Dogs are highly social and they crave interaction. Bergin got some pushback and had to help some people understand that the dogs don't see it as work. Showing them that it was NOT alpha dog theory (Cesar Milan) stuff helped also. Service dog is lots of engagement and praise and connection and they love it. Just like some of them WANT to chase the tennis ball, most of them want to interact or train because those are social behaviors and it is in their instinct to live as a pack.
The primary way that humans and dog communicate is emotional. It's energy and love. This other stuff builds on that and enhances the relationship and the quality of life of the dog.
Bergin brings zen and beginner mind to the science. She says that after 30 years of intense research we have barely scratched the surface on how smart and tuned in dogs are. She always thought they were capable of incredible things but they exceeded her expectations and she had to keep moving the bar up. She proved they could map stick figures onto humans or themselves. Could recognize printed words and were not simply "living in the moment" but were in fact keenly aware, via scent, of the recent past via lingering smells, and the immediate future via scents like changes in another animal's pheromones, or body language and energy.
This shows her, the dogs, the student and the converted grade school:
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