run, and buried his head into my hands, squirming and wagging his whole body in glee. I had contained myself enough to praise him, in the language he had come to expect from me - and the rest of his adventure worked out, teaching us both. He had fun - I carried the leash closer!
So trying to be the trainer and handler, while needing him to take the lead and "Pull Point" in taking you out of dark places as your PTSD Service Dog is tricky - being close enough friends to have him sense your need and bring you back, while still understanding that you are the handler - not him.
That's why he has to rely on certain constants in his relationship with you - with the tone of your voice and your hands as the links to his trained response - until he has learned to trust you so completely, that you won't even sneeze without him worrying.
A bit difficult to handle sometimes, as he will be under your feet - sometimes literally - when you least expect it. But when you need him, he'll be there.
And that is exactly what you want.
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