Certification & Training for Service Dogs
Energetic and friendly dogs can be trained as service animals, offering assistance and companionship to individuals with disabilities. Potential service dogs are identified as puppies and undergo up to two years of extensive training before graduating to a career as a guide or assistance dog.
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Identification
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Service Dogs America notes on its website that an ideal candidate for a service dog is a canine that is "protective and people-oriented." However, they must have a balanced temperament and not be overly dominant or too submissive. According to Service Dogs America, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers are the best breeds at assisting people with physical disabilities. The Seeing Eye, an organization that breeds and trains guide dogs, works with Retriever breeds as well as German shepherds. For the hearing impaired, small-to medium- sized breeds such as Poodles and Cocker Spaniels are good choices.
Types
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Service dogs can be trained to do a variety of tasks. Seeing Eye dogs help their visually impaired owners navigate their homes and cross busy streets safely. Hearing dogs alert people who are hearing impaired when a telephone, doorbell or alarm clock rings. Individuals with physical disabilities rely on service dogs to open doors, retrieve items such as keys and cell phones, or turn a light switch on or off. Organizations such as NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) provide service dogs to veterans injured in combat; the dogs help amputees maintain balance and serve as guides for veterans who are vision- or hearing-impaired.
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Training
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The training regimen for service dogs varies depending on the task they are being trained for. The Seeing Eye places puppies seven to eight weeks old with foster families who care for the dogs until they are ready to start the training process in earnest at about 18 months old. Prospective owners spend about a month at The Seeing Eye's Morristown, N.J., headquarters, learning how to navigate city streets and shopping malls and even use public transportation with their canine companions. NEADS trains hearing and service dogs individually for up to six months, and then the dogs train with their future owners in Princeton, Mass., for up to two weeks.
Certification
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Service Dogs for America notes on its website that no national certification exists for assistance dogs. However, completion of a training program qualifies dogs to be able to accompany their owners into any public establishment, per the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Service dog owners can obtain identifying materials, such as dog vests, patches and doggy backpacks from training programs or organizations such as Service Dogs for America.
Benefits
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Service dog training benefits dogs by allowing them to use their natural abilities, such as superior hearing and vision in order to assist their human handlers. In turn, many service dog owners are able to live independently and pursue career and educational goals.
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References
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