Dog Training Methods Uncovered
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Few dogs have all of the qualities needed to become service dogs. Very very few programs will train a client's pet dog because the success rate is so incredibly low with dogs not carefully selected from the start to become service dogs. Literally the statistics show it's one dog in a hundred, so the chances are slim your Molly, as lovely and helpful as she is, would be cut out for this kind of training. This training also typically requires 18-24 months of training, so it would not be a quick solution to your problem.
Be aware that there are scammers out there who will offer to certify your dog sight-unseen for as little as $40 or to train your dog for thousands, without actually delivering a real service dog in the end. So you must be very very careful. Especially for Molly's sake because trainers who offer a fast turn around for this kind of training tend to use harsh methods to achieve fast results (faster results mean more money for less work for them).
Honestly, your best bet would be to apply at a program that trains service dogs and get one of theirs. The way is probably about as long as getting Molly trained, but the probability of success is significantly higher (since you only meet the dog once they've completed training or are very near the end of training--no chance to get attached to a dog who doesn't work out in the end).
Here's an article explaining how to look for a service dog program. It includes links to several lists of service dog providers, most of them sorted by state. If you are determined to look for someone to train Molly for you, this is the same resource I would suggest to help you find a private trainer or program to train her for you.
http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content…
Therapy Dog Training - What Are the Various Methods of Obedience Training For Dogs?
- Turning a household pet into a service dog is practically impossible. Service dogs candidates are screened as puppy's and then enter a training program. Most of the candidates drop out of the program due to personal issues. An example would be a dog who cannot remain calm when a loud noise is nearby. That dog will not be accepted as a service dog and can go back to being "just a pet".
Dogs that make the cut and remain in the service dog training program generally are in training for up to two years depending on how much service and what kind of service they will provide.
Your best bet is to find some service dog providers in the San Antonio area. (Include Dallas and Houston in your search.) There will be some service dog providers somewhere in Texas. Contact them and find out how long it takes a service dog to be trained for the issue you have. I think you will find that you will not want your dog to be away from you for a year while it's in training.
Instead, consider getting a dog from one of the service dog provider groups. That dog will be well socialized and will get along with your current dog (you will have to make sure YOUR dog accepts the new dog). Your current dog will observe the acceptable behavior from the new dog and will mimic it's behavior to a certain extent. Good luck. - I honestly don't know if your dog would qualify to be a service dog. (You didn't mention her breed or anything like that.) I don't know if your agoraphobia extends to the telephone and speaking to strangers, but if you can handle the phone, a Google Search turned this place up:
http://www.superdog.com/trainer%20pages/…
Pro: It's in San Antonio and if their website is to be believed, they might be able to do the job.
Con: With any dog training, you are probably going to be required to be present. After all, it's not just the dog that learns the commands, you have to, too.
Have you spoken to your doctor, as well? Good luck to you. - im not really sure about your answer but to the person above me my uncle has a mental health service dog and he can take him anywhere but a hospital
- In order to have a psychiatric service dog, you have to have a doctor that states you are disabled by a mental illness and recommends that you use a service dog.
You need to consider if what you need is an Emotional Support Dog or an actual Psychiatric Service Dog. Service Dogs are trained to perform tasks that mitigate your disability while Emotional Support Animals are trained to perform tasks and simply provide emotional support. You cannot take an Emotional Support Animal into public but it can help you at home.
Once you get a psychiatrist to agree to recommend that you use a service dog and that you are disabled, you need to come up with a list of tasks your dog can be trained to do that mitigate your disability. For example, a service dog for a person in a wheelchair would have the task of retrieving items that the person drops or cannot reach. So, what tasks could your dog be trained to do that help you? Simply making you feel better when you go into public doesn't count because it is not a trained behavior. I also recommend that your dog be temperament tested to make sure that it will be safe to use in public. Your dog will also need extensive obedience training and public access training...in addition to the task training.
Lastly, you can find a trainer by searching databases of certified dog trainers and seeing which ones have experience in service dog training. However, most trainers will not help you until you have a letter from your doctor.
Edit:
Emotional Support Dogs have no public access rights. Psychiatric Service Dogs (mental health service dogs) do have public access rights.
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