Most dogs naturally want to heel on the outside of a shopping cart. Why? ➡️ It’s more comfortable. ➡️ It doesn’t block their view. ➡️ They can see what’s happening around them. Walking behind a cart feels different. It partially obstructs their vision and changes the picture they’re used to in heel position — so it takes practice. Here’s how to help them succeed: ➡️ When first introducing the cart, don’t stand centered behind it. ➡️ Shift your body slightly to the right side while pushing. ➡️ This creates a small “pocket” of space behind the cart. ➡️ Your dog can heel comfortably in that pocket — without drifting to the outside. You’re not forcing the position — you’re shaping it. Over time: ➡️ Practice short distances. ➡️ Build duration. ➡️ Gradually move back to pushing more centered. Cart work is a skill. Teach it like one! 🐕‍🦺 For those of you who already have a service dog — Does your dog naturally prefer the outside of the cart? Or were they confident walking behind it right away? Curious to hear your experiences 👇

Over in Cool Dog Skool @Anissa Stark and @Danielle Lavine were discussing Target not being dog friendly and Ranger not wearing a vest. I know legally they can go in non dog friendly places, even without vests. My hair dresser said by her FL license requirements dogs are not allowed in the salon period. We were just discussing and I don’t plan to take Saffy so I didn’t push, but that seems illegal based on ADA. So this all has me wondering if there are places that a SD could be legally denied access? I have heard some national parks do not allow dogs for wild life reasons. Can a private establishment (like a hair or nail salon or independent restaurant ) deny access? How do you learn about these possibilities before hand?

When we’re at a doctor’s appointment, therapy session, long meeting, or waiting room… what do we do? We scroll. We check email. We zone out for a minute. Meanwhile, our service dogs are lying quietly beside us, possibly napping 😴 — doing exactly what we’ve trained them to do. But they’re still dogs. Bringing an appropriate chew to a long appointment is not “spoiling” your dog — it’s thoughtful handling. A quiet, long-lasting chew can: • Help with duration work • Prevent restlessness • Lower stress • Make public access smoother for everyone Your dog works hard for you. Packing their go-bag with something appropriate for long waits is just fair! Structured enrichment is part of responsible handling. Small detail. Big difference 🙌 Ps. Thank you Saffy and @Julie Kelley for this great example!

One of our recently graduated ASA Service Dog teams put this video together as part of a feature with WebMD!! 🐕‍🦺 Nurse Joy ✨ the precious poodle in pink showing off her service dog tasks, public access skills, and the incredible bond this team has developed through consistent communication and training 🐾 Thank you for sharing your adventures, Stepho and Joy Joy!!

Saffy is officially cleared from her spay recovery with the Dr’s order to go back to training/working!! Ya!!! James is away where he could not take Saffy and my Dad and I went to Home Depot so we took Saffy since it was later in the evening and the store would be quiet. Turns out they just got a truck so they were moving pallets everywhere. She got a little scared and hid but never tried to flee and did not get all shaky. I noticed the little bit of fear and made her sit and watch the noise and quickly rewarded her calmer behavior with praise and treats, then we checked out the pallet that was just placed! We walked around and she did awesome. I had to work on heel because she was excited and wanted to get a head. We stopped to look at cabinet handles and she actually kicked her hip out! So proud of how calm she was. She of course she got lots of praise and a jack pot level of treats!🤩🥳. I focused on her and not videos but did get a picture of the super calm down with me stepped away.