I have a dog that I would like to have trained to be a service dog for myself. I suffer from sezuires. How do I go about getting him trained after I get him through the cgc certified.
Teas
As others have mentioned, seizure alerting isn't something that can generally be formally trained. Fifteen percent of dogs do it naturally. So to create a seizure alert dog you start first by finding a dog that has that natural talent and the temperament and health to become a service dog.
What is more common is to train a dog to be a seizure response dog rather than a seizure alert dog. Seizure response dogs assist their owner during and immediately after a seizure by getting help, clearing the airway of vomit, and gently restraining their partner from injury.
Now to training. The CGC is a good test of the quality of pet dogs. It is not by itself an adequate test of temperament for a service dog or a test of public access skills. Dogs should be able to pass a CGC before they begin training for public access in public, but a CGC doesn't mean they are actually ready to work in public.
Here are the other things they need to learn before becoming a service dog:
core skills:
http://www.deltasociety.org/download/sd_…
task training:
http://www.iaadp.org/tasks.html
public access:
http://www.iaadp.org/iaadp-minimum-train…
http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/publicaccesstest.php
Few people have the skill to assess for temperament and do the amount and level of training required to turn a dog into a service dog. Since you don't yet have that level of experience, you should either seek out a dog from a program, or seek a private trainer to either train your dog or coach you through the process.
Here's an article to help you find a program or trainer:
http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/262
In addition to temperament testing before you commit to an average of 18 months of training, you should also have your vet perform some heath tests, including OFA films for both hips and elbows, a cardiac check, CERF, and blood panel to check organ function (including thyroid function). It can be heartbreaking to invest a lot of time and training in a dog who has to retire early due to health issues. Health screening helps increase your odds the dog you want to train can work comfortably and safely for several years.
—edit—
Re: training alerts.
Generally, this is not possible. In order to train a dog to respond to whatever it is a person about to have a seizure gives off, the trainer must be able to control that signal or at the very least recognize when it is present. This is something humans cannot do. The only way I've seen it done successfully is to piggy back train a young dog off of an existing alert dog. The natural alert dog is used to identify when the signal is present. However, I have never seen a dog trained this way come close in quality to a natural alerter. They are not as reliable, do not give as much advance warning, and do not generalize as well.
Lanpher
Is your seizure disorder disabling? You only qualify for a service dog if you are disabled, meaning you have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Do you want a seizure response dog? Or a seizure alert dog?
A seizure response dog is a dog that does tasks during and after the person's seizure, such as keeping the person from hurting themselves, going to get help/calling 911, and guiding a person to a safe place to recuperate from the affect of the seizure.
A seizure alert dog is a dog that alerts the person that they are going to have an epileptic seizure before the seizure happens. The dog often also does seizure response tasks once the seizure takes place.
Do know that many dogs, even those bred specifically for service work from good working dog lines, do not have what it takes to become a service dog. Your pet very well may not be service dog material, especially if you want a seizure alert dog.
Training a service dog takes a long time – about two years. And not all dogs can be trained to alert to seizures. Many dogs do it naturally and some dogs can be trained to do it with scent discrimination, but many dogs will never alert.
Some good starting places would be to contact the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) – see their Web site at http://www.iaadp.org – and check out Assistance Dog International member programs (most will not train your own pet, but give you a new dog, some may allow you to still keep your pet) – http://www.adionline.org . You can also join service dog Yahoo! Groups to get more information on service dogs, what it is like to have a service dog, what the downfalls of having a service dog are, where people got their seizure alert dogs from, etc. There are many to choose from.
While having a CGC (Canine Good Citizen certificate) on any dog is a nice thing, CGCs are designed for pet dogs. Service dogs need a LOT more public access training than that of a CGC dog, as they have to behave impeccably in public. A dog whose only public access is a CGC is not ready to be a service dog.
–edit–
There has been some success with training medical alerts (epileptic seizures and diabetic lows/highs mostly), but not every dog can be trained to alert to them. It is not an easy process and takes a good trainer, but it is possible with some dogs who previously did not alert naturally. There are very few service dog programs who take on training this task. There are a few private trainers who are willing to take it on, as well. A program that trains diabetic alerts spoke at last year's IAADP conference.
DELOIS
Learning how to train your dog will improve your life and hers, enhance the bond between you, and ensure her safety and it can be a lot of fun. Dogs are usually eager to learn, and the key to success is good communication. Your dog needs to understand how you’d like her to behave and why it’s in her best interest to comply with your wishes. Check here to learn how to train your dog properly https://tr.im/47a7f
GMALIKA
Hi,
Understanding how to train your dog and how to correct bad behaviours is very important. That's why I suggest to follow a good training course. There are plenty of books and training material. One online course I recommend (I like it because it has hundreds of videos) is http://www.goobypls.com/r/rd.asp?gid=572
It helped me a lot.
Regards
SHANTELLE
The thing with this type of training is that your dog almost has to display that he is able to detect he seizures.. not all dogs have that ability.
Your best resource on service dogs is Delta Society.. you can search there for information on training, laws, etc.. www.deltasociety.org
Dog daze: Bogus service animals hurt those who need help
A Vietnam vet told the ABC7 I-Team he received "questionable service" before boarding a recent American airlines flight at O'Hare. This was the third time the veteran had trouble with the airline and the issue, he says, was his service dog "Gander."
Read more on WLS-TV
Learn The 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer And Take Your Dog Training To The Next Level!
From Morten Egtvedt & Cecilie Koeste
Dear Fellow Dog Trainer,
Are you aware that there are four important secrets about training dogs (or any kind of other animals), that can make YOU able of solving every behavior problem you may ever meet – and teach any brand new behavior or trick you can imagine?
Did you know that regardless of regardless of whether you have just gotten your first puppy dog or whether you are already an exerienced dog owner or trainer – learning these types of secrets could change the way you seem at dog training for ever?
Did you understand that all you have heard about clicker training until now may be only the particular tip of the iceberg?
Did you know that will most people using clicker training today by no means really unleash the full potential of this particular powerful technology?
Well, that is going to alter for you, my friend…
Meet Emma. She in fact is the kind of dog trainer that is able to solve ANY kind…
Learn The 4 Secrets of Becoming a Supertrainer And Take Your Dog Training To The Next Level!
I have been looking into training my own service dog as I could never afford an already trained one. What I would like to know is what age do you start training. I recently got a puppy that I would like to train as my service dog. He is only 8weeks old, I figured I can start his training now as he will not need to know how to pull a wheelchair. He is going to be trained for sever depression, PTSD, and help with my server panic attacks.
I'm looking into finding a trainer I can talk to for pointer and get help when needed. TIA guys
Darbouze
● "Service dog training"
But THAT isn't a question – those 3 words don't ASK us anything, yet you put them where your main question is supposed to be.
Maybe you meant something like;
○ "How do I train a Psychiatric Service Dog to perform ##### and @@@@ for me?"
with ##### and @@@@ being some tasks that you need but cannot perform for yourself.
Which raises the IMPORTANT issue of whether a dog can perform ANY trained tasks that your problems prevent YOU from performing?
Study http://www.usservicedogregistry.org/term… – it points out the general requirements for a dog to be classified as a Service Dog, not just a pet.
The regulation states
« animals whose sole function is to provide emotional support, comfort, therapy, companionship, therapeutic benefits, or to promote emotional well-being are not service animals…»
and specifies that a service animal must be specifically trained to DO something that assists its human. I believe that the minimum is TWO tasks that the human cannot perform.
● "I would like to know is what age do you start training."
The day I bring it home.
▪ You need to spend at least a week (preferably fortnight) staying home 24/7 with him, convincing him that you are a kind, brave person who will always protect him, that you are the source of everything fun & good in his universe. ▪ You have to OBSERVE him 100% while he is awake, learning his timings & signals for "Wanna go toilet" and "Wanna BITE sumfing!" until you can PREDICT them and be ready to take instant appropriate action.
▪ You have to supply all the safe & FUN (in HIS opinion!) familiarisation-&-confidence-building experiences pups need before they reach 13 weeks old.
▪ By the time he is 18-22 weeks old you need to be in a proper weekly training class for about a year, where YOU get coached on how to become a competent trainer, and Pup learns to pay attention regardless of what other dogs & people are doing.
And that is just for ending up with a well-behaved PET.
NO WAY can a dog be certificated as a service dog UNLESS its behaviour is exemplary.
● "I recently got a puppy that I would like to train as my service dog. He is only 8weeks old,
You sound VERY like the [jacky] who wants to have a Papillon as a service dog (and has not yet chosen a Best Answer….).
Okay –
▫ What breed is YOUR pup?
▫ What obedience/trainability qualifications do his parents have?
▫ What TWO or more tasks can he be trained to do that your depression, panic attacks, PTSD prevent you from doing for yourself?
▫ Has your GP or psychiatrist written a certificate stating that, in his/her professional opinion, you NEED a service dog?
I deduce that you have NOT discussed this with your psychotherapist or GP – - or have, and have been told that you are NOT eligible (but you hope to nevertheless cheat your way around it).
Until you can think up a reasonable list of such tasks, it will be a waste of time asking your doctor for a certificate entitling you to a Service Dog.
● "I'm looking into finding a trainer I can talk to for pointer and get help when needed."
You obviously have NO idea of how much time such a trainer spends working with the pooch & client.
THAT is why legitimate service dogs are so expensive – people who have put the time into learning HOW to train dogs to perform specific tasks DO expect to afford food, clothing, lodgings, entertainment – maybe even a family! To earn a living they must be
(1) on the payroll of a service dog institution (guide dogs, hearing aid dogs, mobility aid dogs), or
(2) own & train the pooch themselves THEN train the person who NEEDS that type of service and charging that person (or the person's sponsors) for all the hours he/she has put into the dog & the client.
And all the organisations listed in http://servicedogcentral.org/content/fak… 's "Examples of certification/registration/ID for a fee schemes" are listed because they are FAKES – scams that take your money without providing anything useful or valid.
Click http://servicedogcentral.org/content/nod… then scroll to your state's name and see what the specific regulations are; it will probably also list penalties for "fakery".
Add
https://group.yahoo.com/neo/groups/The_GSD/Source/
to your browser, so that you can easily look up all sorts of information about dogs.
"Thanks to" Yahoo's /neo/-nut programmer, the settings have been changed from "Open" to "Restricted", so you'll need to apply to Join by sending an e-mail to
the_gsd_source-subscribe @yahoogroups.com
(without the gap) then following through.
To discuss a breed, type the breed-name into the top field of
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/dir
then choose a couple of groups to Join.
֍ [Potato]:
For all we know, the trainer used by your girlfriend is a con-artist.
Your "Just cause we have service dogs don't mean we can't do anything else!" is quite true, (though grammatically incorrect), but it ignores the point:
There are REGULATIONS relating to whether a pooch IS or is NOT a service dog. And those regulations almost always require that, to be a service dog, the pooch must perform at LEAST 2 TRAINED SERVICES that the person cannot perform for him/her-self. A lower-body paraplegic needs this obvious task – the dog can pick up the chequebook or pen that the paraplegic dropped, and the pooch can then place it on the paraplegic's lap or on the bank-teller's counter.
It is unlikely for a pooch to be able to perform any tasks that a PTSD sufferer cannot perform for him/her-self. But it MIGHT be able to perform tasks that the actual trauma prevents the person from performing.
King Les The Lofty – first pup in 1950; GSD breeder & trainer as of 1968
ANNABELLBulisco
You can start training a pup at age 8 weeks. You can take it to Sirius Puppy Kindergarten classes, then continue on to the puppy training classes at age 12 weeks. These classes will give your dog an excellent start in life and be a good base for whatever else you want to teach him to do. The Sirius class instructors are all extremely well trained and educated professionals. The classes are fun for you as well as the puppy and the training is done in such a gentle (but highly effective) way that the pup will think it is all a really fun game while it learns a great deal.
If you will please just go have a look at www.siriuspup.com, you can find more information, classes near you, etc.
PHYLISFukushima
Can you maneuver your wheelchair yourself? If so, you dont need a dog for that task.
There are no service dogs for depression, and very few with PTSD or anxiety qualify.
The dog has to be a year old, and evaluated to see if it has the proper temperment,service dog training is another 12-18 months. Programs that breed and raise pups for this purpose have a high failure rate, even higher when you need a dog to pick up on emotions and react properly. The odds of your pet becoming a successful service dog is slim to none.
And if its your wolf hybrid, it definitely will fail. A wolf is not going to react calmly to your anxiety attacks. The animal will either become nervous and aggressive, and feel a need to "protect" (which is unacceptable for a service dog), or the animal will see your anxiety as a weakness and challenge you.
If you really need one, programs provide them at free to low cost.
Read More
Video Service Dog Training
K-9 Karma holds fundraiser for veteran's service dog
The dogs she trains come from shelters or are what she calls hobo dogs, dogs that have just appeared on her doorstep. She has trained dogs in all facets, including competitive obedience (all levels), conformation handling, stock dogs, therapy dogs …
Read more on Tulsa World
Texas youth offenders begin training service dogs
“It is like a farm league for a baseball team,” says Sheri Soltes, Founder and President of Service Dogs, Inc. “The PAWS program youth will prep the dogs to be ready for our advanced training. We expect this to increase the number of Hearing and …
Read more on KXAN.com
Comfort vs. service dogs: Not all vests are the same
You see them in the grocery stores, at movie theaters, in restaurants and more: Four-legged friends helping their owners with certain tasks. Some have a vest on, others don't, but the general assumption is that these are trained service dogs. However …
Read more on St. George Daily Spectrum
Specially trained service dogs helping Maine's veterans
After 16 weeks of training with K-9 police officers, the dogs have graduated and are ready to head home as certified service animals. Veteran Sam Raymond was paired with Gracie. Gracie learned how to respond to special commands during her training.
Read more on WMTW Portland
find out more about service dog training
I have depression and panic attacks, and I know it's not a big deal to most people, but it is to me. Anyway, I have depression and panic attacks, and I'm going to Job Corps in about a month, I would like to have my dog trained to be my therapy dog, since I am going far from my therapist. I would like to train my dog to be my service dog and take her with me, since both my mother (who gets me through my panic attacks) and my therapist (who gets me through my depression) will be in Portland when I'm five hours away in Yachats. I would like to have my dog trained to get me through the things my mother and therapist get me through, and am in need of suggestions.
P.Trigo
A therapy dog is a person's pet that is trained to visit other people in nursing homes, hospitals, schools, etc. to cheer them up. It is not a legal designation and no legal status or access comes with a dog being declared/certified a therapy dog.
A service dog is a person's dog, not a pet, that is trained to do tasks that mitigate the person's disability and is trained to behave impeccably in public places to the point nobody realizes the dog is even there. What tasks one needs depends on their individual symptoms; for somebody with disabling panic/anxiety attacks where their attacks leave them not able to move through their environment or not knowing where they are, a task would be for the dog to guide the person out of the offending environment (such as out of a store and to the person's car) or to a safe place (such as a place the person can safely sit down). Things like the dog's presence for emotional support, cuddling, kissing, etc. are not legally tasks and do not make a pet a service dog, as legally a service dog must be trained to do something that mitigates the person's actual disability. (Carrying medications in a pack is not a task when a person can carry medications in their pocket, purse, or other bag – plus it is not something that is trained. Retrieving items when a person can get their own items without issues is not a task, as it does not mitigate the person's disability.)
Like others have said, there is no way to train a dog to be a service dog in one month. It takes one and a half to two years to train a dog to be a service dog – and that is a dog that has the right temperament to be one. Not too many dogs have the right temperament to become service dogs; likely your pet cannot be a service dog.
The bigger issue is if you even qualify for a service dog. Just having depression and panic attacks does not qualify you for a service dog. You must be actually disabled by them – have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities such as seeing, hearing, walking, caring for self, etc. If you are not disabled, you cannot have a service dog, as by law they are only for disabled individuals.
Even if you did have a legal service dog, you still might not be able to use your dog at your job, depending on what the job is and other factors. Some people who are without a doubt disabled and have a legal service dog have problems getting their work to approve their service dog working for them there, problems which can last many months and take a huge physical and emotional toll on both the disabled person and the service dog.
No matter what, I highly recommend that you find yourself a therapist in your new location – your current therapist may be able to recommend somebody who is there and you can give them permission to discuss your health issues with each other so everybody is on the same page and it won't feel like you are completely starting over again. It would also be good for you to make a few good friends who you can rely on when you need it like you have relied on your mother in the past (that is something you need to do no matter if you live near your mother or not).
If your emotional illness is disabling, your doctor might prescribe you an emotional support animal. This is not a service dog – it is not trained to do tasks or to be in public beyond what a good pet is trained in – and you have no right to bring the dog in public places, but you would have the right to have the dog in no-pets-allowed housing with your doctor's letter. Your dog's presence at home (and pet-friendly places like pet stores, on walks, etc.) will help you emotionally.
Good luck in your new endeavor! I hope you are able to adjust well, find a good therapist, and make some helpful friends.
LHilbig
I really don't think there is a way to train your dog to respond to that. Instead of having it come to you, how about you go to your dog? When I go to stores I hold held my service dog. Be sure if you are to go into public places with it, to have the certification that the dog is a working animal, and have a red vest on it with words clearly seen "Service Dog" to prevent idiots from calling you a retard <3 {Past experience, made me want to cry >_>}
You should also have your service dog socialized, so when out and about with it {if you plan to be}, it won't want to go and say hi to everyone it meets. Unless of course you want it to, then there's no need to correct the behavior. Get it used to sliding doors and other things that may frighten the dog.
I recommend having a small dog that you can carry around, catches less attention therefore less panic attacks, and I find it easier to control the dog. I'm not saying having a big dog would be a huge mistake though =) If you have a panic attack and pass out it would be good for balance.
Remember to have a backup plan, such as comfort food, or anything comforting, like calling your mother/therapist. Because you can't always rely on the dog, just as you can't always rely on your mother/therapist.
Hope I helped~
RENEABleecker
It takes a lot more than a month to train a service dog. It typically takes 18-24 months to fully train a service dog, with about six months of that working on public access skills. And of course you have to be disabled (about 3/4 of people with a diagnosed mental illness are not considered disabled by that illness). Your medical caregivers can help you determine whether you qualify as disabled.
Honestly, I'm not sure this kind of drastic change is the best choice for you if you are unable to function without assistance.
Contact Job Corp and ask if you'd be permitted to bring along a pet just to stay in your living quarters with you (not to take on the job, which as I mentioned would require a LOT of training). If you're disabled, tell them so and if your doctor agrees, offer a letter from your doctor stating the presence of your dog is necessary for your mental health.
In all honesty,
1. You can't get a service dog trained in a month. It just plain cannot be done.
2. Because it's a job, not a public accommodation, you'd have to provide a lot of medical documentation proving disability and need for a dog, as well as proof of training if you claim her as a service dog.
3. The stress of arguing this point if they don't agree to it off the bat is going to be very dangerous to the health of a person who is disabled by mental illness.
If I were you, I'd look for a therapist in the new location if you are determined to go. Perhaps your current therapist can recommend one.
TONIPuhuyaoma
First, there is a big difference between a Therapy dog and an assistance dog. Furthermore, depending on your state laws, dogs for depression and panic attacks are not considered assistance dogs. I have trained assistance dogs in North Dakota and Michigan. However, I have trained dogs for individuals in wheelchairs and mobility problems. I do know that some states are starting to allow the types of dogs you are talking about, while others are slow to allow it. I am currently training in England, and I do not have my normal references to the webpages for assistance dogs. However, I found one of my state reference pages by doing a search. I would suggest having a trainer that is familiar with assistance dog training evaluate your dog to see if it is a good candidate for assistance work. If you do not plan on taking it out in public, then nothing that I said applies. If you have any further questions please email me.
P.S. Oh and just so you know on page 144 of the link below it states what a service dog for emotional support must do to be catergorized as a service dog.
Read More
Veterans Say Trained Dogs Help With PTSD, But The VA Won't Pay
At a warehouse near Dallas, a black Lab named Papi tugs on a rope to open a fridge and passes his trainer a plastic water bottle with his mouth. Service dogs are often trained to help veterans with physical disabilities. Now, a growing number are being …
Read more on NPR