Service Dog Training
The goal of every service dog owner is to have a dog that is proficient in the trained tasks, a dog that is easy to love and live with, and happy in their roles. Not every dog is physically and temperamentally appropriate to become a service dog. In addition to task proficiency, service dogs must possess the ability to remain composed in public places and ignore distractions that could affect their job performance. It takes an exceptional dog, substantial training, and owner commitment to fulfill the expectations of a service dog.
Many people abandon their goal of having a service dog because the process can be daunting. They have likely discovered long waiting periods due to overwhelming demand, or they have obtained a dog that does not have the specialized training required to meet the needs of their disability. Those who want to select a puppy or dog themselves may lack the necessary knowledge, skills, or physical ability to assess the dogs’ temperament and suitability and/or train the required tasks.
The BK9 Service Dog Development Program offers flexibility and partnership to help you achieve success on your service dog journey. I provide varied options to customize the training approach, so it works for you.
Please contact me to request additional information.
Types of Service Dogs
Mobility Service Dogs are trained to assist children and adults with physical disabilities. Some of the tasks include assisting with balance and walking, transfers from a wheelchair to stationary chair, turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors, retrieving items such as phones and dropped objects, seeking human help in an emergency.
Seizure Response Dogs are trained to assist people who have epilepsy by retrieving a phone prior to the seizure, providing a brace behavior at the onset of a seizure to help the person sit or recline safely, lay next to the person during a seizure, seek help from a caregiver, retrieve medications following the seizure, and perform a brace behavior to help the person up. Some dogs may develop the ability to predict and alert to an oncoming seizure, either intuitively or with training using the handler’s scent.
Hearing Dogs are trained to assist people who are hearing impaired by physically alerting them to sounds such as a smoke alarm, doorbell, telephone, or other sound(s) identified as important to the person. A trained dog will alert the person by performing a nose nudge, pawing, or other behavior to notify them of the sound and them lead them to the source. Hearing dogs can also be taught to respond to sign language.
Children with Autism dogs are trained to apply body pressure to facilitate calming at the onset of a meltdown, interrupt repetitive self-stimulating behavior by performing a nose nudge, pawing, or other trained behavior, alert a person should the child wander away, and perform other tasks specific to each child. The dog acts as a constant companion to a child to help them improve social, communication and life skills.
Psychiatric Service Dogs are trained to assist people who are living with a variety of psychiatric disabilities, such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health conditions. Trained tasks may include alerting a person to take medication, interrupting destructive behavior by performing a nose nudge, pawing, or other trained behavior, barking or pawing to wake a person up, providing deep pressure to reduce anxiety, and blocking contact from people in public places.
Types of Assistance Dogs
Pet Companion Dogs are pet dogs that assist individuals by performing tasks inside the home. They can be trained to perform many helpful tasks for their owners, but they do not have the same public access rights as service dog owners.
Therapy Dogs are typically pet dogs that provide emotional comfort to other people, usually in a hospital, nursing home, mental health facility, or rehabilitation center. Therapy dogs are handled by their owners or a volunteer and may be affiliated with a program that requires temperament tests and specific qualifications and conduct.
Emotional Support Dogs are pet dogs that are prescribed by a licensed mental health professional to provide a continuous sense of comfort and security to their owners. They do not need to be trained for a specific task. Emotional support dogs are not service dogs and owners do not receive the same access rights as service dog owners.