# Owner Trained Dogs, Underlevels



## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

I was just recently asked again about when and what age a dog could be considered a SDIT. Is an 8 week old puppy wearing a vest with a Service Dog In Training patch really in training to be a SD? This is not something that can be answered legally but going along with the consensus of thought of many OTs and people involved in the SD community and some basic understanding of what is involved a rough guideline follows.
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From the ADAP blog ...

*Assistance Dog Candidate:* Puppies or dogs that are being taught the basics such as housebreaking and basic manners in the home. Undergoing health checks and getting age appropriate vet work. Evaluations on the suitability of the dog that were done when choosing a candidate continue at this time. Puppy and Beginning Obedience training should be completed during this time.

A dog that is not reliably housebroken should never go into the public as a SDIT. Until they are housebroken, walk nicely on a leash, and show good public manners they should only be going to places where pets are welcomed and should not be considered a SDIT.

*Assistance Dog-In-Training:* Novice and Advanced Obedience training should be given. Dog should have some type of evaluation to check progress. Any dog that would not be able to pass an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation, a temperament test such as given by the American Temperament Test Society, Inc. , or a PAT given by a reputable trainer is not ready to advance to an active Assistance Dog status. Advanced health checks such as hip, back, and elbow exrays should be taken and evaluated and also complete eye and heart evaluations. Breed specific health tests should also be done during this time.

Some states give owner trainers the same rights as a professional trainer in taking their dog into a non-pet allowed place of business. This right is only to be used while actively training such as taking your dog to a store and having him walk nicely by a cart and going through a check-out line. While training the object is to keep a close eye on the dog and know what needs more work done with the dog. This is not the time to take the dog to do your weekly grocery shopping or sitting through a concert. Training sessions are just that — sessions that the owner is teaching and not just passively taking the dog with them out into the public.

A dog being trained as an Assistance/Service Dog is not a rehab project. If a dog has people or dog aggression or show shyness or fear when around people acting in a normal manner then the dog should not be elevated from the candidate level.

An owner trainer needs to be aware that at any level or stage of training they may have to wash their dog out of training and that their dog may never make it to the advanced level that is needed. Emotion, time spent, and money spent on training and having to remove their dog is a risk that is taken by owner training and one that all OTs face as a possibility.


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