The Process

As I understand it there are two ways to get a service dog. Both ways are pretty darn expensive and take at least two years. The first is to get a service dog from a program. The second is to train your dog yourself with the assistance of a professional trainer. I would like to train a dog myself. I feel like it would be a type of therapy for me and I could accomplish something really great if I do it myself. I know that I can. I've trained dogs before and I'm not working or going to school so I could completely focus on dog training. If I need to though I will get a program dog.

So here's how getting a program dog works as far as what I've discovered in my research. An application is submitted to the program and evaluated to see if the person applying fits the dogs they have in training currently or if they need to be put on a waiting list. In most programs it seems that they are always training dogs the basics. They start with obedience and work their way up to specific tasks that the person that will end up with the dog will need. The training process takes almost two years. At the end of the two years the dog is matched with a handler (the person that needs the dog). It seemed pretty standard that the handler would go to the place where the dogs are trained and work with their dog for two weeks. The handler gets trained on how to work with their dog and how to become an effective team.

If I chose to train my own dog I would purchase a puppy that is about eight weeks old, right now I am considering a golden retriever or German shepherd, and then I would start training the puppy right away. The puppy would go to socialization classes, basic obedience and become certified with the AKC Good Canine Citizen test. While my dog and I are in these classes we would also be receiving private lessons with the trainer. After completing the Good Canine Citizen certification my do would need to start taking public access training. This would allow my dog and I to practice working out in the public so that eventually I can take the dog everywhere with me. Then we would begin service dog task training. The whole time we would be taking private lessons with the trainer to prepare my dog to work out in public. The trainer that I am looking into actually has a service dog certification test that she provides. It's not necessary you actually don't need your dog to be certified under ADA laws, but if there is ever a legal issue it does look nice to pull out the paperwork that shows your dog's training and qualifications.


There are three specific tasks that I would have my dog trained to do:

1. Bring me my medicine and water during a panic attack.
2. Lick and/or paw me until I am calm during a panic attack.
3. And respond to my alarm so that when I am really depressed and sleep through important things like meals the dog will wake me up by physically nudging me and pawing me.

So that's the long and short of it. 

Peace Out

thefleet