Instructions
Research the expectations of service dogs, their trainers, and the various laws of your state. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, service animals cannot be stopped from performing their duties at any location or business--public or private. Businesses also cannot charge a deposit or fee for the presence of the animal and cannot segregate the owner and service animal from other customers. Know the laws regarding service animals, businesses, and your responsibilities as the owner.
Isolate desired service animal behaviors. If the person needing assistance suffers a physical limitation such as visual impairment the dog should be trained how to walk with a harness and lead the person around obstacles. The animal should be trained to stop at cross walks and doors. If the dog is to be assisting someone who suffers from a disease such as epilepsy the dog will have to be trained to recognize specific body changes and to react. Write out a detailed list of imperative behaviors the dog must learn and those behaviors that it would just be convenient for the dog to possess, but not necessary to the success of the service relationship.
Determine the most important behaviors, and list in the order of priority. List the behaviors that the dog should be trained in and those the disabled person merely wants. Study animal training techniques and the school of conditioning. Conditioning refers to the training of an animal (or person) to react to a particular stimulus in a particular way. This forms the basis of all animal training. Once the behaviors are listed, break each behavior down into small, easily accomplished steps. Then break these steps down further until they are at their base component.
Train the dog to do each individual mini-step. To train a dog to turn on a light switch, for example, you'd start by training the dog to approach the area where the switch is located by saying the word "light" and leading the dog to the appropriate area. When the dog would approach that area when the command was used, you'd give the dog a treat or reward. Next you'd train the dog to rise on its back legs by using the words "light" and "up". Then you'd teach the dog to touch the switch with its nose. You'd combine the commands "light", "up", and "switch". Once all three were mastered you'd teach the dog to do all three when you gave a new hand signal. This concept would be repeated with any other dog training.
Practice and reinforce the behavior. Most dogs work for rewards; either food, toys, or affection can be used. It is vitally imperative that a service animal do the given command any time ordered to. Positive reinforcement, or training an animal to associate a good stimulus such as a treat with a command such as "switch" by giving them a reward when the command is performed, will help the animal internalize the commands until they are nearly instinct.
Expose the dog to various situations. Don't just train a dog to assist in one environment. Take the dog to other safe places such as your friends' and family's homes and give them the commands. Expect it to take them a while to learn to look for certain things--such as a light switch--before able to do the task. Practice and reward the dog each time they are successful. Also if the dog will be around people with assistive devices such as canes, crutches, or wheelchairs, expose the dog to these sights and sounds early.
How to Train Dogs for Service Animals
Service animals make life easier for people who live with disabilities. These animals, most commonly dogs, are trained to open doors, work light switches, fetch and carry items, guide owners that are visually impaired, bark at doorbells and fire alarms, and alert caregivers to changes in body physiologic responses that might signal an attack of a disease or an illness. These animals can be quite costly and many people in need of these assistance animals choose to train their own animals.