Have you met someone who's pretty good at training their dog what to do? Do you know one way to tell the difference between that person and a GREAT dog trainer? The difference is that the great trainer uses a "marker word." Continue reading

The Dunbar Potty Training works especially well for a future service dog because it is so positive and it allows the puppy to succeed. Two things to remember are: 1. An eight-week old puppy has little control over their bladder and can only hold it in for a little over an hour (that's not very much!) Bring the puppy out potty BEFORE he/she needs to. 2. Crate-train the puppy (keep the puppy in their crate at night, for instance). While hard at first, this crate-training will solve a lot of future problems. Note that an eight-week old puppy cannot keep it in all night, so it's best to wake up at 3am or so, wake up the puppy, and take them out to potty. Continue reading

Have you ever met a dog that is afraid of thunder? Or men? Or shiny floors? It's because the dog did not become exposed to these things during their "critical period" (8-12 weeks old). If you miss this critical period, it's extremely hard to accustom the older puppy or dog to these stimuli later (in general, they'll be afraid of everything they didn't experience during their critical period). Continue reading

There are three main categories of tasks of a PTSD Service Dog: Alerting Calming Helping with other co-morbid disabilities Continue reading

JetBlue, American Airlines, and probably other airlines now insist that flyers get an 8-digit ID number to fly with a service dog. Having a signed copy of the new DOT form form is not enough. And you need to get it 48 hours before you fly. And you need to have a paper boarding pass (because the code will be printed on there, but won’t be on your electronic one). And the code isn’t for a lifetime—it expires when the dog’s rabies immunization expires. We are appalled by this burdensome requirement. This is a picture of the DOT form, but don't print it out. The Open Doors organization doesn't accept mail or faxed applications...you fill it out on their website, which is https://traveller-app.opendoorsnfp.org/home Continue reading

Pawsitivity’s coloring book was featured on The Wrap! Continue reading

From the Elk River Star News: Continue reading

In tribute to Marsissa Norby, a full contingent of golfers raised over $13,000 to help Pawsitivity train service dogs for veterans! Continue reading

Thank you to the amazing business students of Mounds View High School, for your fabulous fundraiser for Pawsitivity at the Ideal Hall in St. Paul! Continue reading