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It’s a special bond that exists between handler and service dog, developed over time and with lots of training. If you’re curious about how to train your own service dog, bear in mind these important details.
Service dogs are animals specially trained to perform tasks that assist a person with a disability. The training these dogs receive directly supports the individual and helps them with challenges associated with their disability.
Different types of service dogs are trained to support different conditions, whether they’re physical, psychiatric, or mental health-related. Physical service dogs may support conditions like muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, paralysis, or chronic pain. Some of the conditions that psychiatric service dogs can support might include epilepsy, autism, anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.Â
There are certain requirements dogs have to meet in order to be legally considered service animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service dogs by their training. While they don’t have to be professionally trained, they do have to be individually trained to support their handler’s specific needs.
Training a psychiatric service dog on your own is completely achievable, and being prepared for the task will be a huge help to reaching service dog training success. There are a few things to be mindful of before beginning the journey of training your dog to be a service dog.
Making sure your dog is fit for the job of being a service animal is the first thing you want to do before attempting to make your dog a service animal. Factors to consider are your dog's age and size, as well as their temperament. Ask yourself if your dog has demonstrated enough attentiveness and trainability to learn more complex service dog tasks.
Obedience training is important for all dogs to have, but especially those who will become service animals. Training your dog to be obedient first helps to establish behavior expectations from the beginning, and teaches your dog to listen and follow instructions. Having basic obedience training mastered before you begin training for service dog tasks will make for much smoother training sessions.
In order for a dog to be considered a service animal, the service dog tasks they perform have to directly support the disability of their handler. These tasks can be mobility-related, like guiding folks with blindness or other physical disabilities. Service dog assistance can also look like calming a person with anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can be challenging to teach more intricate tasks and commands, but a service dog must be able to do so in order to be a legal service animal and be afforded the rights to housing, transportation, and public access.
While it’s not required to have a service dog professionally trained, getting help from a professional trainer can be a huge weight off your shoulders. An experienced dog trainer can help give you the resources and the confidence to train your dog to be a service dog on your own and at a pace that works for you both.
Expert psychiatric service dog trainers like Lisa Gallegos have helped hundreds of dogs and their devoted parents have a positive, successful training experience. The lessons Lisa and the team at Pettable have created are guaranteed to be a benefit to you while training your dog to be a service dog. Learn more about Lisa and the training programs offered by Pettable.
Whether you choose to train your service dog yourself or use a professional trainer, there’s potential for both success and challenges. Self-training certainly creates a strong bond and trust between you and your dog, while a professional trainer has additional know-how and expertise that can come in handy during the training process.
Even experienced dog owners who have been through training before can benefit from the expertise of professional dog trainers. One thing to remember when working with a trainer is that they won’t be the ones training your dog but rather empowering you with the tools and encouragement to train your dog yourself.
Pettable’s online psychiatric service dog training programs are the perfect resource for training your own service dog. We work with dedicated, certified dog trainers like Lisa Gallegos to create digestible lessons you and your dog can access at home. Start by taking our 3-minute assessment to determine your specific service dog needs, and get matched with a health professional to get your psychiatric service dog letter and start training.
April Brightman is a freelance writer and outdoor enthusiast with a passion for traveling and hiking with her rescue pup, Marley. She's written for pet-centered sites like Outward Hound, as well as outdoorsy adventure brands like BearVault, Hipcamp, and Explorer Chick.
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