According to a 2021 American Pet Owner’s study, 70 percent of households in America own a pet. That’s a lot of furry friends.
A lot of pets can be made service dogs when taught to do specific tasks for their owners. A service dog is defined as a dog trained to help people with disabilities.
Would you like to learn more about service dog training? Please keep reading to find out how service dogs are trained, what they do, and how they help their owners.
Service Dog Training: The Basic
Training service dogs begins with basic obedience commands. These include sit, stay, come, and down.
The dog must be able to follow these commands before moving on to more specific tasks. Once the dog understands obedience, it can learn lessons that will help its handler.
These tasks can be anything from opening doors to picking up objects. The dog must be able to perform these tasks consistently and correctly before being considered a fully trained service dog.
The Cost of the Training
When you train service dogs, it usually starts around the age of one. Dogs in service typically live with their trainer, who provides them with basic obedience training and socialization.
They also learn how to perform specific tasks that will help their future owner. For example, a service dog in training might learn how to pick up dropped items, open doors, or provide balance assistance.
Service dog training cost varies depending on the organization. But it can range from $10,000 to $30,000.
The Process Involved in Service Dog Training
Service dog training generally follows a four-step process; assessment, obedience training, task training, and public access.
During the assessment stage, potential service dogs are evaluated for their suitability as working dogs. This assessment includes temperament testing, health screening, and basic obedience training.
Obedience training is the next stage and teaches the dog basic commands such as sit, stay, lie down, and come. This training is important for all dogs, but especially for service dogs, as they need to be well-behaved in public.
Task training is the third stage and involves teaching the dog specific tasks that will help their human partner. For example, a dog might be trained to pick up dropped items, open doors, or turn on lights.
Finally, public access training prepares the dog for life in the real world. This training helps the dog learn how to behave in public places such as restaurants, stores, and hotels.
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What to Expect in a Service Dog Training
Service dog training is a necessary process that helps to ensure that these animals can perform their duties effectively. There are several different elements to this training, and it is essential to work with a qualified professional to get the best results.
If you are interested in training a service dog, there are a number of resources available to help you get started.
Check out the rest of our blog for more information on how service dogs can help improve your life, as well as other great content.
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