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by Carlene White
Not only must a service dog never beg for food at the table or — heaven forbid! — in a restaurant, but there are meat counters onto which a Great Dane would certainly be capable of jumping, so a great deal of attention must be paid to having them avoid people food.
There is a delicate training technique which we use. If we are sitting, watching television, with a plate of food on our lap, it’s very common for a normal dog to come over and stare at the food and on occasion just try and sneak a little piece off the plate.
Because our dogs are so large, you can’t really try and hold the plate up higher than they could reach, so it’s a perfect opportunity to leave the plate on your lap and teach the command “leave it,” which also means they should walk away and stop staring at it.
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There is also another reason to make sure a service dog does not get addicted to people food or treats at odd times during the day.
If you’re very strict about the input of food into the dog, you then have some idea.
As for the timing of the output, a service dog should be on a very rigid schedule so that any productions can be anticipated.
I know that my dog, Bentley, would be fed at 7 a.m. By 8:30, he would be empty and ready for the day. Too many treats will just upset the schedule.
It is possible to train a dog without treats. We don’t even carry treats — our dogs just enjoy constant conversation.
There are those who worry that a dog gets bored of the same food. I can tell you that ours aren’t bored.
Every time we set down their bowls, you would think it was prime porterhouse steak. They have been eating the same food for over 30 years.
Pregnant females and nursing mothers might get a bit of cheese as a standard additive.
It is a case of don’t start — not even just one little piece of under-the-table food.
Having a baby in the house upsets the whole applecart. Dogs love babies — babies are messy eaters … and love to share. In the photo above, it is beef and sweet potatoes.
Carlene White is founder and president of the non-profit Service Dog Project on Boxford Road in Ipswich. She trains and raises Great Danes to donate to the mobility impaired. Read more of her columns here.
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