Choosing a Dog Trainer

Dog lovers in MA – Support this bill!

July 21, 2019 by sharon Leave a Comment

Did you know that anyone in Massachusetts can charge you to train or handle your dog, whether or not they know anything about dog training or have ever trained a dog before?

It’s shocking but true: Whether for private lessons, group classes, or board-and-train, the trainer who handles your dog, and to whom you may pay hundreds or thousands of dollars, may not have the most basic knowledge or experience with dog training. Currently this is legal in MA. But there’s a new bill in our state legislature that can change that. I urge you to support it!

Right now, dog trainers in MA are not licensed. This means anyone can charge you to train your dog, whether or not they know even basic information about dog training theory or methodology

Mass. Senate bill 118 will protect you and your dog — but only if it passes. Why does this matter? Why should you care whether dog trainers are licensed?

Consider that all of these jobs require a professional license in Mass.:

Hairdressers, nail-care technicians, cosmetologists
Pharmacy technicians, pharmacy interns, doctors, nurses, chiropractors, physician assistants, dieticians, nutritionists, optometrists, massage therapists, and virtually all health-care providers
Engineers, electricians, construction supervisors, land surveyors, plumbers, architects
Family therapists, educational psychologists, rehabilitation counselors, social workers
School bus drivers, run a child-care program, assist in a family child care program,
People who store, repair, or sell cars; funeral directors; accountants; wholesale distributors of medical devices; real-estate brokers and appraisers, real estate salespeople
Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, wildlife rehabilitators, horseback riding instructors, and pet shop owners in MA require a license to operate — but not dog trainers

Hundreds of professions in Mass., require a license to operate a business — but not the people who are rewarding or punishing your dog.

Your hairdresser, auto mechanic, real-estate agent, massage therapist, and accountant all require a license, but not the person who is handling and teaching your dog

Why is it a problem if dog trainers are not licensed?

Trainers without sufficient education on effective and humane training techniques can put your dog is at serious risk for physical and behavioral injury. There are a variety of trainers in Massachusetts. Some are in business for themselves. Some teach classes in pet stores. Some own the local branch of a training franchise that focuses on invisible fences or eliminating barking, etc. While some of these trainers in any category may be fantastic, others may lack necessary knowledge to safely and effectively train your dog.

A bad haircut is embarrassing and annoying, but it grows out. A car that is not repaired properly is a huge hassle, but it can be fixed. Because dogs have emotions, if a dog is physically or emotionally injured by incompetent training, she may never entirely recover. Bad training experiences can negatively affect a dog — and therefore their owners — for the rest of the dog’s life.

For example, I have worked with clients who told me their previous trainers…

Told them to bite their dog’s ear. This was a couple who were training their golden retriever as a service dog for their son. This is one of the weirder pieces of training advice I’ve heard. It sounds funny. But if they had gone through with it, at best, it would have confused and caused their dog mild pain and given the owners a mouth full of fur. More likely, it would have taught the dog to be fearful of the owners and to avoid their faces coming near him. At worst, it set the owners up to get bitten in the face

Instructed her to shock her fearful dog when he approached her horses. This was particularly dangerous advice in this case. This dog barked and charged at horses because he was afraid of them. Because of the way dogs form emotional associations (classical conditioning), this dog’s fear-driven behavior of charging the horses was made much worse by being shocked when he saw the horses. When this dog was surprised by a porcupine, he was so frightened that he killed it — meaning he attacked despite being quilled hundreds of times. Horses are large, powerful animals that are even more dangerous if they are spooked. This trainer’s advice not only potentially put the dog’s life at risk, but also the horse’s and the client’s

Tried to force a puppy to bite his hand so that he could punish him for biting. When the puppy kept refusing to bite, the trainer pinned the puppy and forced his hand into the puppy’s mouth until the puppy lost control of his bowels

2. Incompetent trainers cost you time and money — and you have essentially no recourse. Causing damage to your dog is obviously the biggest concern for many people, but wasting your time and money is no small potatoes, either! Trainers who are not able to set up an effective training plan and instruct you to carry it out are doing a disservice to you, your dog, your relationship with your dog, your budget, and your community (which may be affected by your dog’s behavior).

Trainers should have the expertise for which you are paying

At some pet stores, the employee who stocks shelves and works the cash register may also be given a manual to read about dog training and then start teaching classes. They might be an enthusiastic amateur trainer who talks impressively and has a few useful tips, or they might not. They might never have trained a dog before. I usually find that dogs who have taken classes at big-box stores require a lot of “catch up” when they join one of my classes in comparison to dogs that have taken classes with my certified, experienced colleagues.

I remember a service dog consult with a young woman had been taking her dog to classes at a pet store and thought the trainer at the store was great. He came across as very confident and experienced. However, her dog was lacking in basic manners training, and his greeting behavior had gotten worse from going to classes at the store. At the end of the consult, we spent five minutes on training her dog not to jump when he met someone new, and the client was astonished at how effective my recommendations were. She said she had learned more from me in those few minutes than she had in the months of classes she’d taken at the store.

Requiring licensure would weed out these trainers who have no experience and cannot pass a basic competency exam.

3. Even if you don’t have a dog, lack of regulation of dog trainers can affect you. Dogs that are ill-behaved can have a negative impact on the community due to nuisance issues (e.g., barking, running away, etc.). They can also affect community safety. Trainers who lack an understanding of applied behavioral psychology may exacerbate reactivity or aggression in vulnerable dogs.

Hairdressers require a license….

“Licensing is for consumer protection. It means that in order to take money as a trainer, you’d have to be certified or pass a test and then pay for a license.
“Licensure has nothing to do with methodology.
“Once licensed, if a trainer hurts a dog, rips off a client, makes fake promises they can’t keep, etc., they lose their license if found guilty of the offense.
If the consumer can only hire licensed dog trainers, it at least prevents the worst of us from getting hired again, because they’ve lost their license to practice dog training in the state.”
– Marjie Alonso, Executive director of International association of animal behavior consultants

If this bill becomes a law, what will it mean?

It will mean that in order for someone to work as a dog trainer in Massachusetts, they will have to show that they have met a very basic set of requirements, which mostly amounts to:

300 hours of dog training experience, working under supervision of a licensed trainer
Pass an exam on how dogs learn (behavioral psychology principles), training instruction, dog behavior, and basic dog husbandry
Pay a fee to maintain licensure

Drawing of an analog clock — Trainers should put in the time to earn licensure (and your trust)

Isn’t this the bare minimum you’d want from someone whom you were paying for their expertise? Before you pay someone to instruct you on how to handle or train your dog — or who is responsible for your dog 24/7 in a board-and-train where you can’t see how your dog is being treated — wouldn’t you want to know they have at least minimum experience and competence in the field?

Will this law make it harder or more expensive to hire a trainer?

No, it shouldn’t. Its main effect for consumers should be that you’ll be less likely to accidentally hire someone who will harm your dog.

The majority of current trainers will still be licensed. In fact, all trainers who are already certified through the most reputable certifying bodies will be automatically eligible for licensure. So the pool and variety of available trainers in MA should still be large and diverse.

In terms of cost, we don’t yet know what it will cost for trainers to get a license, but for a trainer who is working full-time, the increased cost should be negligible in the grand scheme. For example, I already pay $2,000 to $4,000 per year to maintain professional memberships, certifications, insurance, and corporate status with the Commonwealth of Mass. The fee for licensure probably won’t make a substantial enough difference to affect my fees. (Once licensure is required, I might let some of my other certifications lapse.)

Will this law mean that only really good trainers will be licensed?

Sadly, no. I’m reminded of that old joke:

Q: What do you call the person who graduates last in their class at medical school?

A: Doctor

Just as not every physician is the right doctor for you, nor even necessarily a particularly good doctor, it is critically important that any practicing physician have a medical degree and a license to practice medicine. I would rather go to the doctor who graduated at the bottom of their class than one who couldn’t graduate at all!

Likewise with Mass. dog trainers. There are trainers I’m sure will get licensed whom I would not recommend to clients, but there will be many who will be weeded out. I think the most likely to drop by the wayside if licensure becomes law include…

Pet store “trainers” — essentially sales associates who are dabbling in or trying to learn dog training
Training franchise owners and employees — people who currently can simply buy a franchise location without necessarily having a training or behavior background
Hobby trainers
Experienced trainers who have been avoiding, for decades, educating themselves in the science of animal behavior and training that would be assessed by the licensure exam

Would the trainers I’ve referenced in this article — the ear biter, the shock-for-seeing-horses trainer, the puppy traumatizer, and the big box trainer — likely become licensed? It’s possible, I doubt it. Some are hobby trainers and dabblers. Others are in the “willful ignorance” camp.

I’m certain there will still be some trainers whose methods are inhumane or whose skill level is subpar even after licensure. What licensure will mean is that the person to whom you are handing over your dog or trusting for critical training information has at least invested substantial time and some money into learning essential information on dog training and practicing it. They will be indicating that they are professionals who take this work seriously. I think this is the bare minimum we owe to our dogs and ourselves – don’t you?

Contacting your legislator is quick and easy. It will let them know you care about your dog and about protection for dog owners in Mass.

3 Easy Steps to Help Dogs in MA

First and most important! Contact your Mass. senator and representative and ask them to support S. 118 “An Act relative to the licensure of dog trainers.” These is easy and only takes a minute. It’s best if you call them, but emailing them is also great! (Find your senator’s and representative’s contact info here.) Tell them that you support S. 118 “An Act relative to the licensure of dog trainers.” Tell them about your dog (just a little bit — not your dog’s entire life story!) and any experience you have with dog training that makes you feel strongly about protecting dogs and their owners in the Commonwealth. If they seem interested, ask them to cosponsor the bill. Even if this version of the bill doesn’t pass this time around, if our lawmakers know that we care about this issue, it will be more likely to pass eventually (and sooner rather than later).
Share this post. I give permission for anyone to repost this blog post in its entirety with an attribution to Sharon Wachsler, At Your Service Dog Training LLC. I also give permission for anyone to link to this post. I also give permission for anyone to excerpt a section of the post as long as it includes a link back to the complete post. Here is the link for this post: http://atyourservicedogtraining.com/2019/07/21/ma-trainer-licensure/
Ask your friends, family members, dog care professionals, and others to contact their senator and representative to support Senate Bill 118 — “An Act relative to the licensure of dog trainers.” People who don’t have dogs should also care about this bill. This is about consumer protection for your dog-owning friends and family members, and for their community that shares space with their dogs.

Have you had an experience with a dog trainer — good or bad — that makes you in favor of licensure? Share in the comments!

Avoid These 5 Common Service Dog Training Pitfalls

September 18, 2017 by sharon Leave a Comment

Puppies start out with so much potential! Image courtesy Patti Brehler

I specialize in helping people to train their own service dogs. While I love my work, the worst part is when I have to break the news — or confirm a client’s dreaded suspicion — that their dog will not be able to become a service dog and must be career-changed. To prevent these heartbreaking situations, I try to reach service-dog owner-trainers as early as possible in their process — ideally before they acquire a dog — to head off some of the most common problems.

Here are five common problems that lead to dogs not being able to work as service dogs. Each of these five could fill a book on their own, so I have not delved deeply into any of them. Please keep in mind that this article addresses large concepts with broad strokes. It is all generalizations. Consider each point merely food for thought and discussion with an experienced trainer that understands dog behavior and service dog training.

1. Acquiring the wrong breed

In the land of the American dream — where our cultural story is that anyone can become anything if they work hard enough — we don’t like to think that some dogs might not be well-suited to a job based simply on who they are or how they were born. However, with service dog selection, this denies a simple reality. Not every human can be an Olympic athlete, and not every dog can be a service dog. A service dog’s physical health and their temperament (sort of a combination of their personality and mental health) is the foundation from which everything else is built.

Breeds were developed by selectively choosing certain traits to be passed along and others to be avoided. While there are always major differences among individuals, hundreds of years of breeding does make a difference.

Generally speaking, a service dog candidate should be highly social with people and dogs; food-motivated; low-prey drive; relaxed, happy, and confident with strange and new things; not bothered by sudden or loud sounds; eager to work and train; and easily able to relax and nap anywhere, tolerating long stretches of boredom and inactivity. If this sounds like a lot of Labrador retrievers you’ve met, now you know why Labs are the overwhelming favorite of most of the largest and oldest assistance dog programs! Sporting breeds were bred to work cooperatively with people, to have low prey drive, and to tolerate unpleasant conditions with aplomb. Golden Retrievers are another sporting breed that tend to be popular with service dog programs and share many of these traits, as well as Standard Poodles for those looking for a hair coat.

Yellow Lab with blue cape sitting calmly in a classroom environment — Labs are the breed of choice for most guide dog schools. Image courtesy Patti Brehler

The most common mistake I see with breed choice is owner-trainers thinking that because a service dog is a working dog, they should get a high-drive breed that loves to work, such as a Border Collie, Australian Shepherd, or Australian Cattle Dog. Dogs of these breeds are likely to have trouble relaxing, lying around and snoozing, doing nothing while their handler attends classes or waits hours at the ER or works at their desk. Another commonly problematic breed choice are some of the guarding breeds. Breeds that were developed to use aggressive displays to keep people or animals away may be likely to be aggressive or reactive to strangers or in strange environments. If you’re researching a breed, and the breed standard includes phrases such as “loyal,” “wary of strangers,” “aloof,” “courageous,” “protective,” “reserved,” “territorial,” etc., these are often euphemisms for dogs that are more likely to have a tendency toward reactivity with strangers. Since service dogs are constantly surrounded by strangers, if a dog is naturally uncomfortable with strangers, in many cases it can be very stressful on dog and handler alike just for the dog to tolerate, let alone be able to work well in those circumstances. Terrier and hound breeds are also lower probability SDiT material as they were bred to want to run off to chase critters — meaning they have not been bred to work cooperatively with people and they tend to have higher prey drive. Discussing the right breeds for a person’s future SDiT — including both what is generally important in a service dog and what the individual’s lifestyle, preferences, and needs are — is a big component of what I offer in a service dog pre-adoption consult.

Is it possible to successfully train a service dog from a nontraditional breed? Sure. I’ve done it myself. But you have to have a lot of other factors lined up, be able to select individuals that are the exception to what the breed was bred for, as well as be lucky. Since training a service dog is already a monumental task with a low probability for success, this tends to make things even more dicey. For most people, it makes sense to stack the odds in your favor with breed choice.

2. Going to the wrong breeder or other dog provider.

Even if you pick a likely breed, you still need to pick the right type of individual from that breed. One common mistake is to choose a dog from working lines, meaning that the particular breeder is breeding dogs to do what they were originally bred for (hunting, protection, herding, etc.) versus breeding dogs to be pets. We may think, “A service dog is a working dog, so I should get a dog that was bred to work,” but this is generally not true. The type of work a service dog does is usually very different from the work most breeds were selected for. For example, while Labrador Retrievers are generally a good choice for service dogs, working lines Labs were bred to hunt. Hunting dogs are high energy, bred to run through fields and jump into cold waters, to be out in the elements with the hunter for hours. Triple this energy level for working lines herding dogs! These days, Golden Retrievers that are bred for agility competition are also much too high octane for service dog work.

Service dogs spend a lot of time holding down the floor.

Contrast this with most service dogs. They may need to walk on a loose leash for a few minutes or an hour, then lie down and wait, and then maybe eventually do a task (retrieve something, alert to their handler’s medical condition, open or shut a door, etc.), and when that’s done, lie down and wait some more until doing another controlled walk. Most “working lines” or “performance” dogs from any breed will be way too intense and high energy for almost all service dog situations.

Also, it’s important to consider what type of work dogs are bred for. Some breeders of “working lines” German Shepherd Dogs market them as potential SDiTs. Working GSDs are generally bred for IPO (schutzhund or protection work) which means, among other things, being willing to bite people with maiming force (“some level of natural aggression and protective instinct”). That is not a good trait for a dog that will be in public constantly around unpredictable people, including children, who may run over to pet the doggy.

Trying to assessing whether a breeder or a dog on a PetFinder listing is the right match for you, based on their website or a phone conversation is really tricky. This is why I offer dog search support along with pre-adoption consultations. Becoming “literate” in what to search for in a rescue dog or a litter of puppies takes time, information, and skill. It makes a big difference to have guidance in the process.

3. Choosing with your heart, including “rescuing” a dog that is not an ideal candidate.

Wait! Before you post your angry comment, hear me out.

If your purpose in getting a service dog is that you need skilled assistance on an ongoing basis to function optimally, that is a big job. You want that job to go to someone who will love and thrive in that work and be able to do it well. You don’t want the job to go to someone who will be overwhelmed, stressed out, and cause disappointment and heartache for you. That’s not good for either of you.

Most dogs are not cut out for service work, by which I mean they are not happy in this work. It is our responsibility — to both dogs and people — to try to choose and train dogs as service dogs who will love it. See point #1 again for the type of dog that is likely to thrive as a service dog.

Yellow puppy pressing itself into a corner of a chain-link fence. — This is not what you want to see when you go to meet a potential future service dog.

What happens if you arrive at the breeder’s house that sounded so good on the phone and looked so great online, but you are shocked to see that six-week-old puppy that has been raised in the cold, dirty garage — and the mother of the pups is tied out in the yard, barking, growling, and lunging at you? If you think, “I will save this puppy by taking her home and loving her and giving her a wonderful job,” that is a noble sentiment. Unfortunately, it may also be a source of regret for the decade to come if you spend thousands of both dollars and hours on behavior modification for a dog with severe behavior issues that will never be a service dog. You cannot undo genetics or a poor start in life. It is possible to help any dog become the best version of itself it can be, but it may not be fair to that dog to expect it to achieve elite level performance in the constantly changing landscape that we busy humans experience as normal.

The same applies to choosing the dog from the shelter or foster home that’s been there for weeks, months, or years, or has been returned several times. Or that is so shy, it is hiding in the back of its kennel. A behavior modification project and a future service-dog-in-training are not the same thing. If you really want to get a dog from rescue, be prepared to invest a lot of time and probably considerable expense — with the help of a trainer experienced in behavior assessment — in finding the needle in the haystack of the dog with the wonderfully stable temperament who is physically and behaviorally glowing with health, fitting the description of the ideal candidate in point #1 .

4. Economizing early in the process — while searching for the dog or during puppy raising and basic training.

Most people I speak to choose their dog without professional support and start training on their own, sometimes taking a puppy kindergarten and basic manners class. Their plan is to consult a service dog trainer once they’ve trained the basics inexpensively and are ready for task work. To put it bluntly, too often, by the time an owner-trainer consults with me, it is because there are serious issues to address — or for which intervention will not solve the problems.

Spend it early in the process on the right things to prevent heartbreak.

Group classes are great, and I always recommend a well-run, positive puppy kindergarten for anyone raising a puppy — especially future SDiT puppies that need so much skilled socialization. But for service dog training, it is really not enough. It is too easy to overlook critical issues or make decisions early on that you will be trying to fix for months or years later.

There is only so much I can do if, by the time an owner-trainer contacts me, they have already chosen a breed that is unlikely to be suited to the job and/or acquired a dog whose individual temperament is a poor match. Then they have worked with a trainer that uses punitive methods (choke chains, shock collars, etc.) that have exacerbated fearful or reactive tendencies. Now that the dog has major problems, they will spend whatever it takes to try to “fix” the situation. Nowhere does the aphorism “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” better apply than in service dog training!

Even in less dire situations, you can save a lot of time and hassle by getting a training map on how to proceed at the beginning of your journey — rather than trying to retrace the route you’ve been driving for months. For example, it is often quite easy to avoid the problem of training a dog to do things that will interfere with long-term task work (such as training a dog needed for balance to do an auto-sit or punishing a dog for jumping up that will need to do deep-pressure therapy).

I know that in America, the land of DIY and pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps, we like to think if we are resourceful and have a “can-do attitude” we don’t need to consult with professionals. After all, why spend money and time on things we can figure out for ourselves? That can work with a craft project or even fixing a car, but a dog is a living organism that cannot be “fixed” like an engine. Once a behavior or a negative emotional association is established, it can never be erased, only modified.

Becoming a service dog owner-trainer is truly akin to entering a new career. When was the last time you entered a career or profession and were great at it off the bat? Where you knew everything you needed to know and didn’t make significant mistakes? How about if you were trying to do that with no mentoring, classes, tutoring, etc.?

Men and women playing wheelchair baseketball — Training is a physical skill that takes time to master, similar to a sport

I have dedicated my life for 20 years to learning everything I possibly can about service dogs and their training, and I am still constantly amazed and humbled by how much I don’t know. While there is a lot you can learn from books, videos, and online discussions, there is also a lot you cannot learn that way. For one thing, a lot of the online information on service dogs is just plain wrong. I am often horrified by what clients tell me their groomer, vet, cousin, etc., told them they should or shouldn’t do with their dog. Even sometimes, unfortunately, what another trainer told them.

For another, dog training is a physical skill as well as a mental discipline. How well would you learn a new sport from the ground up from a book or online discussion? And for many people with disabilities, there are modifications to the process that are necessary or helpful to be successful. Individual modifications obviously require an individual approach that you rarely get from books, videos, and blog posts.

Lastly, working with dogs — both in training and even more so in evaluating a prospective dog — requires expertise in the ability to “read” dog body language and behavior in the moment and decide how to adjust training or whether to continue testing. This really requires a lot of hands-on experience with a lot of dogs — the more, the better.

5. Unreasonable expectations.

There are so many false expectations that lead to heartbreak. Here are just a few of the major categories…

Money. Training a service dog is a hugely expensive endeavor. If you are owner-training because you think it is more affordable than getting a program dog, you may be in for a rude shock. (Please read my post about the cost of service dog training for a lot more details.) If you can’t afford a Service Dog Consult, how will you afford the vet bill when your dog inevitably gets sick or injured? In the best case scenario, the vet bill will be comparable. More likely, it will be much higher. If you can’t afford the cost of caring for (let alone training) a service dog, you may be better off finding a different assistive technology or other solution than a service dog.

Time. Training a service dog is a full-time job. Really. Expect to dedicate most of your mental energy and a considerable amount of your physical time and energy to training and caring for this animal and turning it into a skilled assistant. (Please read my post about how long it takes to train a service dog for more details.) If you don’t have a lot of time to devote, it is almost guaranteed not to work. In that case, a program service dog or a non-dog solution for your disability may be the better options.

Service dogs must be comfortable around a lot of noise, movement, smells, and sights that most dogs don’t like. Image courtesy of DillyDally Labradors

What is your dog capable of? Of course your dog loves you and loves treats, petting, praise, play. Does your dog love being around strangers? Does your dog love working for food more than running after squirrels, playing with other dogs, etc.? Does your dog enjoy going to places that are noisy and busy, with slippery floors and big moving things that he’s never seen before? Is your dog able to think and learn in these situations? If your dog could choose his career, would it be to go with you into constantly changing new situations, focusing only on you, choosing between either laying around doing nothing or focused manners, obedience, and task work?

What are you capable of? Do you love dog training? Do you have the physical and mental ability to train your dog every day, many hours every week, in a variety of situations? If not, do you have financial or family or community support to ensure someone else skilled and caring can do the parts you can’t do?

Five Ways to Prevent Heartbreak

What is the solution? Well, there are no guarantees. You can do everything right and still get unlucky with a dog that develops health or behavior problems. However, there is still quite a lot you can do to increase your chances of succeeding.

Put in the work BEFORE you get your dog. Do the research and preparation before you even contact a breeder or start looking at rescue websites. Learn all there is to learn about service dogs and their training and what you need to do to set youself up to choose the dog that is most likely to succeed. It’s not just researching the breeds. It’s also researching the breeder or rescue — and knowing what to look for. Then meeting the breeder and her dogs or foster dog — and knowing what to look for. Then having the litter temperament tested or the dog assessed by an independent trainer who can evaluate them. AND, just as importantly, research the trainer, too! There are a lot of dog trainers who will not be the right match for you — even many service dog trainers. Get references, look for meaningful certifications, observe classes. If the person who is advising you is giving you bad advice, you’re not any better off than going it alone!
Choose with your brain first, heart second. Pick the breed, age, and type of dog that is likely to succeed, not the one that is cute or reminds you of your childhood dog or that you saw being so brave on that TV program.
Be PATIENT. Finding the right dog takes a long time and a lot of work. It can easily take a year or more.
Be willing to walk away and start over. If you go through all the steps to find the right breed, trainer, litter or rescue, and it turns out the right puppy is not in that litter or that foster dog is not appropriate, see points #1, #2, and #3 again — make the tough (brain-powered) decision based on relevant information and then be prepared to wait some more.
The best way to succeed with points #1, #2, #3, and #4 is to work with an objective advisor who can help you assess your needs and the breeds or individual dogs you are considering. Someone who will support you in making difficult choices. Someone with experience with service dogs, dog behavior, dog training. Please use care and be picky about the service dog trainer you work with! The closest or least expensive trainer may be the best choice, or they may not. For service dog training, you really need the best.

In the long run, booking a service dog consult or pre-adoption consult is likely to save you incalculable time and money. It may be hard to do if you think you have already learned everything you need to know. It may be difficult to think about spending money on dog training when you don’t even have a dog yet! However, that is actually the best time to invest. I have never yet heard a client say that they regretted investing in preventing a problem. If worst comes to worst, you have wasted some money because everything is so perfect you didn’t need help. That’s a pretty good problem to have! (And extremely unusual.)

On the other hand, I hear very often from people who are full of regret for not contacting me sooner. The long-term costs of which — in time, emotional devastation, and money — are much, much higher.

There are no shortcuts to training a service dog. It is a long and winding road. But you can get help along the way to make the road that much smoother and more likely to get you to your final destination. And now you know five detours not to take.

I wish you all the best on your service dog training journey!

Positive Pet and Service Dog Group Classes come to Orange

May 18, 2016 by sharon Leave a Comment

UPDATE: Family Dog Manners & Obedience will begin Sunday, June 26 at 1 PM. See our Group Classes page for details.

We’re excited to announce that positive reinforcement dog training classes have come to the North Quabbin! We have secured space for our first set of classes in Orange:

Photo of an orange

No, we mean Orange, Mass., of course! Classes will be held in June, at the Orange Innovation Center, 131 West Main St., Orange, MA 01364.

We’ll be running the following classes:

Family Dog Manners & Obedience
Service Dog Foundations I
Puppy Kindergarten
Service Dog Foundations II

Find out more about each class below.

Instructor

portrait_house_sm Classes are taught with enthusiasm and humor by Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner, Sharon Wachsler. Sharon is experienced with pet, puppy, and service dog training, uses positive methods (with dogs and people!), and has taught classes for Dakin Humane Society. All classes are kept small for lots of individual attention for you and your dog. Dogs, like people, have good days and bad days. Sharon will help your dog get to the next level, no matter which kind of day you’re having. After all, every dog has its day!

Location

Classes are indoors at OIC, held rain or shine. OIC is conveniently located right off of Route 2 and accessible by Orange-Athol community transit and FRTA. The location is wheelchair accessible.

Family Dog Manners & Obedience

Want a mannerly mutt? A polite Papillon? An obedient Old English Sheepdog?

Do you want a dog who pays attention, does what you ask, greets politely, and comes when called? This is the class for you!

This beginner family dog training class teaches your dog basic skills to make your dog a pleasure to live with. It is appropriate for dogs of any age, from elderly to adolescent. Your dog will learn…

Sit
Down
Attention
Leave it
Polite greetings
Coming when called
Polite leash walking
Wait

Family Dog Manners & Obedience is perfect for…

Newly adopted dogs who need some help understanding the new rules
Young and adolescent dogs that have hit that “difficult” phase
Older dogs who could use some reminders about good manners
Any age dog or owner who enjoys training and wants to take their teamwork to the next level

Requirements, Fees, and Schedule:

Health: Dog must be vaccinated and generally healthy
Behavior: Dog must be able to work around other dogs and people
Prerequisites: None
Course length: 6 weeks
Fee: $128
Starting date: Sunday, June 12 at 1 PM. (Can’t make this time? Contact us to request days and times that work for you. We’ll do our best to accommodate you in future class cycles.)
Register: HERE

Service Dog Foundations I

Are you taking your dog to the next level and beyond? Service Dog Foundations is for dogs that have graduated from basic manners and are ready to focus on the foundation behaviors needed for an assistance dog career. Service Dog Foundations is built around handler focus — your service-dog-in-training (SDiT) focusing on you and offering eye contact, relaxed behavior, and eager working attention.

Are you training your dog as a mobility, psychiatric, medical alert, or other assistance dog? This is the class for you!

This class is designed with the needs of the owner-training service dog handler in mind. Your service-dog-in-training (SDiT) will learn to alternate between active working and active relaxation. As the course progresses, dogs will learn to maintain focus, working around increasing distractions. During “settle” periods, students will participate in discussions about common SDiT handler issues, such as how to handler questions from strangers, gear and equipment questions, and more. This class is appropriate for dogs of any age, from elderly to adolescent. Your dog will learn…

Eye contact and handler focus
Conditioned relaxation (chill out in any environment)
Working Dog Walk (advanced/focused leash walking)
Leave it
Touch (nose targeting)
Stay
Around (avoiding obstacles and increasing team communication)
Public access training foundations
BONUS: Q&A on service dog joys and challenges

Service Dog Foundations I is perfect for…

SDiTs that can perform cued behaviors reliably at home but not as well in other spaces
SDiTs that have some, but not all, the foundation behaviors they need
SDiT teams that want to build their confidence and teamwork together
SDiT handlers that want the information and support of a service dog group class

Requirements, Fees, and Schedule:

Health: Dog must be vaccinated and generally healthy
Behavior: Dog must be able to work around other dogs and people
Prerequisites: Family Dog Manners & Obedience or equivalent*.
Course length: 6 weeks
Fee: $128**
Starting date: Date and time to be determined. Contact us to request days and times that work for you. We’ll do our best to accommodate those we hear from first.
Register: HERE

*Equivalent means that your dog can reliably perform most of the behaviors taught in Family Dog Manners & Obedience in a group class environment. If your dog has had previous private or group lessons, please contact us to discuss which class is most appropriate for your dog. We may ask to speak with your previous trainer, send us video, or do a consultation.

**We offer discounts to service-dog handlers who are low income and disabled. Please contact us for information.

Stay Tuned….

We will eventually also be offering

Puppy Kindergarten (for pups 8-16 weeks old)
Service Dog Foundations II
Canine Good Citizen class

Interested in one of these courses, or another course you don’t see listed? Contact us!

#BuyerBeware: Choosing a Service Dog Trainer

April 25, 2016 by sharon 1 Comment

As a professional dog trainer who specializes in working with service dog owner-trainers, I am too familiar with the sad results when people entrust their precious time, money, or hope in the wrong trainer or service dog program. I’ve included some of these “Training Gone Wrong” examples (with names and details changed) shared with me by clients and colleagues.

This post addresses one key factor that individuals looking for a trainer should pay attention to: professional certification. As I’ve just earned my second trainer certification (CPDT-KA), I thought this was a good time to address WHY these certifications matter.

“Training Gone Wrong” Example: Pamela and Freddy

Pamela contacted me for help training her SDiT, Freddy. They had been through numerous group classes, most recently a service dog course, yet Freddy was engaging in a lot of out-of-control behavior that was getting worse. It included biting one of her friends, constantly demanding attention, and reactivity to strangers, vehicles (cars, bikes, wheelchairs), dogs. The group classes were overwhelming Freddy with people, dogs, and wheeled objects coming at him, scaring him and worsening his reactivity. Additionally, the punitive methods the trainers used damaged Freddy’s trust in Pamela, impeding her training progress. With several months of intensive training, we were able to modify Freddy’s behavior and get him back on track to becoming a service dog.

What’s In a Name?

When training a service dog, you’ll work with numerous “dog professionals”:

Veterinarians
Breeders
Groomers
Daycare or kennel workers
Trainers – for group or private obedience training, temperament tests, task training, or as the authors/stars of books, videos, TV shows, or online posts about dog training

With the exception of veterinarians, none of these professions require any formal training, licensing, or certification. In the United States, dog training is an unregulated industry. While only someone with a doctorate in veterinary medicine can call themselves a vet, anyone can set up a business, organization, or Facebook page and call themselves a “trainer,” “breeder” or even a “service dog trainer” or “service dog organization”!

Bust of distinguished older white gentleman. Text: I trained my dog to sit. That makes me a dog trainer.

Given this, it is very important to be an informed consumer. So, how can you judge which professionals to work with? There are a lot of factors, but a good place to begin to sort the wheat from the chaff is with meaningful certifications.

Private Trainers: Assess Credentials

If anyone can work as a private dog trainer, regardless of method, outcomes, or experience, how do you know whom to trust? Start by focusing on trainers that have a certification from a recognized independent certifying body, or secondarily, that have a certification as a graduate of a respected, science-based trainer vocational program.

Definitions: A private trainer is someone you hire to help you train your dog. This is distinguish from a program, which is a business or organization that provides you with a trained dog. Generally, programs own the dogs they train, and whereas private trainers work with you to help you train your own dog.

While there may be good service dog trainers who don’t have these credentials as well as certified trainers who are not right to work with you and your dog, the benefit of working with a trainer with a meaningful certification is that you know they have, at minimum…

A basic understanding of learning theory (the behavioral psychology term for understanding how animals learn), instruction skills, animal husbandry, and canine ethology (the study of canine behavior)
Experience as a professional dog trainer working with clients
A commitment to professional education and development
A network or community of other skilled trainers to consult with

“Training Gone Wrong” Example: The Winter Family and Goldie

The Winters bought a puppy from a reputable breeder to train as an in-home service dog for their severely disabled son. They raised funds from family and friends to pay for her training classes at the local humane society. Goldie’s puppy classes went well, but after she started obedience classes, which used a choke chain, her behavior worsened, including excessive jumping and barking, destroying the kids’ possessions, and acting fearful and refusing to go on walks. At our consult, the Winters were considering relinquishing Goldie. I explained how to get Goldie’s behavior back on track by rewarding good behavior and preventing bad behavior. While relieved that there were sensible answers, the Winters had spent all of Goldie’s training budget on the group classes. They planned to try training on their own.

What Goes Into Earning a CPDT-KA or KPA-CTP?

Trainers without meaningful certifications may tell you, “I don’t need some letters after my name. What counts is experience.” But a person could have 20 years of experience that is not relevant to what you need your dog to do. They may have decades of experience successfully training dogs with leash corrections to do competition heeling, but that may not be useful to help you train your dog to do a medical alert when you’re asleep.

After 15 years of training my own service dogs, I had a depth of experience with owner-training a service dog that is very important in my work helping others to train their own assistance dogs. But to be able to be useful to virtually any service dog client, I needed to do a lot more.

In addition to continuing my education with books, seminars, and workshops on science-based dog training and behavior, I apprenticed with two skilled, certified, and humane trainers, which gave me the experience of training dozens of other dogs, and more importantly, instructing many people to train their dogs. I also learned how to modify behavior in dogs with behavior disorders and how to assess behavior and temperament. These are all different sets of skills, and they are all necessary to being an effective trainer for clients who are training their own psychiatric service dog or mobility assistance dog.

In 2015, I attended Karen Pryor Academy for Animal Training & Behavior. To be accepted into the program, applicants must already have dog training experience, professional dog handling experience and references. KPA is an intensive, six-month program that covers learning theory, cueing, stimulus control, instruction skills, and dog body language, among other training topics. Tuition is $5000, and in addition to many hours of reading and homework, there are four in-person two-day workshops, knowledge tests throughout the course, and three final exams in training fluent behavior in a dog, instructing a class, and knowledge. All of which must be passed at 90 percent or higher. Many people who take the course do not graduate. A graduate earns the title of Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPA-CTP). To maintain KPA certification, trainers must earn continuing education credits.

This month, I also earned my certification from the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers. I now have the title of CPDT-KA, which means Certified Professional Dog Trainer — Knowledge Assessed. To take the exam, I had to sign a code of ethics, provide professional references and a log showing I had over 300 hours of professional training experience, pay over $400 in fees, and travel to a testing site on the specified day. This expense and effort makes it likely that people taking the exam are highly motivated, yet not everyone who takes the exam passes. To maintain certification, trainers must earn continuing education credits or retake the exam.

Orange, gray, and white logo of CCPDT. Text: Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge Assessed

Independent Certifying Bodies

The minimum you should look for before you trust someone with your dog – or trust your time and money to someone to help you find a service dog candidate — is that they have basic credentials. How do you know if a trainer has these certifications? It’s not enough to just look for these letters after a trainer’s name. It is best to double-check by looking for their name in the certifying body’s or school’s directory of certificants. (Links are provided below.)

CPDT (CPDT-KA or CPDT-KSA) or CBCC-KA – Certified Professional Dog Trainer or Certified Behavior Consultant Canine. (Knowledge Assessed or Knowledge and Skills Assessed.) Means a minimum of 300 hours of professional training, signed a code of ethics, been vouched for by another trainer or veterinarian, and passed a certifying exam that tests learning theory, instruction, canine husbandry and ethology. Requires CEUs (continuing education) to maintain certification. Find a CCPDT trainer.
CDBC or CABC – Certified Dog Behavior Consultant or Certified Animal Behavior Consultant. Means a minimum of 3 years and 500 hours of professional behavior consultation with clients, 400 hours of coursework, signed a code of ethics, been vouched for by a client, colleague, and veterinarian, provided written case studies, and passed a certifying exam in assessment, behavioral science, species specific knowledge, consulting skills, general animal behavior, and the biological sciences as it pertains to animal behavior. Requires CEUs to maintain. Find a behavior consultant.
CAAB or ACAAB – Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or Associate CAAB. More rigorous than the other two credentials. CAAB has a PhD in biological or psychological sciences with an emphasis in animal behavior, at least two years professional experience, research, clinical, and presentation experience in animal behavior, liability insurance, and more. ACCAB has the same requirements but has a Master’s Degree. Find a behaviorist.

Science-Based Professional Dog Trainer Vocational Program Graduates

If you can’t find a certified trainer, look for a trainer who has graduated from one of these programs:

KPA-CTP – Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner. Has completed a course in dog training using marker-based positive reinforcement training and passed a written exam, a practical training exam, and an instructor exam with a score of 90% or higher on every exam. Requires CEUs to maintain. Find a KPACTP.
CTC – Certificate in Training and Counseling. Has graduated from the Academy for Dog Trainers and passed written and practical dog training tests including animal learning and cognition, applied behavior analysis, ethology, class curricula, dog body language, and diverse forms of reinforcement. Find a CTC.

“Training Gone Wrong” Example: Theresa and Butterfly

Theresa contacted me to find out what would be involved in having her dog, Butterfly, trained as a service dog or emotional support animal. At the consult, Theresa told me that her groomer had told her to use a certain website to get Butterfly certified as a service dog. Theresa, who is on SSI, followed the groomer’s instructions and paid $150 to “register” Butterfly. She received an official-looking certificate with a registration number for Butterfly and a vest that says “Service Dog” on it. I explained to Theresa that since there is no such thing as federal certification or registration of service dogs (nor state certification in her state of Mass.), those were worthless. She could use the vest and patches once her dog was trained. (Though she could have gotten those much less expensively elsewhere.)

What about other badges, titles, or associations?

It depends. There are lots of memberships or designations you can claim just by sending in annual dues. Many of these are terrific organizations — IAADP, APDT, NADOI — but you do not need any credentials to be a member. A badge on a trainer’s or organization’s website that says they belong to one of these organizations indicates an interest in continuing education and professionalism, but it doesn’t indicate any degree of skill or knowledge.

There are also organizations or designations that are not that meaningful. They could be an organization someone created yesterday and now says they are the chair of the board. I could tell you that I’m a member of the “International Society of Dog Behavior Professionals,” which sounds impressive but doesn’t exist. I just made the name up. This is why I recommend looking for specific, meaningful credentials.

The APDT provides a basic explanation of trainer credentials. This article on How to Choose a Dog Trainer by 4 Paws University also discusses this (and other) issues.

Blue and white badge with a dog giving its paw to a person. Text: Association of Professional Dog Trainers APDT Professional Member — Being a professional member of APDT is good but doesn’t necessarily mean I’m a skilled or knowledgeable trainer.

Service Dog Professional Red Flags

Suppose you have now found a trainer with the certifications or schooling suggested above. Even among credentialed trainers, there are red flags that should cause you to reconsider – or at least gather more information on – doing service-dog related work in these situations:

Look at the dogs in the program’s or trainer’s videos and pictures. Are they wearing choke chains or prong collars? Does the trainer sell e-collars or recommend “stimulation” training? Does the trainer call himself “balanced” or offer “balance” training, talk about training as primarily being an issue of leadership, asserting control or dominance? These are trainers to avoid.
If a trainer says about a dog you’re considering, “There’s a behavior problem (reactivity, aggression, anxiety, fearfulness, attacking cats, etc.) but we can fix it with training.” It’s better not to start service dog training with a behavior modification project.
Is the trainer open with you and with the others you’re working with about their credentials and experience? Do they share information and details on their methods of training? Are they eager to send you, your vet, or another trainer their recommendations, conclusions, or notes about your dog or a dog they’re assessing or training for you? If they act secretive or say they have “a unique method” that they can’t share, they may have something to hide.
Is the trainer working as a trainer, or working in another profession and doing some training on the side? A lot of great people work as rescue volunteers or coordinators, groomers, vet techs, etc., which gives them valuable dog knowledge. It does not necessarily give them the skills and knowledge of dog training and behavior that you need in a trainer.
Guarantees or offers of unlimited training. Odd as it may seem, these can both be red flags, and they are often offered by the same trainers. Private trainers who offer training or behavioral guarantees are a red flag, as this is considered unethical by reputable certifying bodies and trainer’s associations. This trainer typically offers something like, “Pay $X and we guarantee your dog will be trained in Y and Z behaviors. Bring your dog to us for as many years or sessions as he needs, guaranteed!” This is a red flag because behavior is unpredictable, individual, and a combination of multiple factors, including both human and dog behavior and circumstances. Note: This differs from a program that offers a warranty on their trained dogs. A large program that breeds and trains hundreds of dogs can legitimately promise that if the dog they match you with does not work out, they can provide you with another dog. On the other hand, a “program” that promises to train your pet as a service dog for a flat fee should be asked about what happens if the dog does not succeed: Will they provide a refund? Are there assessments to let you know whether your dog is meeting benchmarks to succeed on schedule? At what point do they recommend career-changing (“washing out” a dog)?
How much experience do they have with service dog training or with disability? Ask them for details of disabilities of past clients or types of training you’re interested in. An ethical trainer will be honest when asked about their areas of expertise and level of experience in a specific aspect of training.It’s fine to hire a credentialed positive trainer who doesn’t know about service dogs or disabilities to teach your dog to sit, stay, or come. But they are probably not the best source of information on choosing the right dog, on how to train the dog to work best for your disability (for example, if you want a dog to offer balance support, you may not want an automatic “sit” when you come to a stop) or on how to train assistance skills.If you are working with a pet dog trainer you already know and like, it is often a terrific plan to work primarily with this trainer for most of your ongoing trainer, but to hire a service dog trainer to set up your training plan and to consult periodically on disability-related training issues.

Good Intentions vs. Skill and Training

While some people intentionally take advantage of people who are looking for a service dog for themselves or a family member, others have good intentions but lack the skills or the time to fulfill their promises. Most of my clients’ bad experiences with other service dog trainers were not caused by evil people, but by people who truly care about dogs and/or disabled people. With increased attention and funding for service dog training and the widespread popularity of celebrity dog training, some people may start service dog organizations or training businesses with lofty goals and cause unintended harm. It is not enough for a trainer to have a background in dog training or disability. They also must have a thorough understanding of the complexities of dog behavior, ethology, and body language; temperament testing; positive reinforcement training; behavior modification; and the legal and ethical aspects of service dog training.

“Training Gone Wrong” Example: Hennie and Bug

Hennie bought Bug as a puppy from a breeder website that markets its dogs as future service dogs. The breeder indicated that Bug had been temperament tested as an appropriate candidate to become a SDiT. Hennie also paid several thousand dollars for four months of skilled training for Bug before she arrived home. At six months of age, Bug arrived, already crate-trained and house-trained. However, Bug turned out to be a skittish and fearful puppy who was reactive to strangers, making it unlikely she would be able to work in public and requiring a lot of behavior modification just to be a stable pet. Bug also didn’t recognize basic obedience cues (sit, down, wait, leave it, etc.) that were supposed to have already been trained.

Evaluating Service Dog Programs and Organizations

Many of the same types of questions and considerations with private trainers can be applied to organizations and programs. By “program or organization,” I mean a business (whether nonprofit or for-profit) that provides fully trained service dogs to people who apply. If a program provides a partially trained dog, you might need to assess it by combining criteria for private trainers and programs.

Is the program a member of Assistance Dogs International (ADI)? Programs that are members of ADI are much more likely to be reputable and to do what they say they do.
Service Dog Central provides some excellent information on evaluating service dog programs and trainers. If you are looking to work with a program, I highly recommend starting with these articles:
Tips on Selecting a Program to Provide a Trained Service Dog
Red Flags (programs to avoid)
How to choose your service or assistance dog program

Additional Information on Evaluating Programs

Once you’ve read the articles above, here are additional issues to consider:

Do staff trainers have the certifications or schooling outlined in this post? If staff trainers don’t have these credentials, that may be fine if they’re working with direct supervision from a head trainer with strong credentials. If the head trainer’s resume is not on the program website, ask for written material on the head trainer’s background in animal training and behavior.
What conditions do the dogs live in? Ask to visit the facility and watch the training and see where the dogs are kenneled. Is the living area clean? Are the dogs relaxed? Are there toys and beds? During training, are humane methods used? Punitive methods such as choke chains and prong collars cause stress that is more likely to lead a shorter working life due to the negative impact of stress on a dog’s health.
Ask to speak to a few of their graduates who have dogs from them. Get names and phone numbers. Speak to graduates about their experience with their dog. Ask to meet the people and dogs so you can assess the dog’s level of training. If they are not in your area, ask them to send you some video of the handler and dog working together. A trained service dog does not act like a pet dog. It is focused on its handler, even around distractions.
If the program is new and cannot refer you to graduates, ask the program contact person what skills they train the dogs to do and whether they’ve trained any dogs to do them yet. Pick one of these skills and ask them to take a short video in the next couple of days and email it to you of one of their trainers and dogs performing this skill five times in a row. The dog should be successful 80% of the time (four out of five times).

“Training Gone Wrong” Example: Steve and Mystery Service Dog Program

Steve applied to a service dog program in his area and met with their trainer. The trainer did not provide a contract, discuss training methodology, or return calls and emails promptly, but did show him pictures and the name of the dog he’d receive and the cost. Steve began fundraising, but it was slow going. On the day he was to meet his new service-dog-in-training, the program told him the dog was sick. Later, he learned the dog had been matched with someone else. When he asked some follow-up questions, he was told the trainers were too busy to answer. Later, when Steve did raise significant funds, the program got back in touch and offered him a puppy to train. The negative experiences with this program and others like it caused Steve a lot of stress and made him wonder if he could trust any trainer.

Program Website Red Flags

These issues are not necessarily deal breakers, but they warrant caution, careful attention and research:

If there are there lots of pictures of people and service dogs, look at the gear on the service dogs. If the dogs’ vests and packs are from multiple different organizations (none of which bear the name or logo of the program you’re looking at), this is a red flag. First, it’s likely copyright infringement, which suggests a willingness to cut corners and poor ethics. Secondly, it tells you nothing about the dogs that are actually in the program.
The website should give the full names (first and last) of the people who are involved in training the dogs, as well as information on their backgrounds and credentials. If the organization is a nonprofit, there should be a board of directors listed. If the program is a for-profit business, that should be clear, too.
Trainers or organizations with websites that are incomplete or under construction (or that only have a Facebook page) may be new or inexperienced, or may not be fully committed to the work of service dog training. This is an important consideration. Everyone has to start somewhere, but people that have been training service dogs professionally for twenty years will have a deeper depth of experience than people who are just starting out.
Organizations or websites that rail against breeding dogs for service work or that say that they get all their dogs from shelters are often suspect. While there are some excellent and ethical programs that train mostly or exclusively rescue or shelter dogs, most reputable programs rely on purpose-bred dogs or a mix of purpose-bred dogs, dogs donated by breeders, and rescue dogs or client pets. Reputable programs that train rescue dogs are upfront about the rigorous testing required and the high number of dogs that do not pass assessments.
Information about costs, fees, and waitlists should appear somewhere on the website. If you need to call to find out basic information on fees and timetables, that is often a red flag.

Be an Informed Consumer

It may feel awkward and intimidating to ask someone lots of questions, including about their background, credentials, and experience. And if you really want their help to get a service dog, you may worry about alienating them. But if they respond badly to reasonable questions, that is a good piece of information for you. Do you want to work with someone who has something to hide?

You need all the relevant information to make an informed decision for you and your dog. Be polite but persistent. A professional who is honest about their limitations may be a better bet than someone who bristles at being questioned. The former is more likely to research and consult with colleagues if she is stumped. The latter may put reputation above your best interests.

The relationships you have with a service dog trainer, program, or other professional is often long-term and has a profound impact on your life. Choose with care. You and your dog deserve it.

Frequently Asked Questions about Service Dogs

April 4, 2016 by sharon 1 Comment

Q: What is the legal definition of a service dog?

A: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service dog is a dog that has been trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effects of a person’s disability. A disability is a permanent or chronic mental, emotional, sensory, or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities (such as walking, learning, breathing, standing, working, talking, etc.).

For public access, a service dogs must be under its handler’s control at all times. The ADA specifies that a service dog is leashed, tethered, or harnessed unless that would interfere with it performing its assistance tasks. In that case, the SD must be otherwise under handler control (e.g., hand signals, voice commands, etc.).

Legally, a service dog is equivalent to assistive equipment (e.g., cane, speech device, environmental control unit, wheelchair) or a human aide (e.g., sighted guide or personal assistant). The work the dog does must in some way mitigate its partner’s disability, such as making it less severe, or increasing the human partner’s safety or independence.

Also, the dog’s work must be trained; it cannot consist of behaviors the dog offers naturally. To have public access with your service dog, your dog must be under control and house trained. If the presence of the dog would fundamentally alter the business operations, it can be excluded.

Q: Are there other generally accepted standards for service dogs?

A: To work in public, a service dog must have excellent manners. Think of a dog is so quiet and well-behaved that other people may not realize a dog is present. The dog must also be comfortable and relaxed in any environment because it will need to perform its job wherever the team is.

Thus, SD candidates cannot be aggressive or fearful. They must be able to act professional in public.

Q: Define service dogs vs. emotional support animals vs. therapy dogs vs. companion dogs?

A: A service dog is a highly trained dog, with excellent manners and obedience, partnered with one disabled person, trained to perform tasks that mitigate the effect of that person’s disability. The ADA only considers dogs – and miniature horses trained to guide blind people – as assistance animals. No other animals are considered service animals.

An emotional support animal (ESA) is a pet of any species whose presence makes its disabled owner feel better and is therefore allowed as a reasonable accommodation in “no pets” housing and on airplane flights. The pet must have a therapeutic effect on the owner but doesn’t need to perform tasks. A person with an ESA dog has no public access rights. A letter from a doctor stating that the animal’s presence relieves symptoms is usually required for accommodation.

A therapy dog provides comfort, affection, or support to people in hospitals, schools, nursing homes, or other places where people benefit from a dog’s presence. Though therapy dogs undergo training in obedience, manners, and sometimes other skills, they are not trained to mitigate the effects of one person’s disability. Therapy dog handlers have no public access rights and must obtain permission from these facilities to bring their dog there to work.

There is no agreed-upon definition of “companion dog.” Some SD programs use the term for dogs trained to assist disabled people that aren’t suitable for public access work and work in the home only. However, since “companion animal” is often synonymous with “pet” (any dog can be a “companion” to their owner), it’s not a meaningful term for a specially trained dog.

Q: What do I need to train my dog as a service dog?

A: You need three things:

The right dog. A SD must be comfortable and able to work around people, noise, movement, other dogs, running squirrels, traffic, etc. This requires training, but the dog must have a temperament that starts out pretty comfortable already.
An ENORMOUS amount of time and dedication. Training a SD is equivalent to a full-time job. Not only will you spend up to two or three years training daily, you’ll also spend time socializing, grooming, handling, and exercising your dog beyond what you’d do with a pet. You also must supervise your dog closely, preventing bad behavior around the house, on walks, or during play because it undermines your other training. If you’re obsessed with having a SD, feel it’s how you want to spend most of your time, and you’ll do anything to make it happen, you have the right attitude to make a go of it.
Money. You need more time than money, but SDs are expensive. (If you have less time and more money, a trainer can do a lot of training but you’ll need to be truly dedicated to the dog’s behavior, too). If you have less money, you’ll need to budget for training books and videos, gear, treats, grooming, and others extras that a pet dog doesn’t need.

Q: What access rights does a service dog have?

A: None because only people have access rights. Legally a service dog is viewed as assistive equipment. With few exceptions, if your dog fulfills the same function as a wheelchair, white cane, human assistant, etc., you have the right to go where you could use those other forms of assistance.

Q: Do I have the right to bring my service dog wherever I go?

A: A disabled person with a dog that is task-trained to reduce the impact of that person’s disability has the right to bring that dog into public accommodations (stores, restaurants, hotels, concerts), on public transportation (taxis, buses, subways), and to work or school, as long as the dog’s presence doesn’t cause an undue burden to the business, organization, school, etc., or anywhere the general public can go, with these exceptions:

Private clubs or religious organizations (including churches, synagogues, or mosques) are not covered by the ADA. Only public spaces that anyone can enter are covered
A person with a dog that soils (pees/poops), or that is not under handler control – including being aggressive or disruptive (whining, barking) – may be asked to remove the dog. The disabled handler can stay in the establishment without the dog.
In places where the presence of the dog would constitute an “undue burden” or “fundamentally alter” the nature of the business, such as in an operating room or in an allergy clinic that treats people with dog allergies, a service dog may be restricted.

Q: Do I have the legal right to bring my service-dog-in-training (SDiT) wherever I go?

A: It depends on the state. In most of the Northeast, including Massachusetts, if you are actively engaged in training a service dog, you have the same access rights as a SD partner/handler. (Look up the laws for your state in ADI’s PDF “Guide to Assistance Dog Laws.”)

Q: Should I bring my puppy or SDiT with me everywhere I go?

A: Not necessarily. Bringing your puppy everywhere can flood some puppies, making negative associations that adversely affect socialization. Being overwhelmed in public can cause behavior problems in adult dogs, too. Additionally, dogs and puppies can learn to behave badly in public, which you’ll have to retrain later. Also, dogs that are never left home can develop behavior problems when they do spend time alone (which happens even to service dogs sometimes). A trainer can help you learn when to bring your dog and when to leave her at home.

Q: How do I get my dog certified as a legal service dog?

A: In the United States, there is no legal certification of service dogs. Websites offering “service dog certification packages” are misleading at best, scams at worst. Save your money! Some service dog organizations offer certificates of graduation or completion, but this does not confer any legal rights or privileges.

If your dog is well-trained in manners and obedience, under your complete control, quiet and unobtrusive, and reducing the impact of your disabilities with trained behaviors, your dog is legally a service dog. You do not need certification.

Q: How do I know when my dog is “legal”? When do I take off the “in training” patches?

A: You (or a trainer) must assess your dog’s public access training (obedience, manners, and ability to function well in high-distraction environments) and your dog’s ability to successfully perform tasks that reduce the impact of your disability. Often it’s useful to meet with a qualified trainer and together, assess your dog’s training, your goals, and your dog’s behavior. You are an important part of the process because you know best how well your dog’s trained behavior is affecting your disability. A qualified trainer can also perform a set evaluation, such as the Assistance Dogs International Public Access Test to give you a sense of your dog’s readiness to work in public. (Note that this does not convey any legal meaning and is not relevant to ADI unless the trainer works for an ADI member organization.)

Q: When is the right time to work with a qualified, professional trainer?

A: As early as possible – ideally before you get your dog.

A qualified trainer can help you…

choose the right dog
create a training plan
give you resources to raise a physically and behaviorally healthy dog
set up you and your dog for success with manners, obedience, and service tasks
find answers when training or behavior issues arise

Q: How do I choose a qualified trainer to help me train my dog?

A: Service dog training takes special expertise. A good trainer should…

Use positive-reinforcement methods (such as clicker training). Punishment training (choke, pinch, prong, or shock collars) is not appropriate for most service dog training
Be certified as a professional dog trainer by a respected certifying body, such as CCPDT.org or IAABC.org, or have graduated from a humane, science-based dog trainer professional vocational program such as Karen Pryor Academy, Academy for Dog Trainers, or Animal Behavior College
Have an understanding of applied behavior analysis in behavior modification
Have experience training service dogs, working with disabled people, and with the laws and ethical issues that apply to service dog training and handling
Work with you in a way that feels comfortable, effective, helpful, and supportive to you
Be willing to answer your questions, including questions about fees or training methods

Q: Is it best to do group classes or private training?

A: It depends on your dog’s level of training, age, and the services in your area. For most dogs, it is often best to get foundation behaviors (sit, down, stay, heel, come, touch, mat, etc.) solid by working privately with a skilled positive-reinforcement trainer, and then take group classes to proof those behaviors in a distracting new setting.

For puppies (8- 16 weeks), a well-run puppy kindergarten is a terrific addition to home training. It can help with socialization and with teaching your puppy to focus on you around distractions. Choose carefully! Training classes can cause more harm than good if they use punitive methods, allow inappropriate interactions between dogs, or are taught by trainers who don’t understand how to build a dog’s confidence and skills slowly and properly.

Q: I was told that people with my type of disability cannot train a service dog. Is this true?

A: Probably not. Type of disability is rarely a determining factor.

If the dog is right for service work, the most important other factor is the handler’s motivation, dedication, willingness to learn (often requiring much research and study), and ability to provide hundreds of hours of skilled training.

I know people with many different types of disabilities who have trained service dogs. Examples include quadriplegia, deafblindness, CP, psychiatric disabilities (such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression), chronic illnesses (such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome) successfully train their own service dogs. If you are committed, have the time, resources, and the right dog, you have a great shot at training your own SD!