First establish you are disabled. Only persons who are legally disabled qualify for a service dog. Next, contact an organization that trains service dogs. Service Dog Central has an article with links to several lists of service dog trainers around the world, or simply contact Assistance Dogs International for the name of a member organization nearest you. Though some in the U.S. choose to train their own service dogs or to have a dog trained privately, few have the skills to train such an advanced dog. Therefore most service dogs are from programs that specialize in training service dogs. In most countries other than the U.S. service animals are required to come from ADI accredited programs.
Discuss this first with your medical caregivers. Do they agree that you are legally disabled (under the ADA) and you need a service dog? You will probably need their support to get the medical documentation a training program would require of you.
Do you have the facilities and financial resources to care for a service dog? Do a budget. Are you able to care for the dog yourself? These are important considerations.
Make a list of the things you cannot do for yourself and write up a paragraph or two describing your lifestyle (are you active or sedentary, for example). Do this before approaching an agency so you'll be prepared to answer their questions and ask some of your own.
Start thinking about what it is that you want this service dog to do to mitigate your disability. In order to be a service dog, the animal must be "individually trained" to "perform one or more tasks which mitigate the disability."
The following do NOT count as trained tasks:
-protection
-emotional support
-companionship (even for agoraphobia or anxiety)
The dog has to actively do something, that you cannot do for yourself,
that also lessens the effects of your disability on your ability to function in the area of major life activities.
Given Credit BY: servicedogcentral.org/content/node/149
Contact a local service dog school, there are a dozen in each state.
They will give you an application, and put you on a waiting list.
It can take several months to several years before your assigned a service dog.
Some schools charge for the service, others have donations and grants so they can provide the dogs at low cost or free.
To qualify for a service dog, you need to have a disability that substantially limits a major life activity. The dog would need to be trained to perform some task that directly assisted you with this disability, and,if it was to be used outside the home, would have to be able to meet standards of public access like those of the ADI PAT.
Many people with disabilities get their service dogs from special training programs. The quality of programs varies widely. ADI (Assistance Dogs International) sets minimum standards for service dog programs that member programs must follow, so many people look for ADI affiliation when choosing a program. Many programs are supported by donations and provide the dog at little to no cost to the disabled individual.
However, the waiting list for program dogs can sometimes be long, so some people pay a private trainer to select and train a dog as a service dog. This method is often costlier, and riskier, because sometimes dogs which initially seem suitable for service work turn out to have some problem that would interfere with their ability to perform their job. Then the whole process would need to start over, and the money that had already been spent on training and purchasing the initial animal would have been wasted. Not every trainer is qualified to select or train service dogs, so anyone taking this route should check references carefully.
Some disabled individuals choose to train their own dogs. This method is only recommended if the disabled person has extensive prior experience training dogs to the high standard required of service dogs, and if he or she is really prepared to "wash out" a dog that turns out not to be suited for the work.
Hi,
There are a lot of different organizations that train service animals. Search Google for the type of service animal you need (epilepsy, Diabetes, hearing/vision/mobility impaired, PTSD, ...ect) or you can train one yourself.
Try to find a local school since you'll have to travel to it a few times.
Try to find a local school since you'll have to travel to it a few times.
There are several places to begin your search. Assistance Dogs International offers a list of certified trainers on their website in the members section. The Delta Society offers a search function that allows you to locate an agency or trainer in your area. The International Association of Assistance Dog Partners can also offer advice on providers.
One can donate money to help train service dogs online on websites, such as National Association of Service Dogs, Freedom Service Dogs and Dogs for the Disabled. Service dogs can be trained to perform different tasks.
No, there is no such thing as certification for service dogs.
service dogs need to be on a leash in a restaurant
The most common and well-known service dog should be Guide Dog as the first service dogs are just for the blind. However, as service dogs can also be trained to assist people with other disabilities, they gradually developed into various types, for one or more than one disability. Here are the common types of service dogs: Guide dogs Hearing dogs Diabetic alert dogs Seizure alert dogs and seizure response dogs Psychiatric service dogs Mobility assistance dogs Autism support dogs
Well any dogs can be servcie dogs are you talking about seeing eye or what type of service?
no service dogs go thru extensive training that takes years companions are just your friends
Any breed can be a service dog! Bulldogs are a rare breed for service dogs, but with the training and effort, it’s possible.
There is no requirement for general service dogs. Guide dogs are usually medium size breeds between 30-80lbs.
only if they are service dogs
The American's with Disabilities Act does not apply to service dogs in training. Some states have laws which permit trainers to take service-dogs-in-training to the same places fully trained service dogs can go. However, most states require service-dogs-in-training to be accompanied by a trainer from a recognized program for training service dogs and that they carry credentials which they show on request.
There are not patient assistance providers for service dogs. However, several service dog providers in the US offer their dogs to the disabled and blind for no cost. Assistance Dogs International is an organization that certifies service dog providers. They have a list of reputable providers on their website.
Service Dogs are either rescued from animal shelters or bred in selective breeding Service Dogs can be identified by either a jacket, backpack or harness.