Service dogs are individual animals that have been specifically trained to work with a person with a specific disability or special need.
The Americans with Disabilities Act
defines service dogs as:
… as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.
Service animals are not:
- Required to be certified or go through a professional training program
- Required to wear a vest or other ID that indicates they’re a service dog
- Emotional support or comfort dogs, because providing emotional support or comfort is not a task related to a person’s disability.
A service dog candidate should:
- Be calm, especially in unfamiliar settings
- Be alert, but not reactive
- Have a willingness to please
- Be able to learn and retain information
- Be capable of being socialized to many different situations and environments
- Be reliable in performing repetitive tasks
Sometimes there is only so much you can do on your own to train your dog... sometimes you may have questions that just cannot be answered or found on the internet... sometimes you just do not know where or how to start. I am here to help you and your dog on your journey to become a dynamic working duo. Training dogs to be Service Dogs is not about just training an individual dog, it's about training the dog AND their owners on how to work together and be a team.
Please message me about what specific training you are seeking for your service dog. Pricing will vary depending on dogs level of training and tasks that need to be performed for their owners.
Training will always begin with an evaluation and not every dog can make the cut to become a Service Dog. Many dogs end up being washed from programs due to health and temperament. Training A service dog does not take weeks or months... but rather YEARS to hone all the skills that are necessary to be able to help their owners with the special tasks needed.
