Raising and Training Therapy-Grade Dogs: Stokeshire’s Method
Our Philosophy
“We believe that focusing on developing a strong bond with your puppy before doing anything else”
At Stokeshire, we raise our puppies much like we raise our children and that starts with unconditional love. While that may sound strange, we now know that dogs form attachments to their human caregivers in much the same way that toddlers form attachments to their primary parents, and the security of that attachment has a tremendous influence on behavior. Dogs, like humans, experience an increase in oxytocin—popularly known as the “bonding hormone”-- when they interact with loved ones. These surging oxytocin levels unlock a kind of social genius in dogs, increasing their ability to read and understand humans. Our puppies are held from the time they enter the world. Their environment & genetics (nature) coupled their experience (nurture) all contribute to the overall character, intelligence and health of your puppy.
We begin a dog’s education through the use of rewards, which often come in the form of treats, physical affection, and praise. Dogs learn new behaviors through goal-driven learning that is both enjoyable and effective, reinforcing positive behaviors using hand signals and simple vocal cues.
Our doodle puppies are allowed to gain an understanding of the training exercises without concern about making a mistake. If and when more reliability is needed, strong verbal corrections are used.
Most commonly we do this first with a leash. The dog learns various situations in which pressure may be applied, and the various behaviors that they can rely on to remove that pressure, and this is all done with a low intensity so the dog has the opportunity to learn about the tools without a great deal of stress. We believe that focusing on developing a strong bond with your puppy before doing anything else, is secure in the knowledge that appropriate behavior is a by-product of unconditional love.
“The strongest relationships between dogs and humans are based on cooperation and kindness ”
— Victoria Sitwell
Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), Exposure & Socialization
The foundation of a well-adjusted therapy or service dog begins at birth. Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), a process initially developed by the U.S. military's "Super Dog" program (Battaglia, 2009), introduces mild stressors to puppies in the first two weeks of life. ENS enhances cardiovascular performance, stress tolerance, and resilience, laying the groundwork for strong emotional regulation.
Exposure and socialization further refine these foundational skills. Research emphasizes that puppies who are systematically exposed to new environments, sounds, surfaces, and human interactions between 3-16 weeks of age show increased adaptability and confidence in adulthood (Appleby et al., 2013). Our puppies engage in structured exposure activities, including:
Handling by different people to promote trust and reduce fearfulness.
Introduction to household and environmental sounds (e.g., vacuum cleaners, sirens, children playing) to desensitize them to loud noises.
Walking on varied surfaces such as tile, carpet, and outdoor terrain to improve motor skills.
Positive interactions with other dogs and animals to develop appropriate social behavior.
According to Howell et al. (2015), early and frequent socialization reduces anxiety-related behavioral issues and enhances trainability, making it an essential part of raising future therapy dogs.
Stokeshire Puppy Temperament Evaluation
At 6-7 weeks of age, our puppies undergo a structured temperament evaluation using BAB Puppy Evaluations. This process helps assess each puppy’s suitability for various roles, including therapy and service work. Our evaluation measures key traits such as:
Assertiveness with Humans – Determines whether a puppy is naturally dominant or submissive when interacting with people.
Confidence – Assesses how a puppy adapts to new environments and unfamiliar objects.
Motivation Level – Evaluates a puppy’s willingness to work for human guidance through play and engagement.
Nerve Strength – Observes how a puppy handles stress and recovers from challenges.
Touch Tolerance – Measures a puppy’s comfort with being handled, which is crucial for therapy work.
Energy Level – Helps determine if a puppy is suited for a high-activity or calmer lifestyle.
Sound & Sight Sensitivity – Tests a puppy’s reaction to unexpected noises and movement.
Prey Drive – Assesses their natural inclination toward chasing small animals.
Human Focus – Evaluates a puppy’s ability to follow and stay engaged with people.
Tenderheartedness – Determines how emotionally sensitive a puppy is to human distress.
Dog Friendliness – Assesses how the puppy interacts with other dogs.
Therapy dog candidates typically score well in confidence, human focus, nerve strength, and moderate tenderheartedness, making them well-suited for emotional support and therapeutic work.
Volhard Puppy Aptitude Testing (PAT)
In addition to BAB Empowered Puppy Evaluations, we utilize the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test (PAT) at around 49 days of age. This scientifically developed assessment has been used since the 1930s to predict the future temperament and working potential of puppies. The Volhard test evaluates key traits that help match puppies to suitable homes, ensuring their success as therapy, service, or companion dogs.
The Volhard PAT consists of ten tests, each assessing a different behavioral characteristic:
Social Attraction – Measures a puppy’s desire for human companionship and confidence.
Following – Evaluates willingness to follow and bond with a person.
Restraint – Assesses dominant or submissive tendencies when gently restrained.
Social Dominance – Determines how the puppy accepts human authority and guidance.
Elevation Dominance – Tests a puppy’s reaction to being held in a position of no control.
Retrieving – Measures the puppy’s willingness to work and engage with humans.
Touch Sensitivity – Determines how the puppy responds to physical handling.
Sound Sensitivity – Evaluates reactions to unexpected noises.
Sight Sensitivity – Tests the puppy’s response to sudden visual stimuli.
Stability – Assesses reactions to novel objects or situations.
Each puppy is scored on a scale of 1 to 6, with ideal therapy and service dog candidates typically scoring in the middle ranges. Puppies that score too high in dominance may require experienced handling, while extremely shy puppies may need additional confidence-building.
The Volhard PAT, combined with BAB Puppy Evaluations, provides a comprehensive assessment of each puppy’s temperament, helping us place them in environments where they will thrive.
What is R+ training?
R+ training stands for positive reinforcement, but it is known by lots of other names such as reward-based training, force-free, science-based training, or pain-free training.
Positive reinforcement is the idea that your dog learns those good things happen to him/her when he/she does the thing you like and therefore is more likely to repeat that behavior. Conversely, if you ignore unwanted behaviors or use positive training to redirect a dog, they are more likely to decrease those behaviors. We teach our dogs to do a less desirable behavior for the opportunity to do a more desirable behavior. We are often the reward.
What positive reinforcement training promotes:
it helps you learn to connect with your dog and strengthens your relationship by building trust and affection
it helps you work through the problems in a humane way
it allows you to lessen a dog’s fears, anxieties, and stressors by addressing them
it establishes the behaviors that you want to see in your dog
Dogs have an intra-species relationship and a pattern of behaviors with their human family members that are driven by a variety of motivations, including genetics, socialization, available resources, fear, conflicts, learning, behavioral pathology, and disease.” — Dr. Debra Horwitz and Dr. Gary Landsberg
We want to empower our dogs to decide what is most reinforcing in that moment and honor that. Whether it’s food, physical affection, sniffing friends, marking the trees, digging in his dig-box, going for runs, playing fetch, or anything else he likes to do.
The biggest misconception about positive training is that there's no discipline. You just shove treats down a dog's throat and tell him 'good boy,'
This is incorrect.
Humane discipline is a key part of positive training and part of our balanced approach. But that discipline involves teaching a dog to make the right choices by giving them alternatives, not constantly 'correcting' them. We have to give these highly intelligent, emotional animals the opportunity to think and learn. Learning the word “NO” or “OFF” is an important part of the learning process. The intent of correction is not to punish the dog, but rather to change the dog’s behavior through controlled stimulus and pressures. When applied, the pressure delivers just enough information to interrupt the dog’s train of thought and bring the focus back to you. Pressure does not equal pain. A mother will apply pressure with her mouth on a puppy's ear. Correction often looks like:
First Step: Interruption
Second Step: Redirection
Third Step: Walk Away (You)
Fourth Step: Removal (Time Out)
“Once our dogs have trust in us through a secure bond, we help them develop trust in themselves.”
We encourage our puppies to develop new skills, such as the ability to understand and communicate yes and no when asked questions, finding things using their amazing sense of smell, and learning the meaning of human words. We place them in new and challenging situations with people and other dogs.
Questions Clients Should Ask Trainers
How long have you been training dogs?
What certifications or training methodologies do you follow?
Do you have experience training therapy or service dogs?
Have you worked with doodle breeds before?
What is your training philosophy (positive reinforcement, balanced training, etc.)?
How do you handle behavioral issues such as anxiety, fear, or aggression?
Do you offer structured training programs, or is training customized to the dog’s needs?
How do you assess a dog’s temperament and learning style?
Can you accommodate therapy dog training needs?
How do you incorporate socialization in your training?
Do you expose puppies to different environments, people, and noises?
How do you track a dog’s progress?
How do you involve owners in the training process?
Do you prepare dogs for Canine Good Citizen (CGC) or therapy dog certification?
What support do you offer after the formal training ends?
What are your fees, and what is included in the cost?
Our Hope for you and your pup
At Stokeshire Designer Doodles, our goal is for every client and their puppy to complete the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program. We believe that the CGC certification represents a vital step toward nurturing well-mannered, confident dogs who can comfortably interact in various environments and social settings. Achieving this certification is facilitated through R+ (positive reinforcement) training, a science-based, humane approach that encourages desired behaviors by rewarding them, rather than using fear or force. With R+ training, dogs learn that positive actions lead to good outcomes, enhancing their trust and strengthening the bond they share with their owners. Through this method, we empower dogs to make choices that align with desired behaviors, utilizing rewards like treats, affection, or play to reinforce learning. While some may mistakenly view positive reinforcement as lacking discipline, it actually incorporates humane boundaries and gentle corrections, teaching dogs to focus, make better choices, and respond effectively. The balanced approach we promote at Stokeshire fosters well-rounded, responsive pets who are as comfortable with discipline as they are with positive encouragement, making the CGC goal an achievable and rewarding milestone for all.
References
Appleby, D. L., Bradshaw, J. W. S., & Casey, R. A. (2013). Relationship between aggressive and avoidance behaviour by dogs and their experience in the first six months of life. Veterinary Record, 172(3), 57-64.
Battaglia, C. L. (2009). Periods of early development and the effects of stimulation and social experiences in the canine. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 4(5), 203-210.
Howell, T. J., King, T., & Bennett, P. C. (2015). Puppy parties and beyond: The role of early age socialization practices on adult dog behavior. Veterinary Medicine: Research and Reports, 6, 143-153.