Service Dog Training

Training for dogs who are expected to behave well in public is lengthy and ongoing.  For the first two years of a dog’s life, the dog should not be expected to work for a specific person.  Rather, they are “in training”, under supervision and expected to learn all they need to perform flawlessly on adulthood.   As they learn, the dog should be continually assessed for any issues that would rule them out as a service dog later in life (for example, reacting at other dogs and people on leash, significant fear and anxiety, fear of novel items and situations and so on).  Once the dog has matured, an additional several months intensive work is generally required to learn the specific skills that they need to work for a specific person.  For example, a guide dog learns to navigate a person in complex situations, an autism service dog learns to provide strong body pressure to get their person through a “meltdown”, a diabetic alert dog is taught an alert behaviour when they scent a change in their person’s body chemistry and more.  Once these specific skills are learned, they must be maintained… in the same way that cars need ongoing maintenance to run well.  Regularly weekly and daily training sessions will be required.

There are two types of training that CAPDT members may offer that can support a dog “in training” to become a service dog or performing as one when they are matured:

1.  General family dog manners training – Dogs that are candidates to become service dogs may benefit from attending general family dogs manners training to learn skills like sit, down, stay, etc.  Most CAPDT members welcome service dogs in training to their regular manners and obedience classes.

2.  Training in Public Access and/or Specific Skills – Some CAPDT member-trainers offer specific training in public access (special skills for going to malls, etc.) and in specific skills (such as diabetic alerting).  If a CAPDT member offers these skills, they will be noted on their member profile.  Before engaging a CAPDT member in these areas, you may find it useful to read our article on choosing a trainer and also check the following:

• We suggest that you go to their Facebook page and look for references from people who have their dogs.
• Ask to see their dogs and talk to the people that have their dogs about their experience with the trainer.
• Ask what your role is in the process – good trainers understand that both ends of the leash need extensive training to be a good service dog team.
• Typical dog trainer insurance does not cover training service dogs, so it is important to check that the trainer is specifically insured for this portion of their business.  Ask to see their insurance certificate and make sure they carry at least $2 million in liability insurance.  This is especially important if you are looking for a medical alert service dog where you health could depend on your dog’s abilities to keep you safe.  
• Reputable trainers also generally do not demand significantly large up front payments before service is provided – this can be considered a red flag and a potential indicator of “if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is”. 
• According to the stringent CAPDT Code of Ethics, guarantees can also not be provided so any trainer who is “guaranteeing you a fully trained service dog” is also likely not performing according to our ethics.  Good dog trainers know that even the best trained dogs only perform as expected about 80 – 90% of the time and some of a service dog’s performance will depend on the skill of – and bond with – their dog.  Success rates vary from around 30% of dogs trained exclusively by their owner making the cut as a service dog, to around 50%-70% of dogs from dedicated organizations succeeding as service dogs. The success rate of owner-trained dogs using the help of a service dog trainer fall somewhere in the middle at around 50%.