Cali Pals helps families train their own Service Dogs. We provide private training or suggest that you find a trainer in your area if you are not local to Hollister, CA. 

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Considering a Service Dog?

 

Things to consider when thinking about training your own Service Dog. 

 

Is a Service Dog right for you or your child? When deciding if you should get just a pet or have the puppy trained as a Service Dog you need to look at many factors. There are a few vital things we look for when we believe a family is ready to take on the task of training a Service Dog for themselves or their child. 

 

1. Do you qualify for a Service Dog? In order for you to qualify you have to have a disability that a Service Dog can help you with. Also what tasks will the dog perform for you that are necessary for your specific disability? A Service Dog is required to perform specific tasks pertaining to your specific disability. 

2. What disabilities generally qualify? Hearing impairments, vision impairments (must get a guide dog from a special organization), autism, PTSD, diabetes, MS, among others. 

3. Does depression and anxiety qualify? This is a tricky one. If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness and cannot comfortably go into public places alone, then yes. You qualify. If you sometimes get a hint of anxiety but can live your day to day life mostly normal then you do not qualify for a service dog. 

4. How old is your child? A child’s age will determine if a dog can bond to a child of that age. The BEST age to place a dog with a child is between 8-10 years old, earlier than this it is more difficult to get a dog to bond to a younger child, the way a lot of families want them to. The dog is always going to look at the parent for direction as a natural hierarchy in the “pack”. 

5. How active are you or your child? Is the person the dog is going to work for constantly moving, running, playing outside, active? Or is the person more of a calm, movie watcher, lots of iPad time, home body? These are going to factor in what type of puppy you should be looking for to be your or your child’s Service Dog. People who are at home a lot need to have a calmer puppy, while people who are active need a dog who can keep up and is not hesitant to jump right into the middle of the active lifestyle. If your child is mostly preoccupied by the TV or iPad, you may need to reconsider getting a Service Dog for them, as the dog will be more of a nuisance to them. 

6. Do you have a doctors note stating you would benefit from having a Service Dog? You must have a disability to qualify for a Service Dog. Having a doctors note on file is a good idea. Also printing a copy of the law and making sure you are educated to deal with the public in a responsible polite way is important. 

7. Have you trained dogs before? This is something we always take into consideration. If you have zero dog experience this is going to be a lot for you. If you are experienced in the dog world and have the basic knowledge of what it is going to entail is always a good thing. If you have never owned a dog, you need to do lots of hands on experience with dogs. Maybe dog sit a friend’s dog, start walking a neighbors dog, volunteer at an animal shelter or read a dog training book. 

8. Are you willing to be honest with yourself about this dog? There are times where a dog goes through training and doesn’t make it as a Service Dog or there are red flags where a professional trainer needs to be hired to help fix an issue. You need to be honest with yourself that you will make sure you do what is right, if a dog shows fear or aggressive behaviors in public, then you need to stop taking the dog into public and seek professional help and be willing to except the help. Not every dog is cut out for Service Dog work and it can be difficult to make that decision. But you need to remember the safety of yourself and others while in public. This is the hardest part about “self-trained” Service Dogs. 

 

What to expect in training your own Service Dog.

 

How much time are you going to spend training?? Training your own Service Dog is a full time job. You have to be proactive in taking your dog into public and working on obedience training at home. Your Service Dog in training needs to go into public with you everywhere you go. If you are more of a home body you will need to make arrangements to be able to take your dog into public every single day. Even if it’s a quick trip to the grocery store. 

 

Rules: Yes, there are rules that you need to follow. First off, a Service Dog is NEVER allowed to ride in the cart. Your Service Dog needs to have all 4 feet on the floor at all times unless there is a task that the dog is taught later on for your disability where it requires the dog to jump up on you. But other than that your dog needs to remain on a leash and on the ground. Your dog is not allowed to use the restroom inside a public building. Your dog is not to eat human food from the table. Your dog is not to sit on a chair. Your dog cannot bark in public, sniff people, or pull you towards something. Your dog needs to remain under control at all times. 

 

What is home life like? 

You want to treat the dog like a semi-normal dog when at home and your dog is “off duty” which the dog still needs to be willing to work for you but it knows it can also be a dog and be comfortable at home. Playing with toys, chasing the ball, etc. is totally ok. Puppies need lots of play and play is important for their proper development. 

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Having people stare at you or watch you while in public. 

People will watch you, they will talk about you and your dog, and stop you to pet your dog or talk about their dog that they have at home. Some people like this attention, some people do not. It is something to remember when wanting a Service Dog. 

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A Service Dog should be used as a medical device. It is not a pet, and there needs to be a level of professionalism when taking your Service Dog out into public. 

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