How to go about getting a service dog?

[Tap]

I have had several people suggest a therapy/service dog for dd18.  She would LOVE to have her own dog.  I have always held off on getting her a pet due to 2 things. 1.  DD10 could injure it if it was a small dog. 2. I didn't want a dog left behind to take care of when she went to college. But if it is a therapy dog, she could possibly take it with her. 

 

I am at the point that I may just need to adjust to the idea that a dog is what she needs right now. 

 

How do I go about getting the process started? We are a furry-pet free home, so we are starting from scratch. I do not want to just get a random rescue and call it a therapy/service dog. 

 

We also need to decide what function it will have to support her, more than just emotional support. DD does faint on occasion, but it is not random.  It is caused by something specific like getting a medical treatment or extreme pain.  If we do this, I truly want it to a service animal, not just emotional support. (Totally supportive of emotional support pets, just not what we are looking for)

 

Where to start?

Edited August 29, 2017 by Tap

[JessieC]

Does she have a medical diagnosis? We have looked into this for my dd with type 1 diabetes, but they run up to 20k, so they are out of our reach for now.

[Pen]

Contact Canine Companions for Independence and ask them also for names of other organizations to contact.  And trainers in your area may know of private trainers training service dogs. Some breeders also breed for that.  

 

 It has to do something that is important for her to be able to do her life to be a service dog.  Maybe it could have the job of waking her up when the phone rings. Or walking assistance or bringing her things if she needs that.

 

 

[Pen]

Also try to see this movie: https://www.amazon.com/Through-Dogs-Eyes-Peter-Schnall/dp/B004BU76Q6   Probably a good first step to understand service dogs. Plus, the service dog organization of the movie would be another one to contact.

Edited August 30, 2017 by Pen

[Plink]

I'm not clear on what function you want this dog to serve.  It sounds like you are mostly looking emotional regulation, but you want it to be officially labeled as a service dog, not ESA, so that they will fall under the ADA protection.  Is that correct?  If so, you may want to consider a dog trained in interrupting stims or self-injurious behavior, or perhaps in boxing out (basically, keeping people a reasonable distance away so that their person can avoid becoming overwhelmed in crowds).  

 

If there are any balance issues involved, I highly recommend BASK.  We have friends who work as puppy raisers, and they work diligently to make sure that the pups are well trained before the official training for disability-specific skills evens begins. 

 

The wait list is generally very, very long for service dogs, so get on several lists sooner rather than later.  Also, you may want to consider the time involved.  Most service dog organizations require you to visit their facility repeatedly so that they can train you.  Depending on the organization, there also can be regular check-ins to make sure that the dog hasn't declined in their skills, and that the handler is keeping up with the dog's rewards.  

 

Good luck!

[MEmama]

Contact Canine Companions for Independence and ask them also for names of other organizations to contact. And trainers in your area may know of private trainers training service dogs. Some breeders also breed for that.

 

It has to do something that is important for her to be able to do her life to be a service dog. Maybe it could have the job of waking her up when the phone rings. Or walking assistance or bringing her things if she needs that.

Seconding CCI. We raised many dogs for them when I was a kid--seeing the difference they make in someone's life was a huge life lesson. The range of assistance the dogs can provide is enormous, for all different types of concerns and issues.

[DawnM]

Sometimes insurance will cover it.  I would look into that option first.

My friend raises them and has them available but currently she doesn't take insurance.  She will have several dogs available soon, but I think they are in the $20K-$25K range.  I have suggested she figure out a way to take insurance, as most people will go that route if they can.

[ktgrok]

CCI dogs are free, but there is a long wait list. Waking her up when her phone goes off would be something it could do, as well as helping with balance, helping her up if she falls, etc. 

[Teacher Mom]

If you are looking for a dog to help with balance, that would be an pretty big dog for an adult female. The only two I know of that are used for that purpose are a mastiff and a huge German shepherd. 

 

Service dogs take a long time to train (around 18 months) so the wait is long. I do know of a woman who trained her own emotional support dog and got it certified as a therapy dog so it could wear that vest instead of one that said emotional support dog. It took her two years, starting with a 3 month old puppy. The dog is phenomenal, it is about 4 years old now. She did this with the help of a private dog trainer because she did not want to stay on a waiting list. The dog was adopted at the animal shelter and is a mixed breed.

[zimom]

First, if I may, let me go over the different types of dogs since they are being used interchangeably and sometimes incorrectly.  

 

Therapy dogs are dogs that are used for MANY different people such as in a nursing home, hospital, etc.  They have NO public access rights.  It may wear a vest but that is only to label it a therapy dog and the owner has to get permission from each place (such as the hospital) to take it in to comfort the MANY different people/patients in that facility.  You can not just take the therapy dog into any place you want.  Therapy dogs need to be calm and comfortable working with a variety of people obviously.

 

Emotional Support Animals ESA (dogs), are calm dogs and do have rights to live in apartments/housing that otherwise do not allow pets but otherwise do NOT have public access.  In other words you may not take them into grocery stores, restaurants, etc.  No vest needed as their purpose is to provide emotional support, calmness to their owner.  Any dog with a good demeanor can be an ESA.  It can't be a vicious dog.  ESAs are allow to fly on planes with advanced notice and a doctors note.

 

Service dogs:  A service dogs is a dog that is specifically trained to provide assistance, specific tasks for ONE PERSON.  They often wear a vest, but honestly the law says they don't have to.  There are a lot of sham organizations out there now taking the vulnerable's money and either providing no dog or a dog that is sick, untrained or worse.  Do your homework!!!!!  With the exception of occasionally miniature horses, only a dog can be a service animal so if you see someone with a service cat, service snake, or a service miniature pot belly pig, they are all fakes.   Service dogs do not have the right to ride in the grocery cart, up on the table or I could go on and on the places I see fake service dogs.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2017 by zimom

[zimom]

My profile pic is my daughter's amazing service dog, via Canine Companions for Independance.  CCI.  Totally free, some of the best service dogs I have met.  Unfortunately the free service dog organizations have very few 'slots' and a long wait.  

 

Tap, it does sound like your daughter would benefit from a dog, but first try to think about what exactly you think you need the dog to do.  An ESA might be ideal which would be much easier then a service dog.  If you decide she would need specific tasks performed, and full public access, then you would be looking at a service dog that becomes much harder and of course costlier.  

 

Let me know if you would like me to help you brainstorm.  My daughter's SD is 9 so unfortunately will be retiring in the next couple of years.  We will likely be owner training her next one as we have the resources to do so but that is rare.  

Edited August 30, 2017 by zimom

[Pen]

Also consider her abilities and needs and potential issues with a dog. Eg, if she has skin fragility issues, dog nails could be a problem (though could perhaps be helped with rubber nail protectors). Small dogs can be easier and less costly to manage in many ways and could probably do wake-ups to phone calls, pick up a dropped object, etc., but large ones can give mobility help.  Also large are easier to pet without bending in re back pain.  I don't have EDS, but have some related issues including fatigue and joints that dislocate easily--for those reasons I like short haired dogs who do not need tons of grooming, and where the grooming needed does not tend to cause me wrist dislocation.

[Pen]

If you are looking for a dog to help with balance, that would be an pretty big dog for an adult female. The only two I know of that are used for that purpose are a mastiff and a huge German shepherd. 

 

 

 

 

I've known a small female GSD and small female Golden who could give balance assistance (to reasonably small female humans) because they were not being leaned on, but were rather giving counter balance. eg by a stiff harness and long stiff handle that the GSD wore s.t. the human was actually pulling up or to side on the handle, not putting weight down on the dog.

[Tap]

I emailed CCI today.  :0)  I live just over the border from Portland Oregon.  They don't have a training area in Portland, but they do have a local active chapter. 

 

Funny thing is, we would even be willing to do the training ourselves. The reason I want to go through a program, is to make sure she has an true ADA service dog for legal access to buildings. I work in retail and we see pets brought in all the time as ESA or service animals that are obviously not trained. It gets annoying, but we can't say anything unless the dog is a danger to other customers.  We see animals pee, poop, and vomit on our floors. And I have yet, to see a customer do anything other than just walk off and leave the mess for another customer to walk through.   We see them bark at random people walking by and a few dog fights where the owners had to separate the animals. I am a firm believer in ESA, but it is sometimes pretty obvious when people are just bringing their pet shopping with them.  DD is staying home for college right now.  It would be nice in the future for her to be able to choose to be independent.  The more I think about it, the more I feel a service dog could really be a key to this.  If she has a bad spell and is bedridden away from home, we could hire a dog walker and such. Getting food for it will be easy with Amazon and since there are mobile vets in most major cities, I think there will be no real reason she couldn't care for the pet, even on her bad times. 

 

DDs illness is progressing and right now she can handle doing the work to train a dog and would love to do it. I would just want the guidance to know what to do. She is working to train her boyfriends pet dog to do basic tricks, but she loves the work. She has a huge heart for animals, and phenomenal patience.

 

 

[Lizzie in Ma]

I hope you are able to find one for her.  We went with the train our own option.  It is going really well, but he is only 14 weeks old.  I am finding resources online for specific needs for our daughter and training, in the meantime, Pluto is going through Puppy training I and II then the next two classes which are more advanced and will get him his AKA Canine Good Citizen certificate.  From there he can be registered as an emotional support animal which is great but we are going further because she needs help with her panic attacks, ptsd, balance issues etc.  I know they can be trained to do a behavior that mimics a weighted blanket when they sense a panic/anxiety attack.  We also want to train him to be able to stop her self harming.

 

I found good information here

http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html

 

and here

https://www.psychdogpartners.org/resources/frequently-asked-questions/faq-training-basics

 

 

[Teacher Mom]

Well, I have a dog in therapy class right now. I am familiar with therapy vs service vs emotional support. I have seen numerous ES dogs in the dentist and doctor's offices. I have seen them in restaurants, stores, etc. I have also seen therapy dogs (denoted by their vests) in both restaurants and stores, maybe because the owner is coming from or going to a nursing home, etc. and can not leave the dog in the car. 

 

I agree that the names are used incorrectly but I have also noticed that retail and non-medical people will not ask questions if a dog is wearing a therapy, ES, or service vest. Clearly better rules should be hashed out as more people are claiming the need for ES dogs and I believe that all dogs should be trained in order to be certified as therapy, ES, or service.

 

About the dogs for balance issues. It is correct that a dog about 50 pounds and up can be trained to counter balance. My Belgian does it for me when my knee goes out. However, it is unlikely that such a small dog can be used to help lift a non-petite adult from being prone on the ground if there is no other object around to help alleviate the person's weight. I may be mistaken, but dogs used to help adults who fall and need help getting up are usually mastiffs, Great Danes, etc. Goldens and labs are used (but usually the bigger boned ones) for children.

 

I wish you well in finding a dog for your daughter. After speaking with a doctor, you may want to schedule an appointment with the coordinator of a service organization to translate those needs into a "service speak evaluation"  of your daughter's needs so you can use it to contact various reputable service dogs organization and let them know what you need. If you decide to train the dog yourselves and then have him/her certified, the evaluation will give the trainer you use a blueprint to help you achieve your goal. Good luck.

[scrapbookbuzz]

 DD does faint on occasion, but it is not random.  It is caused by something specific like getting a medical treatment or extreme pain. 

 

Where to start?

 

Start with this statement right here. This alone tells me she's a good candidate for a service dog. And not a small one, either. 

I'm picturing a good stocky dog like an English labrador or something similar. Talk to your dd's doctor about a specific dx (diagnosis)

in regards to this, explaining that you want to look into getting a service dog for her. 

 

I'm sorry I don't know of specific agencies for where to get service dogs but I DO know there are those agencies that will work with you on

how to cover the cost of the dog. I'll be praying you find the right dog for your dd soon!

[Pen]

I emailed CCI today.  :0)  I live just over the border from Portland Oregon.  They don't have a training area in Portland, but they do have a local active chapter. 

 

Funny thing is, we would even be willing to do the training ourselves. The reason I want to go through a program, is to make sure she has an true ADA service dog for legal access to buildings. I work in retail and we see pets brought in all the time as ESA or service animals that are obviously not trained. It gets annoying, but we can't say anything unless the dog is a danger to other customers.  We see animals pee, poop, and vomit on our floors. And I have yet, to see a customer do anything other than just walk off and leave the mess for another customer to walk through.   We see them bark at random people walking by and a few dog fights where the owners had to separate the animals. I am a firm believer in ESA, but it is sometimes pretty obvious when people are just bringing their pet shopping with them.  DD is staying home for college right now.  It would be nice in the future for her to be able to choose to be independent.  The more I think about it, the more I feel a service dog could really be a key to this.  If she has a bad spell and is bedridden away from home, we could hire a dog walker and such. Getting food for it will be easy with Amazon and since there are mobile vets in most major cities, I think there will be no real reason she couldn't care for the pet, even on her bad times. 

 

DDs illness is progressing and right now she can handle doing the work to train a dog and would love to do it. I would just want the guidance to know what to do. She is working to train her boyfriends pet dog to do basic tricks, but she loves the work. She has a huge heart for animals, and phenomenal patience.

 

There are some books on training SD's...don't know titles off-hand, but have seen some.  

 

I had several dogs who were at home only SDs. One key was not stopping certain behaviors that would normally be stopped.  For example, current dog (son of SDs but not acting as one for us), liked to turn lights on and off. I did the normal dog owner thing and discouraged this, but for an SD I would have used it, and put it under stimulus control, and then built on it.  Clicker training and target training (getting dog to, say, touch nose to a paper plate, or end of a stick) can be helpful to shape other wanted behavior.  Your dd might be able to work with a professional trainer to help her learn to train the dog. This might be a big help, and perhaps the prof trainer could evaluate puppies for likely suitability.  I'd tend to look for a well bred, well tempered, healthy, hip certified, Labrador--with a calm temperament suited to SD work, not one suited to hunting work. You may need to be on waiting lists for a breeder, but you may have more chance of success than trying to start out with a backyard or shelter dog.  OTOH a dog from a shelter, if it would work out, might give a lot of joy in knowing that a dog got rescued.  If you are/she is in a city and up to paying for it, then there are also mobile groomers and what I said about avoiding long hair with need for lots of grooming might not apply.  If so, I'd also consider a Golden. 

 

 

What Teacher'smom said about dogs and lifting a large prone adult needing to be mastiffs etc. may be true.  But when I was more involved with dog SD related stuff, a large part had to do with training the person to use the dog's assistance in a way that would not overly tax the dog. So for example using a dog's ability to pull weight  forward and having the forward movement plus a harness to help get up -- much like when another human gives a hand to one on the ground -- pulling is something many dog's are good at, versus, putting weight on a dog's back which tends to be a weak area.  Or using the dog's fetching ability to train it to go get an object that the person could use to help get up.

 

Personally, and this is from someone who had Rottweilers and loves big dogs, I'd go with a smaller dog if possible.  Even things like having a dog be able to fit well in public places, or in an apartment, is easier with a smaller dog. 

 

And if qualified for it, might as well get on lists for CCI etc., since even if she gets and trains her own now, by time she works her way to top of list a dog trained now might be nearing retirement.

Another to contact might be Paws with a Cause, but I don't know as much about them as CCI.  I guess since I'm also on west coast and because I think CCI is much bigger, I've known more about CCI and excellent reputation it has.