Cats, rats, and birds, oh my! The role small animals play in training an Assistance Dog
At Paws With A Cause (also known as PAWS) in Michigan, USA, you won’t find just dogs on campus. PAWS has had a variety of animals, some residents, and some visitors, help prepare the dogs in training for what they may encounter when they’re out working. From domestic cats to animal friends you would find in a barnyard, PAWS has seen a lot! It’s important that assistance dogs behave appropriately around animals they may be exposed to while working for their client. Some clients have pet cats, rodents, or birds; other clients may live in an area where wildlife and farm animals are abundant. Assistance dogs need to stay calm and focused not only so they’re able to help their people regardless of distractions, but because an assistance dog pulling on leash to chase a cat could spell disaster for their person!
What do dog trainers look for when evaluating a dog for safety around small animals?
Evaluations are initially done at a safe distance where the dog is not able to touch the small animal, the small animal is secured in a carrier of some sort, and the dog is leashed. The dog’s trainer is looking for signs of prey drive which would include things like the dog intensely staring at, attempting to stalk, or lunging towards the small animal. The trainer would like to see loose body language from the dog such as a relaxed face, relaxed tail, and easily engaging with the handler. If things are looking good, the small animal will be given a larger area to move around safely. Some dogs aren’t interested in small animals until they move, so this is an important step! The dog is still on leash and a safe distance away. If the dog is still showing relaxed, positive body language the trainer may move closer to increase the distraction level. The small animals used for evaluations are PAWS staff member’s pets, so care is taken to ensure that the small animal is not stressed or harmed in any way.
What animals get to help train PAWS dogs?
There are two resident cats on campus: Nimbus and Tuesday. The pair of brothers were found without their mother around 6 weeks of age and were raised with a Dachshund as their surrogate mother. When they were approximately 4 months old they came to PAWS. Nimbus works primarily with the adult dogs on campus—he’s cool and collected, completely unbothered by dogs sniffing or licking him. Some PAWS clients have cats in their home, and PAWS trainers want to feel confident sending a dog home that won’t harass cats or be too distracted by them to help their person. Tuesday works primarily with the younger dogs—puppies that are waiting to be picked up by their foster homes, and teenage dogs that are coming in to be evaluated for their next career steps. Tuesday is mischievous and enjoys strolling through the middle of a puppy class, staying just out of reach of excited puppies. Tuesday is more willing than his brother to tell a dog off when they’re being rude, so Tuesday is in charge of helping with the initial evaluation to determine if a dog is safe around cats. Tuesday and Nimbus also provide emotional and comedic relief for all the staff at PAWS—you’ll often find them lounging on someone’s desk or strolling the halls, looking for a treat! During times of office closures like at the start of the COVID pandemic, Tuesday and Nimbus are taken home by staff members to be cared for.
More than your average house pet!
Some clients have more exotic pets than cats and working dogs need to be prepared for those experiences as well. In most cases, the best solution to ensure safety for all animals in the home and optimum performance by the assistance dog requires that the client keep the animals separated, such as keeping pet rats in a secure enclosure. Benjamin the Flemish Giant Rabbit was owned by a PAWS trainer and would come in to be a distraction around dogs that were going to clients with pet rabbits. The same staff member has brought in pet rats for dogs to work around. The rats were kept securely in a cage as a few staff members were a little squeamish with the thought of rodents coming to visit. Both a Green Parrot and Silkie rooster have visited on separate occasions to evaluate dogs before those dogs were paired with a client.
Many factors that contribute to the success of a team.
Ultimately, there are many factors that are involved to ensure an assistance dog is a good fit for their client and the team is successful. Evaluating, selecting appropriate dogs, and then training those dogs to work around small animals is one way that PAWS works to set the dog and their handler up for success. If small animal distraction training would benefit your program, consider reaching out to your team to see what animals might be appropriate and available.
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