# Service dog question



## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

A friend of mine woke up paralyzed from the waist down one morning. It is unclear what it is, maybe late onset MS, maybe autoimmune, maybe MS. She is in a wheelcheir right now and it is unknown to which extent she will improve.

She has three wonderful GSDs 6-8yrs old, they were her life. One she managed to rehome. Our rescue is keeping the dog she adopted from us until she knows whether she'll be able to care for her. She would like to train one of them as service dogs (she is very experienced). She was told that she cannot train her own dog and that service dogs have to be raised from puppy age. Any ideas or suggesstions for her? Her dogs are very bonded with her, have great temperaments and are well trained - they would do well as service dogs.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

I'm not an expert, but even if she could train one of her own dogs, if the younger is 6, that sound like too old to me.


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Quote:She was told that she cannot train her own dog and that service dogs have to be raised from puppy age.


This is incorrect. Here's what the ADA says -



> Quote:he ADA defines a service animal as any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government.
> 
> Service animals perform some of the functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. Guide dogs are one type of service animal, used by some individuals who are blind. This is the type of service animal with which most people are familiar. But there are service animals that assist persons with other kinds of disabilities in their day-to-day activities


As long as the dog has been trained specifically to mitigate her disabilities and help her, the dog is considered a service dog. She can train her own dog, have a trainer help her, or have an organization train the dog. It all comes out to the same. 

The dog also does not have to be trained and raised from a puppy to do service dog work in order to be a service dog.

What she needs to do is train the dog specific tasks that help with her disability - things such as picking items up from the floor, opening and closing doors, pulling her wheelchair, etc.

6 years is old to be starting this, as the dog will only have so many years of service for her left, but there's certainly no reason why she can't start this dog on helping her now and have him until he needs to be retired due to age or health.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Historian
> The dog also does not have to be trained and raised from a puppy to do service dog work in order to be a service dog.










Don't know if they still do, but many organizations that train service dogs used to get then from the shelter. Breed and size don't matter it is all about a dog that is willing to do the "work".


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Thank you for the responses, I will let my friend know.
It is true that 6yo is not young, but she is committed to her own dogs rather than giving them away to get a young one. She may have to train a new service dog sooner than if she started with a young dog. I guess I would feel the same way if I were in her shoes.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

The average time to train a SD is 18 to 24 months. If the dog has excellant obedience training and is rock solid on going out into the public as a "Pet" then additional training will of course be less time. But she must remember, trained tasks must be on something that must be done for her and not a task from a list just to pass this part of the requirements. 

She must be able if needed to prove to a Judge that there is a need for this dog and that it is properly trained. In light of her disability, there is no doubt that a SD would be of great benefit to her. She must go into this being completly honest with herself that she is training the dog to be a working dog for her and not just a way to have the dog be with her as a companion during this traumatic event in her life. 

Best of luck to your friend.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Thank you for the info. The dogs have excellent obedience and they are very focused on her. My friend is an amazing lady, she is handling this situation with courage, commitment and amazing determination. I am sure she can accomplish what is needed if it is legally possible. Is there a test for service dogs? Who is the judge?


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

> Quote: Is there a test for service dogs? Who is the judge?


What state does your friend live in? 

I believe most states do not require a test and there's no federal test to take, either. Some states issue "service dog" license tags, with proof that the dog is your service dog (such as a letter from the doctor). Some states require a public access test. I believe California, for example, does.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Pennsylvania


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

I would check with the state to see what their rules are regarding Service Dogs. I believe the Attorney General's office is the right place to call and ask? If I'm wrong, ILGHAUS will know.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Thank you. I will forward the information to her. She does not have internet access at the rehab. I talked to her yesterday and I am thrilled to report that she was able to walk 4o feet without any support. She is very weak though and her motor functions are better than the sensory functions. She can move her legs but cannot really feel them.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

PA has got to be the hardest state I have ever tried to get info about. They rely on outside sites to post a lot of their information. So of course when those sites go down for one reason or other all the information is then lost.

As Chris said, with PA go to the Attorney General's Office for the final word on what is required for PA coverage while the dog is in training. Of hand I don't remember if PA recognizes SDITs except for those being trained by a state approved facility. I'll try to look later but I'm off to work shortly and don't have time now to search through their filing system. (Did I mention that PA has a sorry system to find info?)

This is the contact info I have for the
Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
16th Floor
Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, PA 17120
717-787-3391
717-787-8242

Remember this is only while a dog is in training. Once the dog is a working SD then Fed. law takes over and then it doesn't matter who had trained the dog -- only that a Judge can be convinced that the dog was trained properly if the handler and dog are called to present their documentation. People don't realize that this does happen from time to time. 

Owner trainers need to keep a manual showing training logs, vet info, any certs. earned, any titles earned, results of temperament tests. The handler must not only show documentation to the Judge in this case, but answer any questions the Judge may have about their disability, and exactly what the dog is trained to do to help this person. At that point the Judge will then usually say, "Show me." 

Good luck ....


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Thank you for the wonderful info. I will forward it to my friend. The thought of her dogs keeps her going and she is working so hard on getting better. She is very brave. She will be happy to hear that training her dog herself is a viable option.


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## IliamnasQuest (Aug 24, 2005)

My thoughts on self-training are that if a person is qualified to train their own dogs, then there's no reason why they shouldn't. I trained my own (with a background of 20 years of training and trialing in obedience and agility). But it does take a level of commitment as does any type of training.

I don't see the six year old as being too old. What I DO see is that this woman has an opportunity to teach her dog new behaviors that will help her live a fairly normal life - and through the teaching of those behaviors, she will learn too and be able to train her next SD with even more confidence (IF she needs a next SD, of course). The six year old shepherd may only have a couple of years of use as a SD, but there's nothing wrong with that if the person is self-training and is willing to put the time and energy into another dog when needed.

Even after having been a trainer for decades, I still found that training Khana for SD tasks was a new learning experience - as was taking her into stores and dealing with both her temptations and the temptations of other people (who ALWAYS want to pet her). I've learned new things, useful things, things that will help me out both as a trainer and as a disabled person who uses a Service Dog. And it's been really good for me.

Kudos to your friend for being brave and thinking ahead. When you have a life-altering experience that leaves you disabled, it's often hard to think ahead and to put any sort of positive light on it. I know that I went through (and still sometimes go through) a period of "what happened to my life???" grief, and having my dogs has helped me tremendously. I hope that your friend finds the same emotional uplift in her dogs.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Thank you for the response Melanie, this is very helpful and I am forwarding all information to my friend. I feel the same way, if she is willing to invest the effort into training her dog, knowing that she will have fewer service years, she should. I am happy to hear that this is legally feasible.

My friend is extremely committed to her dogs and one of the things that keep her going is the possibility of having some of them back with her. I am impressed by her courage and determination. The good news is that she was able to "walk" 40 feet. She is not strong or stable, but it is a tremendous progress.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

Make sure if your friend is going to work her dog as a mobility dog that the dog gets an okay from the vet which includes x-rays and evaluations of back, elbows, hips and a complete exam to make sure heart and lungs are in tip top shape.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Thank you, I will tell her.
What falls under mobility dog?


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

A mobility dog would be a dog that does such tasks as pulling the wheelchair, helping her stand up if she's walking, or helping her balance if she's walking.


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

There is a book and a dvd based on the book called Teamwork II that is on disabled people training their own service dog. Teamwork I goes over basic obedience, and then II is service dog tasks. I think buying it would be helpful! Its not something I was able to find in the library. I ordered mine from amazon.


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