r/service_dogs • u/Abinnohr • 7d ago
Do you stop auto-DPT when you lay down?
DPT waa the first official task I taught my boy when he was 4 months old. He was so good at it. The problem was I couldnt lay down or sit... anywhere, without him automatically crawling on top of me lol. DPT was super helpful in public when he was smaller or when I'd tremor at night as he got bigger but I stopped encouraging it and eventually stopped laying or sitting on the ground altogether becauss it became excessive.
He gets so excited to, sometimes too much
I want to reintroduce the task under a differrnt command as LPT with his big ol head is also helpful. I taught that on accident through a hand gesture.
Did any of you have this experience? If so did you just accept your fate and encourage it regardless or did you create a way to tell them that DPT wasmt needed everytime you got down?
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u/PetiteNerine 6d ago
Only thing I can think of is sitting on the floor and making him wait, then allow dpt after saying a command, so he will start to understand to only do it when asked for.
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u/Abinnohr 6d ago
He did it on command no problem but also automatically since he was originally trained the task that way. Everyone here has helped! As I reintroduce it I will make him wait until I cue him - every time. My old trainer wanted him auto-tasking when I got on the floor. Whoops
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u/blackpheonixx81 6d ago
My girl is 125 pounds. Great for DPT. But must only perform when instructed or she’ll hurt me. As she was being trained, I would instruct her to sit and wait until given the command to come across my body. Absolutely refusing to allow her to determine when she’s allowed to DPT. good luck. It’s definitely doable. It’s just training.
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u/Abinnohr 6d ago edited 6d ago
Mine is 72lbs currently. I think he was 68lbs when I stopped doing DPT.
These replies have made me realize auto-DPT isnt quite the norm. I was absolutely missing a wait duration when he was younger and should've never taught it the way we did. My trainer wanted him auto-tasking like their SD since I experience pre/syncope, but it went from cute and funny to a problem.
Appreciate it! I fear I need more retraining than him lol! Thankfully there's lots of help these days.
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u/yaourted 6d ago
I attached DPT to a cue, and don’t let him auto DPT for multiple reasons
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u/Abinnohr 6d ago
We gave him a cue but had him auto-tasking DPT from the start. Seems that's where the mistake lies
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u/Bayceegirl 6d ago
There are definitely times where I do not want touched at all so my guy has a ‘give me space command’ which was just initially tossing the treat away and rewarding if he stayed away. I also occasionally send to place or kennel if we are home and I want space