Golden retriever service dog and golden retriever service dog in training laying in the grass.

Tandem Training

Sometimes trainers will train the newer service dogs with the older dogs who have already been trained. The trainers have observed that it helps the dog who is being trained to see the task they are being asked to do performed ahead of time. They also do this with the dogs that are already trained because, just like people, they can forget things over time and they just need a little “refresher course”. That’s why it’s so important to continuously practice your commands with your service dog, even if it’s a command you rarely use. In fact, those are the most important ones to practice, since those are the ones they’re most likely to forget and you’ll never know when you need it!