Every day, we learn more about the amazing ability of dogs. They are not only our best friends; they are also one our most prized survival tools. From cancer detection to anxiety comfort, to seizure alert, to stability, dogs are helping people around the world to live fuller lives. Many dogs love having a job, and few jobs are nobler than service work.
This page will answer some of the most common questions we get, and provide a range of resources for further reading. (And this is a topic you’ll want to do a lot of reading on if you’re considering this direction!)
Is my dog a good candidate to be a service, assistance or therapy dog?
We get this question a lot, and people usually want to hear an enthusiastic “YES”!! Unfortunately, it’s not always this simple…
Many, many, many AWESOME dogs are not well-suited for service or therapy dog work. This is not an insult to these dogs. This is not a critique of the way you’ve raised them, or the training they’ve received. Training errors can be fixed; temperament and socialization — less so. The simple truth is that it takes a fairly rare set of characteristics to thrive as a service dog.
Laurie Luck lays out some of the criteria:
http://smartdoguniversity.com/service-dog-training-what-it-takes-to-make-a-good-service-dog/
Some key points from the article you might not have considered:
adaptability — can she transition easily between crowded public places like the supermarket, to quiet locations like the library
is she able to tolerate loud noises, sirens, flashing lights, bangs, and clattering? Many dogs are undone by the applause of an auditorium or the public address system — a service dog has to be rock-solid regardless of the noise or commotion going on in their environment.
is she able to walk on any type of surface, even if she’s never seen it before? Even if it’s wobbly?
does she enjoy seeing new places, getting attention from strangers, having a crowd around her, seeing many hands come toward her at one time?
friendly with all other dogs. This one can be tough, as service dogs need to be able to tolerate other dogs, but not want to play with them or be distracted by them no matter what else is going on. This is a common reason that service dogs are released from service work.
Read the rest of the post, as the above excerpt is just a sampling, and all the points are important.
I’m interested in raising a puppy for a service organization. What am I getting into?
One of the formative dogs from my early childhood was a “seeing eye” puppy raised (by my parents, with a slight assist from young me) for a service dog organization in Virginia. I don’t remember much of the experience, since the dog left to fulfill her service duty upon hitting maturity. But it’s possible that experience lingered somewhere in my mind when I later entered the training and rescue worlds. It is certainly a kind and selfless gift to give to another family.
Laurie Luck has a number of posts on raising and training service dogs, and the many ups and downs this involves. Here’s one on “turning in” the dog.
http://smartdoguniversity.com/puppy-raising-a-service-dog-the-ups-downs/
By far, tomorrow’s the worst day of every puppy raiser’s life — turn in. There’s nothing good about it. Absolutely nothing. Not one redeeming factor. It’s bad — all bad. And I’ll have a three-hour drive home without her to cry and moan and woe-is-me it up to the hilt.
It sure isn’t easy. But it is meaningful, much like fostering for a rescue organization.
How should I greet a service dog in public?
Here’s a video with some tips:
http://www.servicedogs.org/news/greet-service-dog-public/
Help me avoid scams!
Dr. Jennifer Cattet on “The Faulty, the Fabulous and the Fake.”
What does my dog need to be able to do to qualify as a therapy dog?
Therapy Dogs International’s list of testing requirements
What’s on the therapy dog test?
Can you help me acquire a service dog?
We do not currently offer service dog placement, or sell service dogs. Our focus is pet dog training and resolving behavior problems. We are a family-run small business and do not have access to government funds or other types of grants. We wish you the best of luck in your search, however!
Can you recommend a book on training service dogs?
Teamwork, Book 1: A Dog Training Manual for People With Disabilities
Teamwork II: A Dog Training Manual for People With Disabilities
Book I covers the foundation of basic obedience required, Book II covers service exercises.
Can you certify my dog as a service dog?
There is no legally recognized certification (and no certification is required to have your dog work as a service dog, though there are behavioral and task training requirements). Most certifications sold online are like “World’s Best Dad” mugs — a nice decoration but not something with legal validity.
We certify for the AKC’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) program, which many consider a solid foundation for service dog training. But it is not a legally required one.
How much does it cost to train a service dog?
This depends on the individual’s needs, but generally many thousands of dollars. Here’s a bit more about the cost of training a service dog.