I’m teaching a service dog, Gordie, to stay off my feet. It’s been a long process. He’s been with me since early June and I’m still having to remind him to get off my feet. For a service dog, it’s actually not the worse problem to have. If anything, he wants to be close, uber close – but still not acceptable.

If I had to remember one of the things my mom nagged me as a kid for more than any others it was to hold my shoulders back. At first it was all the time, every morning and night, anytime we went anywhere, “hold your shoulders back.” After what seemed like years, she stopped verbally reminding me and instead would touch my shoulder or point or just stare. Ugh! It drove me crazy. Of course, it wasn’t far into my 20’s that I began appreciating my mom’s nagging and saw the consequences of all those girls whose moms didn’t nag them.

That same process is the same process we do when we’re teaching our dog something new. So for Gordie, who tends to not only stand on my feet often when I’m petting or hanging with him but who also walks too closely on my heels, I’ve set the following goals:

• I want him to never step on my feet
• To step lighter so anytime he feels something under his feet he pulls them up to reposition
• I want to walk without him on my heels

To achieve these goals, I’ve had Gordie walk through training ladders (think of a ladder laid on the ground) to help him learn he has control of his feet. And I’ve reminded him, over and over and over for his first month here. Now I’m to the non-verbal reminders….

I’m hyper aware of his feet (and since it’s summer and I’m in opened toed shoes a lot at home) and wait until he settles before petting or engaging with him

If he does step on a foot, I over react with a loud “Ouch!” and pull back or walk away

If he is walking too close behind me or crowding me at doorways or through tight areas – I employ crazy feet. Suddenly and without any warning my foot extends backwards or maybe out to the side, somewhere where he has to pull himself back and give me a little space.

Crazy feet (and us being unpredictable) is a great way to get a dog who is struggling with space issues to become more aware. And don’t forget those non-verbal reminders!