Crowd blocking / personal space

About this task

Dog positions itself to create physical space between the handler and other people in crowded environments.

How it helps: Reduces sensory overwhelm and anxiety caused by people getting too close in public spaces.

Required foundation skills

Heel. Sit on cue. Comfortable in public.

Training steps

1. Teach dog to sit or stand directly in front of handler facing outward
2. Add the cue "block" or "cover"
3. Teach dog to position between handler and an approaching person
4. Practice with known helper approaching
5. Practice facing different directions based on where crowd is
6. Teach dog to hold position until handler moves
7. Generalize to actual crowded environments

Proofing criteria

Once your dog reliably performs this task at home, proof it in these environments and situations:

1. Blocks reliably on cue at home
2. Blocks with a known helper approaching
3. Holds block position for 2+ minutes
4. Blocks in a store
5. Blocks in a crowd
6. Moves with handler while maintaining blocking position
7. Does not intimidate or threaten people while blocking