How to Obtain a Service Dog

In order to have a service dog, you must be legally disabled. Disabilities can be visible (blind, wheelchair-bound, you need a cane to walk, etc) or invisible (anxiety, depression, hearing impaired, chronic pain, seizure disorders, allergies, etc, etc). A disability is defined as a condition which substantially limits or prevents one or more major life activities. Major life activities as defined by the ADA include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working. If your doctor can attest to this, then you qualify for a service dog. If not, I’m sorry, you do NOT qualify and should not get a service dog.

The next step to obtaining a service dog is to talk to your doctor and get his approval. If you are going through a program, your doctor will most likely have to write a recommendation for you stating why you need a service dog. This is not needed if you are owner training, but it is needed if you plan to attend private schools/universities with your service dog or live in non pet friendly housing. Once you and your doctor are on the same page about you getting a service dog, you need to think about what the service dog would be trained to do. Think about what you cannot do for yourself, or all the ways that your disability limits your life. Once you have that list, next to each item write a task that a service dog could be trained to help. For example, if you have a seizure disorder, a service dog can be trained to alert you to oncoming seizures so you have time to make it to a safe place or take medication. If you have an anxiety disorder a service dog can be trained to alert to oncoming panic attacks, provide tactile stimuli for grounding, guide you out of a certain location, etc. The possibilities are endless! Be creative, but also be realistic.

Once you have your list of tasks down, it’s time to start searching for a dog! If you have never owned a service dog before, or do not have EXTENSIVE dog training knowledge/experience, then I highly recommend going through a program. Programs typically have a 1-3 year wait list, and prices range from $7,000-30,000 depending on the program and the tasks you need to be trained. If however, you feel confident that you can train your own service dog, then you can explore the option of owner training. Even owner training requires help though. It is always best to enroll in obedience classes and work with a professional service dog trainer. Keep in mind though that the cost to buy, train, and care for your service dog prospect will usually equate to the same (or sometimes more!) as purchasing a program trained dog. Seeing as it takes 2-3 years minimum to fully train a service dog, the wait time will also be the same or more as a program dog. The only difference is the heartache involved. VERY few dogs have what it takes to be a service dog. It’s always best to prepare for one or more washout candidates before you end up with “the one.” What are you going to do with the dog(s) that couldn’t make it through training and have had to be washed out from service work? Can you keep them? Will you have to rehome them? If so, where would they go?

Please note that I am NOT trying to discourage anyone from owner training, I’m just trying to state the facts and help you in whatever path you decide to take. Faith was owner trained on my first attempt, but I was very lucky. Several service dog handlers can attest to this. I know more handlers than not that were not so lucky and have ended up with multiple washout candidates that have had to be re-homed, surrendered to the shelter, or kept. 
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I wish you the best of luck on your service dog journey! I’m always here if anyone has any questions or need help along the way.