Ads
Petshop, Low Prices & Fast, Free 1-2 Day Shipping, Shop Now!
chewy.com
Galvanized Outdoor Kennel For Sale-Great Kennels For Outdoor Dogs
k9kennelstore.com
Durable, High Quality Pet Bowls Designed In The USA
petcomfort.com
There are many dogs out there with a mission. They meet the letter carrier every morning and take their owner all of their mail. They pay attention and if their owner makes a mistake like forgetting to turn off the stove, these faithful dogs let their owners know. When they travel together, these well trained dogs are on their best behavior and will often lie right under the owner’s seat. But none of this came naturally. This is a highly trained, certified service dog.
Service dogs do more than perform tasks for their people though. Studies show they become loyal friends to their humans, make it possible for their owners to rely less on other people and bring back a feeling of freedom, help their owners become more active socially, and relieve family members of the worry of their beloved ones being alone.
Service dogs come in all breeds and sizes, although the most common are Labrador and Golden Retrievers. In their training, they’re matched to their future owner’s disability. Many are trained to assist people in wheelchairs or owners with balance issues.
Guide dogs assist people who are blind. Hearing dogs let people who are hard of hearing or deaf know about important sounds. Psychiatric service dogs help their owners cope with such mental illnesses as PTSD, obsessive compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, autism, and anxiety or depression. Those dogs do double duty by performing tasks and relieving stress. There are also dogs who are trained to alert their owners when their blood sugar is low or a seizure is approaching. Their alerts can be lifesaving warnings.
Although there are many service dog training courses online, many come from specialized breeding programs. Starting as puppies, dogs in the program learn impeccable manners and how to do the tasks that match their future owners’ disabilities. The training can last for up to two years and can cost as much as $25,000.
It begins with the commands all dogs need to know – sit, stay, come, heel, down, and stand. They also begin to learn how to focus entirely on their future owners and not become distracted.
Learning good manners is part of the training, too. Like any dog, a service dog needs to know impulse control, and how to sit politely when greeting people, stay still when his owner is putting his leash on, and more.
If you want to train your service dog yourself, avoid the websites that say you can train your dog in a day. Start by hiring a skilled, reputable trainer to walk you through every step of the process and will be available to give advice throughout the dog’s life.
Every year, the drop-out rate for dogs in training with service organizations is 50-75 percent. These aren‘t “bad” dogs. They’re simply not cut out for the job. Sometimes, service dogs become “career changers” because they’re not a good match for their owners. But health is the main reason dogs drop out of training.
Service dogs need to be alert and at the top of their game constantly, with no sick days. But that’s not possible when the dog isn’t feeling well. Adopting a dog from a service agency can be expensive and could take a year or more. Having a dog who’s partially trained and knows the basics could make the adoption worth the money and wait though.
Another option is to adopt a dog from a shelter and train him yourself. The shelter staff can tell you which dogs would be good service dogs. Spend some time with the dog before you take him home. And have a professional trainer lined up because you’re going to need infinite patience and guidance along the way.
Whether you have an outdoor dog who will use a doghouse as shelter or an indoor one who will use it ...
For most dog owners, the care of any four-legged family member falls into the same importance as chi...
Finding a new canine companion is a big step. The goal is finding a healthy, well adjusted dog who w...
Bulldogs are very popular among Americans. They're known as great companions and have amicable p...
Like humans, dogs are susceptible to diseases like viral infections. Canine influenza is a type of d...
There’s little more exciting than getting a new pet. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a dog, cat, bird...
Cushing's disease is surprisingly common in dogs, affecting one to two pooches per every thousan...
Picture a vibrant canvas of life where each day is splashed with the colors of convenience, care and...
Anxiety is a mild or severe feeling of unease, such as fear or worry. Anxiety affects nearly everyon...
Fish are exotic, fascinating creatures. For many people, the thrill of seeing fish at an aquarium is...
Birds
Cats
Dogs
Exotic Pets
Fish & Aquaria
General Information
Horses
Rabbits & Rodents
Reptiles & Amphibians
Home & Garden
Health
When most people think of jewelry, they tend to fo...
Anxiety is a mild or severe feeling of unease, suc...
For those who love cats but enjoy the personality ...
For most dog owners, the care of any four-legged f...
There is nothing better than seeing someone’s face...
Arguably the hardest time to eat healthy is when y...