Service dogs are not trained to simple general requirements the way everyday dogs are. These are dogs that need to perform to very specific demands, as they help people with different kinds of disabilities get through their day. Service dog certification doesn't come easily. Every dog that qualifies in this capacity, needs to learn to work with his handler as if they were a team.
Service dog certification is something the law takes very seriously. The law in question is the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the law does its best to make sure that people with disabilities are well-served when they get a service dog to help them.
It isn't just federal law that governs how service dogs are certified though. There are state regulations as well. If you wish to train your dog for service dog certification, you need to become intimately familiar with both state and federal laws.
Whatever you do with your dog as you train him, you need to make sure that you maintain meticulous records. Everything that goes into your training, needs to go into your logbook. This is important because the law does require detailed logs, and the degree of detail that they need isn't really clear in the way the law is written. It's really up to the certifying authorities how they interpret those laws.
One of the first things that you should pay attention to training a dog for certification, is its health. Dogs that have troubling health issues do not get certified. You should probably work in consultation with your dog's veterinarian all through the process.
A service dog needs to guide and help a person through their life. As such, the dog needs to be completely dependable in every kind of situation. Service dogs cannot afford to be the jumpy or anxious kind. They need to be thoroughly socialized, and be calm and composed in every situation. For instance, not only does a service dog need to be thoroughly familiar with all the right obedience commands, it needs to be able to follow them no matter what the situation is, or who is around.
The dog certification authorities will take a look at your logs to see how humane your methods are. You want to make sure that they are humane, or your dog doesn't get certified. Basically, they look for about four months of instruction before a dog can qualify for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test.
Service dog certification is something the law takes very seriously. The law in question is the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the law does its best to make sure that people with disabilities are well-served when they get a service dog to help them.
It isn't just federal law that governs how service dogs are certified though. There are state regulations as well. If you wish to train your dog for service dog certification, you need to become intimately familiar with both state and federal laws.
Whatever you do with your dog as you train him, you need to make sure that you maintain meticulous records. Everything that goes into your training, needs to go into your logbook. This is important because the law does require detailed logs, and the degree of detail that they need isn't really clear in the way the law is written. It's really up to the certifying authorities how they interpret those laws.
One of the first things that you should pay attention to training a dog for certification, is its health. Dogs that have troubling health issues do not get certified. You should probably work in consultation with your dog's veterinarian all through the process.
A service dog needs to guide and help a person through their life. As such, the dog needs to be completely dependable in every kind of situation. Service dogs cannot afford to be the jumpy or anxious kind. They need to be thoroughly socialized, and be calm and composed in every situation. For instance, not only does a service dog need to be thoroughly familiar with all the right obedience commands, it needs to be able to follow them no matter what the situation is, or who is around.
The dog certification authorities will take a look at your logs to see how humane your methods are. You want to make sure that they are humane, or your dog doesn't get certified. Basically, they look for about four months of instruction before a dog can qualify for the AKC Canine Good Citizen Test.
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