- Service Dog Program
Service Dog Program
Yes, You Can Train Your Own Service Dog.
The best place to get a service dog is from a charity accredited by Assistance Dogs International. But not everyone can.
Service dog charities tend to have long waitlists and tend to focus on certain types of disabilities. If you are an adult with autism, a PTSD sufferer who is not a military veteran, or if your MS has not progressed to the point where you are in a wheelchair, you are unlikely to qualify for a service dog from a reputable training institution.
There are also a lot of service dog scams out there, willing to charge disabled people thousands of dollars for an unsuitable and poorly trained dog.
So, people ask us, "can I train my own?"
Yes.
Canada recognizes owner-trained service dogs so long as they are, in fact, service dogs and not just pets in capes. The province of BC even has a special law that lets you certify your dog through the Justice Institute of BC to get additional government protection - the BC Guide Dog and Service Dog Act.
Beware! Scam sites encourage you to "register" your dog as a service dog or therapy dog. No reputable certification program certifies dogs without in-person assessment and proof of disability. These websites are SCAMS and will not be recognized by airlines, government bodies, or courts of law.
Watch Our Video On Service Dog Laws
What Constitutes a "Service Dog"?
1. You have a legally recognized disability.
Many people struggle with anxiety, depression, or physical pain. At what point does it become a disability? The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defined disability a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which - in interaction with various barriers - may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
In other words, if you have an impairment which makes the world less accessible to you, you may be considered disabled.
2. The dog has been trained to assist with your impairment.
This doesn't just mean that you just feel better when you have your dog with you. Most of us feel better when we have our dog with us. Dogs and humans have been symbiotic since time immemorial and in a perfect world, they would be welcome wherever we are. Until then, a service dog is different from a pet who provides comfort. A service dog specifically assists you with your impairment.
In order for your dog to be seen as a "service dog" you need to connect your disability with the assistance your dog provides.
3. Your dog is trained to a higher obedience standard than is expected for pet dogs.
You have the right to bring your wheelchair into a store, but you don't have the right to run over people's toes. You also have the right to bring your service dog into a store - if you will require the dog's services there - but you do not have the right to inflict an excitable, jumpy, barky dog on your fellow shoppers. If you take your service dog into a "no dogs" place, then your dog must not act like a dog. Your dog must act like an accessibility aid.
Is It Possible? Yes. Easy? No.
If it were easy to train a dog to service-dog level, everyone would do it.
There is a reason that there is sky-high demand for service dogs, and very little supply. The reason is simple.
1. You need to find a dog who wants the job.
Dogs are not interchangeable. You need to have a dog that has the right temperament, the right size and shape, the right interest, and the right relationship with you.
2. You need the time and physical ability.
It takes at least six months to teach a mature adult dog, and sometimes over a year. It takes hours of active work, and hours of passive work whenever you interact with your dog to maintain the things you taught them. You also need the ability to handle a raw dog. For a dog to learn to be confident and comfortable in public, you must be capable of setting an example of confidence and comfort in public. For a dog to learn not to pull on the leash, you must have the ability to stop the dog when they try.
3. You need the knowledge and skill set.
This is where we come in - this is where we can help. We know what your dog needs to learn, and multiple ways of teaching each skill. We can tell you the best way to manage your leash, advise you on whether your dog shows an aptitude for the things you want them to do, and help you overcome a tricky problem. With our knowledge and support, you can set yourself and your dog up for success.
Qualified Service Dog Trainers
Our trainers have been taught by highly respected professionals, including Bonnie Bergin - the founder of Canine Companions for Independence, the first wheelchair assistance dog charity.
Both Carol Millman and Amelia Kellum apprenticed at Pacific Assistance Dogs Society in Burnaby, BC.
PADS is an ADI-accredited service dog school specializing in wheelchair assistance dogs, facility therapy dogs, and hearing dogs for the Deaf and hard of hearing.
We know the difference between training a pet, and training a dog who is so much more. Our high standards and service-dog specific experience results in graduates who get congratulated by the certification tester on the high caliber of their dogs' training.
Please Note!
We are not here to certify your "emotional support dog". While many of our clients have psychiatric disabilities including PTSD and Schizophrenia, there is a difference between a psychiatric service dog and a comforting pet.
We do not provide certification for people who want to bring their pet dog on a plane or get their pet dog into a no-pet strata. We do not even certify our own graduates.
Our graduates are certified by the provincial government by taking an independent certification test administered via the Justice Institute of BC, as per the B.C. Guide Dog and Service Dog Act.
A Different Attitude To Training
Perhaps you're planning to hire a pet dog trainer to help you. That's a great idea. An experienced AnimalKind trainer will definitely help you get toward your goal. But pet dog training is not the same as service dog training, and you'll be better off with a service-dog experienced trainer.
A service dog does not need to be micromanaged. They should know what to do. They should be able to read the room. They should see the situation, and think, "oh, I know what to do here."
Pet dog training tends to focus on responding to commands, or "cues". The goal in pet dog training is to get a dog who does what they are told to do.
Sit. Lie down. Stay. Come.
A good service dog, on the other hand, must use their brain. A service dog should know what to do without being told. Your life is not easier when you're constantly having to spout a string of commands, such as "heel! Sit! Stay! Heel! Leave it! Heel! Stay!"
A service dog does not need to be micromanaged. They should know what to do. They should be able to read the room. They should see the situation, and think, "oh, I know what to do here."
Social Learning and Cognition Are Key
As you will learn as you attempt to train your dog, teaching and supporting a dog can be exhausting. If we want to graduate to the point where the dog is a pleasant companion and helper, and not a burden and chore, we need the dog to take responsibility for their own behavior. We teach the dog to "read the room" and figure out what to do based on your behaviour and the behaviour of those around you.
We recognize the dog as a sentient being who is quite capable of thinking and learning and making decisions for themselves, and we guide our clients to treat their dog the same way.
If you try to force your dog to be a service dog, then that is not a helper - that is a slave. Instead of ordering your dog around, you need to ask, "will you help?" and your dog should want to say "yes". We help our clients learn how to build that kind of relationship with their dog.
Our Private, Self-Paced Program Includes
- Private training sessions at your home and in public places.
- How to train the skills you need your dog to learn.
- How to train the public behavior you need your dog to learn.
- Problem solving and goal-setting.
- How to work with your dog's individual personality and temperament.
- Group field trips to practice public behavior around other dogs who follow the same rules.
- Group park meet-ups for fun and community.
- A private facebook community.
- Group video meet ups and check ins where you can share your successes and get support for your struggles.
- Pay a one-time fee of $5,000 or pay monthly with a membership.
Who Qualifies?
We don't accept every person who applies to our program. The demand is very high and we have to turn people away very often.
We are accept people who:
1. Are disabled - either physically, psychologically, or neurologically. We understand that not all disabilities are visible, but your condition must be impacting your life negatively in a way that a dog can assist you with.
Note: If you have a child with autism or a similar cognitive/psychiatric disability, please read this first.
2. Have put serious thought into their choice of dog. What makes you think that this dog is the right dog for the job? How to choose your future service dog.
3. Understand that teaching a dog to assist you takes a lot of time, dedication, and effort on your part. It is not a walk in the park - although it often involves many, many walks in parks!
4. Understand that we will not force a dog to assist you. Your dog must help you of their own free will, because of the bond of trust, communication, and positivity that you have built together.
5. Have a teenaged or adult dog who has either graduated our Puppy Prodigy Program or who has passed an introductory assessment in a pet-friendly store.