poshpoodle

He is giving me the answers...I'm just typing for him. Apple doesn't make paw-friendly keyboards........yet.

Yes. Yes they are.

I will have Virgil for 12-18 months, depending on his training. After that, he goes to advanced training for 4-6 months. Aside from basic obedience/dog manners, one of the main components is his vest training. He needs to learn that whenever he is wearing his vest, he is working. I put his vest on before I take him anywhere where he may one day be "working". I put it on before I take him to class, before taking him on the bus, etc. He is absolutely not allowed to play with people or other dogs in his vest. He also shouldn't eat or relieve himself while wearing it, but the latter is a little more difficult to train.

I wish :(

All I can really do is just take the vest off him. I can't punish him for peeing while he's wearing the vest, because he won't make the connection of "do not pee in vest," he'll just think I'm scolding him for peeing. It's something that has to be learned kind of like a habit.