Dog Health Questions: Where do you get a dog trained and sertisfied to become a survice dog?

The reason I am asking is My younger dog Titan helped me the other day. I suffer from falling down and sometimes I can't get up. Well this happened the other day so I called Titan because I know Raven my older dog can't help me. Well he came running and stopped right beside me I grabbed his collar in the front and started to lift myself up. Well all he did was move all 4 legs out just a little bit to with stand my weight and i got up. I am thinking he might be a good dog for me to have as a service dog because like I said sometimes I can't get up. I can have surgery but can't afford it. Can you please help me. I am calling vets to find a trainer to train him the rest of the way and certify him.

Thanks

I have tried Paws for a cause but they say he is 2 old to be trained now. Titan is 2 years old.

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Recommended Answer:
In the US, there is no requirement for certification of service dogs.

In order to qualify, both the handler and the dog must meet certain criteria.

1) The handler must be disabled per the ADA. Most conditions have people who are disabled and some that aren't. It is not the diagnosis that matters but how it affects the person.

2) The dog must be trained to do something to that the handler can not do because of the disability. What qualifies as a task for one team may not be for another team. For example, my disability makes it dangerous for me to stoop, bend, or kneel down to pick up items, so my service dog is trained to pick up dropped objects and things that are on low shelves. But, if a persons disability doesn't prevent them from get such items, then that would be a bonus but would not qualify as a task.

3) The dog must be trained to behave properly in public. This is the longest and hardest part of the service dog training process. Most dogs don't have the proper temperament to handle public access work. If you do not have a great deal of experience in the advanced training of dogs, you will need to hire a trainer to both evaluate and assist in the training of the dog.

It takes 18 mo - 2 years to fully train a service dog. Whether or not you will have public access rights with a dog in training will depend on your state laws. The ADA only covers fully trained service dogs.

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• If you qualify for a service dog you can get one issued to you free of charge.
  
  Contact "Service Dogs of America" to see what you qualify for. See if they will help you train your dog or provide you with one. Some of the training starts at the age of 8 weeks.
  
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• you contact trainers in your area and see if any of them will assist with the training.
  
  there's no "certification".. but the dog must be reliably trained and socialized.


• First, there is no such thing as "certification" for service dogs in the United States. In order to have a service dog, you must meet the legal definition of "disabled" and the dog must meet the legal definition of "service dog". The dog must be individually trained to do something for you that you cannot do for yourself because of your disability.
  
  Unless a trainer has advanced obedience experience and experience training service dogs, you are not likely to find someone who will be able to help you in this instance.
  
  Service dogs that accompany their disabled handlers into places of public accommodation are temperament tested and highly trained. It generally takes 18-24 months to train a service dog. The fact that your dog is 2 years old puts you at a disadvantage because by the time he was fully trained, he would be approximately 4. Socialization and early exposure to a variety of situations is very important to raising and training a service dog that is fit for public access work.
  
  A service dog also needs to be healthy. Hip and joint xrays need to be done to be sure that your dog can assist you with mobility safely.
  
  My advice to you is that you consider contacting a reputable service dog organization and apply for a dog that is properly trained to assist you. If you are losing your sight, you may continue waiting until you have successfully completed orientation and mobility training and apply for a guide dog that is cross-trained in mobility work.
  
  A great place to service for resources on choosing a program and deciding whether or not a service dog is for you is Service Dog Central: http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content…


• talk to a trainer and ask who trains for service dogs
  trainer at petsmart knows of one in cincinnati