In-Home Service Dog Training

Service dogs provide valuable assistance for their owners in a variety of ways, such as helping them overcome physical limitations or warning them of danger. While there are many organizations that train and match service dogs with those who need them, it can be costly and require travel. For this reason, training your service dog in the home will allow you to avoid these costs.

  1. Identification

    • Service dogs perform a variety of tasks in order to help their owners. They are usually divided into three categories. Hearing dogs help those with impairments that prevent them from being able to hear. Guide dogs help people who are unable to see. The third category is for dogs that don't fit into the first two categories. One example of how these dogs help their owners is by alerting them when they are about to have a seizure.

    Training

    • In-home training will vary depending on what service the dog will be providing. Determining the skills needed will help you focus your time and teach those skills in the most logical order. For example, if a dog is going to be responsible for turning off and on lights, you must first teach them to jump up to the light. Initially, basic skills should be taught to insure that the dog is well mannered and able to function properly in public. For example, the dog should walk nicely on a leash and not jump up or run after people. This will be important because as a service dog, the dog will be required to go with you into places where dogs are not normally accepted.

    Method

    • Choose a method of training that will allow you as the owner to provide commands. Hand motions are one option but require the physical ability to give the command. Clicker training is another option. This utilizes the sound of a clicker to get the dog to complete the action that you would like. Because dogs are able to understand and detect very slight motions, it will be possible to find the appropriate training method for any situation.

    Benefits

    • Training your service dog at home has a variety of benefits. While the dog will have the same rights and access of a service dog trained by an organization, it will not require meeting those organizations financial and travelling requirements. Also, because the dog is trained in your home for your needs, time will not be spent on skills that are not required. You also avoid being put on a waiting list and can begin reaping the benefits of your service dog as soon as they are able to learn.

    Considerations

    • Training a dog takes times, and therefore, it will not immediately be able to go into public situations with you. If you have never trained a dog before, hiring a professional trainer to come to your house and help you get started might be beneficial. Also, if you are requiring the dog to perform tasks that involve strength, you will have to wait until they are older and big enough to perform the skill safely. One example of this would be pulling a wheelchair. When training, it is important to remember that you should never use violence to train or discipline your dog. This does not result in your dog learning and will teach them to fear you, not listen to you.