How to go about owner training a service dog?

[Chiarigirl30]

Okay so before anyone says I don't need a service dog,I do and many people with my condition do. I have something called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome,which makes it so that I pass out a lot. I also had brain and spinal surgery almost two years ago. I have a yellow lab that can tell (without training) before I pass out or when my heart rate is going up. She also lays with me when I have problems. She is almost two,and I would like to train her as my service dog because no trainers where I live do training for my specific needs. She already knows how to sit,lay down,and rollover and speak (which I know those two aren't nessesary) on command. Thanks in advance for any help,and please no mean or rude comments. Thank you!!!
Okay,I'm not trying to be rude,but you CAN owner train a service dog,and you don't need it to be certified by a professional,because service dogs don't have any type of certification,and when you see them online,they are only scammers because like I said,service dogs don't have a certification by law. Do some research like I did and get your facts straight. (This was for Ocimom)
And timetravler

[JenVT]

Google "service dog training" and your area. Also, contact your local kennel club or obedience training center. Your vet may also know.

[tigrillen]

If your dog can warn you without needing extra training you already have a service dog. Any training beyond her alerting you to your condition is optional.

You would need to specific what other skills you want her to do, but it sounds like your dog already can do what you need related to your disease.

If you want to teach her additional tricks, then you can google "dog tricks" and similar search terms to find a lot. You-tube is a also a source of ideas.

[Ocimom]

You will need professional training in order for your dog to be certified. You cannot train or get certification by yourself.

[timetravler]

Sounds like your dog is well on his way to being a service dog. But YOU MUST go to a professional trainer to get your dog certified. There is no other way for a dog to be legally certified. Most all cities even small cities have dog training facilities. I also know of people that have sent their dogs away to a training facility such as a friend of mine who sent his poodle to guide dogs for the deaf.
Training a dog yourself and then claiming he is a service dog is fraud. For instance those that claim their dog is a service dog can not take that dog on a cruise ship. They demand and have the right to see official paperwork showing your dog is a true service dog.
Once you talk to a trainer about your specific needs, they will know what to do. They may not know a thing about your condition, but when you talk to them, they will understand. Good luck and God bless

[GllntKnight]

If you know so much about service dogs then why are you asking us? You need to get a note from your doctor(s) saying you need a service dog, no note, no service dog.

[D.C.]

The ADA legal definition of disability is at http://www.ada.gov/ada_intro.htm
"...defined by the ADA as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA does not specifically name all of the impairments that are covered."

ADA definition of a service dog is at http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm
"Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA."

Service dogs do not not need to be professionally trained or to come from a special service dog training program. They can be home trained IF the owner knows what to do. It will be harder and take longer then you think it will. But there is no test, no certification, no legal standards required for your dog except the loose ADA requirements.
None of the self appointed "experts" here are qualified to say you are or are not disabled or whether you do or do not qualify for a service dog. You need to consult with your doctor and disability counselors, not some anonymous yahoos who don't know you or what they are talking about.

Some people here seem to think that they are the only people who should have service dogs, some simply lie for the sake of lying. This is not the place for a serious answer.

[TheRavenAZ]

You say that your dog can alert you before you pass out and does this naturally without being trained to do so. Unfortunately the definition of the service dogs in animal that is task TRAINED to do something that the disabled handler cannot do themselves, that is directly related to and mitigates their disability. The major word here is TRAINED. The dog must be TRAINED to do a task. The fact that your dog does this naturally doesn't legally count as a trained task. You'll have to find something else related to your disability, that you cannot do on your own, that the dog can be trained to do so that it can legally meet the definition of a service dog. Maybe train her to do something like lay with you or lay on top of you and try to wake you up - things like that. Something that legally passes as a trained task.

Another type of dog like this is a seizure alert dog. These dogs have the innate ability to detect seizures in people and alert them before one happens. Unfortunately this does not legally count as a trained task, so the people that have these dogs must then train the dog to do something else after the seizure happens. What they usually train the animal to do is lead them to a safe place before the seizure or to lay on them during or after the seizure.

And for those that are saying that you cannot owner train, that's wrong. The ADA does allow owner trained service dogs. I trained my own.

You must also make sure that the animal that you're owner training has an even temperament. Service dogs cannot show aggression and cannot be aggressive towards pets, people, children - ANYTHING. If the animal shows aggression it must be washed out or retired as a service dog.

Go to Facebook. Join a group called "Owner Trained Service Dogs" or "OTSD" (I'm not sure which they're listed under). There's a lot of people there that can give you help and advice in training your own service dog.

See U there!

[Red R]

Natural alerts, which are what you are describing, are not legal. The animal must be trained to DO something. Usually it is something the handler can't do but not always. What will the dog do for you that will make life better? Simply being there isn't enough, it needs to do something in order to be a service dog. Here is a list of LEGAL tasks (although there are a few on there that are not legal by themselves, be sure to read the fine print!) http://www.iaadp.org/tasks.html
As far as training goes, it depends on what your task list is. http://www.iaadp.org/iaadp-minimum-train...ccess.html ---these are minimum training standards service dogs should follow. Keep in mind that this is not written in USA law, however this is a great guide to follow to know how your service dog should act in public, and react to working. This tells you flat out what is acceptable and what isn't. Remember, service dogs that can't behave are not suitable for you or the public and your dog can be asked to leave.
I strongly recommend, enlisting the services of a professional service dog trainer. A legit one, NOT someone from petco/petsmart or your local pet facility. These places train pets and service dogs are not pets and therefore need different training. Your dog should be evaluated first, not every dog has the disposition to be a service animal, forcing your dog to be a service dog, when it does not have the right temperament will set yourself up for failure and liability should your dog become to stressed out. Some dogs simply cant handle it regardless of the training and preparation. Be aware that the wash out rate for service dogs is roughly 50% or more; it can be as high as 80% for some owner trainers. This is why working with a trainer is recommended, to lower the chance of wash out and to have a firm and unbiased second opinion to make you realize what is right. Many first time owner trainers fail to realize when to wash out a dog due to the emotional attachment. washouts happen and no one is at fault!
There are many books and videos available, however be sure to do you research as there are also many scams out there. Any website or trainer that will 'certify' your dog as a service dog, site unseen or in less than a year of training is most likely fraudulent. Check out service dog websites and groups on facebook for good tips on training and life with a service dog. Good luck!