Service dogs have become an integral part of managing disabilities for people around the world. While these canine companions are equipped with the tools to help with conditions ranging from panic attacks to pushing wheelchairs, they’re not born with them. Instead, you need a reliable service dog trainer to teach your dog the skills necessary to care for you.
Unfortunately, your average dog trainer or dog training program isn’t designed for service dogs. This means you’ll have to seek out the best trainers in your area or head online. Thankfully, this article covers everything you need to know about service dog trainers.
What Is a Service Dog?
A service dog is a canine companion that’s assigned to a specific handler. They assist with a wide variety of tasks and are trained to help with a specific physical or mental disability. Aside from being trained to help their handler, service dogs also enjoy unique benefits compared to other pets. For service dogs to be legitimate, they need to have gone through service dog training from a reputable trainer or organization.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs are allowed to live in housing that’s not pet-friendly and accompany their handlers in public spaces. The Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) also has protections in place for service animals and allows them on airlines.
What Disabilities Can Service Dogs Help With?
Trained service dogs can help with a lot of disabilities. You’ll find that they can help with:
- Mobility problems
- Panic disorders
- Seizures
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Loss of limbs
- Phobias
- Arthritis
- Paralysis
- Autism
These are only a few examples of disabilities that service dogs can help with. Always speak with your doctor or mental health professional to learn more.
How to Find a Service Dog Trainer
Training your service dog is important, but sometimes it can be hard to find a service dog trainer. These aren’t your average trainers, and you have to make sure that you’re working with trainers who partner with accredited organizations. If you need a guide dog, for example, we recommend working with organizations like the Guide Dog Foundation.
On the other hand, if you have a mental health disability, a mental health professional can help you find a service dog trainer. That said, the best way to find a service dog trainer in your area is to work with US Service Animals.
Not only do they have service dog training programs available at competitive rates, but they can also help you find more trainers in your area.
How Much Does a Service Dog Trainer Cost?
Service dog training isn’t cheap, especially if you go the in-person route. You can expect to find most in-person service dog trainers to cost around $10,000 to $30,000. This is the cost you can expect for the entire length of the training program. However, it’s often paid for in increments by hour, with many service dog trainers charging between $150 and $250 per hour.
While this is how much you have to pay if you want to do a train-as-you-go type of thing, there are board-and-train programs you can enter your dog into as well. In fact, many service dog providers will provide you with a trained service dog so you don’t have to go through the process yourself. These programs can be free for people like veterans, but they may also cost $10,000 to $30,000 upfront.
How Much Does Online Service Dog Training Cost?
While in-person service dog training is expensive, online service dog training is a great alternative. That said, you need to choose the right online service dog training program, or you’ll end up wasting your time and money. For this reason, we recommend going with one of US Service Animals’ service dog training programs.
These are programs that are taught by a team of professionals who have more than 20 years of combined experience. While lengthy, you can rest easy knowing that the program works and that your dog will be recognized as a service dog in all 50 states.
Get the Service Dog Training You Need
Service dogs are some of the best companions a human can have. Whether you have a physical or mental disability, service dogs are a reliable option that is proven to improve your quality of life.
When adopting a service dog, make sure you find one that’s trained already through reputable foundations or seek out the best in-person and online service dog trainers in your area.
