What It Takes: Training Your Own Service Dog
Rookie is a very good dog. photo: Angela Gardner
Having a service dog is a wonderful thing - especially if you can train the dog you already have and love to be your service animal. But how do you know if your dog is capable of becoming a service animal? And how do you prepare your dog for such a big leap in responsibilities?
Few people can do this on their own. Seeking professional assistance from a certified dog trainer or organization specializing in service dog training right from the start can greatly benefit you and your service dog during this process. These experts can provide guidance, coaching, and specific techniques to address any challenges you may encounter. They can also advise you as to whether your dog has what it takes to become a service animal or whether you would be better off looking for a second dog to perform this role.
The first step is to select the service task needed for your specific disability and train the dog to perform that task. But training a service dog means more than just training for one specific task. The service dog also needs to be trained in public access if they are going to assist you out in the world.
In fact, public access training is the most challenging part of training for most service dogs. It takes a lot of practice for a dog to stay reliably focused during routine everyday trips and in totally new environments. It’s crucial to have the assistance of a qualified trainer or organization to teach these skills to set you and your dog up for success.
The first step in preparing for public access is to focus on basic obedience training, including commands such as sit, stay, down, and come. These commands will form the foundation for your service dog’s behavior in public spaces. Consistency and positive reinforcement are key during this part of the training process.
Next, it is crucial to teach your service dog proper manners. This includes behaviors we expect of all well-trained dogs, such as not jumping on people, as well as strong socialization skills with other dogs and people to ensure your service dog is comfortable and well-behaved around others. But expectations for service dogs are even higher.
What do proper manners look like for a service dog?
Able to remain calm and composed in public settings.
Able to perform their task in the face of distractions.
No aggressive behavior toward people or other animals. No biting, snapping, snarling, growling, lunging, or barking.
No soliciting food or petting from other people while on duty.
No sniffing merchandise or people or intruding into another dog’s space while on duty.
Able to tolerate strange sights, sounds, odors, etc., in a wide variety of public settings.
Able to ignore food on the floor or dropped in the dog’s vicinity while working outside the home.
Able to work calmly on leash. No unruly behavior or unnecessary vocalizations in public settings.
No urinating or defecating in public unless given a specific command or signal to toilet in an appropriate place.
As your dog’s manners become more reliable, it is time to begin exposing your would-be service dog to different environments and distractions they may encounter during public access. These may include visits to public spaces such as coffee shops, stores, and public transportation. By gradually introducing your service dog to these environments, you can look for signs of distress or any potential challenges or anxiety they may have. In fact, one of the biggest steps for service dogs in training is when they begin to train in no-pets places - the kind of locations that don't normally allow dogs.
Finally, your dog will be ready for the most crucial aspect of the training process: the Public Access Test (PAT). This is a series of assessments that evaluate a service dog’s behavior and ability to perform tasks in various public settings.
The purpose of public access testing is to ensure that your service dog can confidently and reliably navigate public spaces while maintaining appropriate behavior.
Obviously, it is important to thoroughly train your service dog before attempting these tests. Dedicating sufficient time and effort to training will open the doors to countless places and experiences while ensuring your dog will be there to help wherever life takes the two of you.