Should I Train a Dog to Be my Assistance Dog?
If you’ve been thinking that a service dog in Florida would be helpful to your daily living routine no doubt you have begun researching organizations that provide assistance animals. You’ve probably also discovered that the wait lists are long and that some organizations charge a fee. So now you are wondering if it would be better to rescue a dog and train him/her to be your assistance dog. At Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. we’d like to offer some thoughts on this subject to help you better understand your options.
While you’ll definitely reduce your wait time if you choose to train your own service dog in Florida, keep in mind that not all dogs can be trained to the level of service you might need. You should also consider the size and breed of the dog before you select your training candidate. The dog you select should have a calm temperament and be large enough to handle your physical needs. He/she should also be in excellent health. It’s easier said than done, but you shouldn’t let your emotions rule when you are seeking your potential trainee.
Training your own assistance dog is going to take an enormous amount of time and patience. You need to honestly assess your own health and stamina to see if you are up for the challenge. If you are raising a dog from puppyhood – the training process can take up to 3 years to produce a fully trained assistance dog. You must be able to admit when you are not up to a training session to avoid over-exertion. It may take longer to train your dog if you have a lot of bad days, which is fine, but you need to decide if this is the appropriate path for you. Should you choose to enlist a professional trainer be prepared for the expense you will incur. Be certain to investigate the trainer’s credentials and check references.
You run the risk of investing a lot of time and money into training your dog only to discover that it’s not working. The percentage of dogs who “flunk out” of service dog in Florida training within an organization is anywhere from 10%-30%. The dropout rate is so much higher (50%-85%) in owner-trainer situations. Dogs can be dismissed from organizational training due to a variety of reasons: the dog is easily distracted by other animals, becomes unfocused around toys; have a fear of loud noises or preoccupation with other stimuli. Conversely, when you are partnered with a dog from a qualified agency, you have the peace of mind in knowing that your dog has passed rigorous training standards. Are you prepared to invest the time and money required to train, only to have your dog not complete the training? It’s a calculated risk.
What would your plan be if the dog you selected is not going to fulfill your needs? Would you want to find a new home for this dog and start again? This is a difficult and emotional decision to make. Can you financially afford to start training a new dog while supporting the one who wasn’t up to the task?
Many organizations do not afford clients the opportunity of time to fine tune training to meet handler-specific needs. Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. doesn’t believe that training an assistance dog with commands that are not pertinent to the needs of the individual client is in anyone’s best interest. Instead, our dogs learn basic commands and then receive targeted training geared towards the client’s disability. This builds a stronger skill-set for the assistance dog and affords the handler better control.
There are no fees associated with being a client of Genesis. You will benefit from the support of our trainer throughout the length of your partnership with no additional cost to you. Sometimes an unexpected behavior will be observed in your service dog in Florida and our trainer is available to provide reinforcement training. If you choose to train your own dog, re-training or additional training falls on your shoulders (and wallet.) While some people do experience successful training of their own assistance dogs, many admit that when it comes time to retire their dog, they will seek a new service dog through a professional organization such as Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. Click here to learn more about the Genesis Difference.
