How can you become a dog trainer for service dogs? If you already have experience as a dog obedience trainer, it can be just a matter of taking a master trainer course. If you already understand dog behavior and know how to work with dogs using positive reinforcement techniques, a certification course can teach you everything you need to know to begin training service dogs.
Our online Service Dog Training Program takes about 8 months to complete. In our course, you’ll learn:
- All the different types of service dogs
- What characteristics to look for when selecting a dog to train
- Requirements and regulations regarding service dogs
- How to maintain the health of these hard-working animals
- How to train a dog to remain focused and on task in all kinds of environments
- How to chain the behaviors that the dog will be performing for a specific handler
- How to communicate with and help clients for whom you are training dogs
What Do Mobility and Psychiatric Service Dogs Do?
Service dogs can be trained to help people with almost every disability imaginable! In fact, their assistance can be invaluable. Many people are able to live independently only because of the tasks their service dogs perform.
People with both mental and physical disabilities can benefit from having a service dog.
Psychiatric service dogs assist people with mental issues such as anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) . They can interrupt nightmares, flashbacks, self-harm, and other episodes; they can provide comforting physical contact; they can also be trained to do things like turn on lights to prevent a handler having to enter a dark room.
Physical disabilities come in many forms, and dogs can be trained to assist with many of them.
Mobility service dogs help people move about. These sturdy dogs can pull wheelchairs or offer support for people who need a brace to stand or who have balance problems.
Mobility service dogs can also be trained to open and close doors, retrieve dropped items, and fetch things like a phone or medication. They can even help their handler get dressed.
For some handlers with medical conditions, it is necessary for their dogs to be able to perform such vital tasks as calling for or getting help in an emergency, letting EMS personnel into a home, or putting a person into the recovery position.
You Can Help Fill a Growing Need for Service Dogs
The need for service dogs far exceeds the number of trained dogs available, so as a service dog trainer you can be sure your skills are needed.
If you’re ready to take your training abilities to the next level and make a vast difference in the lives of people with disabilities, ABC is ready to teach you. You can enroll in our online program any time.
And if you’re interested in service dog training but need to learn the basics of dog training, we can help with that, too. ABC has been certifying dog obedience trainers since 1998!
