What is the best age for a dog to become a service dog?
The optimal age for a dog to become a service dog is considered the age of 2. This is the “adolescence” age stage and it matches the age of a 12-14 years old person. Why is this age considered the most suitable one for a dog to be trained as a service dog?
Dogs have finished their physical growth development and they are not likely to expand the size they have become at that age. It is recommended that you wait for your dog to get 22 months old (sexually mature), in order to ensure that the growth plates on the bones have closed. This usually happens near the end of the puberty phase. Any harder tasks, especially mobile tasks, like pulling a wheelchair, could be required after this age period so that skeleton injuries can be prevented.
After a pup has obtained basic skills and managed to perform certain tasks, the public access training starts. The goal of this training is to verify the ability of your dog partner to successfully perform tasks in public. This may take from 6–9 months, however, many training program dogs are fully trained at about 2–3 years old.
In regard to the mental stage of development dogs at the age of 2 are deemed most suitable, as they are able to focus on certain tasks, but do not feel any pressure due to imposed responsibilities.
This adolescence phase is a perfect time, when your dog may have already obtained social and obedience skills. This is very helpful for the training process for a service dog as your fluffy friend has experienced different situations on a daily basis and knows how to learn from a human and how to perform tasks.
Is there a minimum age for a dog to be trained as a service dog?
Yes, a dog should be at least 6 months old and he/she should have passed the puppy phase in order to become a service dog. We need to mention that some airlines like United airlines accept service dogs in the cabin at the minimum age of 4 months.
According to the information listed on the website of United airlines:
“Service animals are accepted in a cabin for qualified individuals with a disability. A service animal is a dog, regardless of breed or type, that is
– over the age of 4 months
– individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual or other mental disability”.
However, the development phase is deemed actually so or even more important, as the chronological age. It is because of the differences between the breeds and the individual dogs as well as the different development speeds. With that in mind, you need to pay attention to your dog as an individual and to rate his/her own progress.
The breed of a dog may inform you about some characteristics of the dog and common breed-related instincts so you can watch out for them, but each potential service dog should be assessed for their unique behavioral patterns, strengths, and weaknesses to see if that particular service dog would be appropriate to assist you.
Most of your time will be spent here. Putting in enough time to train your future service dog is a crucial step. While the United States has no minimum requirement, international standards suggest approximately 120 hours over six months. Some sources recommend that at least 30 of those hours be time spent in public to help train the dog for moments of distraction and when surprises come their way.
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Certifications, IDs, and registrations do not convey any rights under the ADA and government organizations do not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal. Unfortunately, staff at many public establishments will still insist on IDs or other tangible proof of service dog status. For convenience, privacy, and to set proper boundaries with strangers, some service dog owners find it helpful to own documents and accessories that can help signal that their dog is a trained service dog. This will help prevent situations where you are met with hostility or confusion when traveling with your service dog. Electing to carry a custom Service Dog ID card and Service Dog Vest may be helpful tools for you and your service dog to navigate public spaces. You may also choose not to carry the ID card and stand your ground on principle when you encounter people ignorant of service dog rights. Under ADA rules, staff at a venue may only ask two questions if it is not apparent what the service dog is trained to do: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
The most important thing for you to teach your service dog is tasking, or learning the specific skill they will be performing to help assist with your disability. Some tasks may include sensing a medical alert, tactile stimulation during a panic attack, reminding the handler to take their medication, scouting a room for someone with PTSD, or grounding/blocking in public areas.
SERVICE DOG CERTIFICATION? and other SERVICE DOG MYTHS and MISCONCEPTIONS
Having a pet means that you are responsible for their life. You take them outside, feed them, bathe them, play with them, and integrate them as a part of your family.
As a service dog owner, however, it’s important to understand that they have a responsibility to you (based on what they are taught to do). Some service animals are for the blind, some are for those who are hard of hearing, and some help people with PTSD. Regardless of the service the animal is trained for, service dog training can be expensive; so can paying for an already trained service dog.
Many people don’t know that you can train your own service dog. That’s why we’ve put together this guide for learning about and training them yourself. It doesn’t just save you money; it gives you valuable bonding time with your animal. It’s important to note that once a pet has been trained to become a service dog it is no longer considered a standard pet, but a working animal. Read on to learn about how to train your own service dog.
To learn about how to train your animal for the job, you must first learn what a service dog does. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has defined a service dog as one that has been trained to perform tasks that benefit a person with a disability. There are dogs trained to perform services for those with PTSD, autism, seizures, blindness, and several other disabilities.
Because of the nature of service dogs and how important their jobs are, getting one that is already trained can be very expensive. They are often highly specialized in their fields and have been training for years, which makes them extremely valuable for those with disabilities. Some dogs are sponsored by charities and corporations so some people can get them for free, donated, covered by insurance, or at a low cost. No matter, the need for these animals often outweighs the supply.
The waiting lists, expenses, and matching process for these animals often makes them out of reach for those who need them most. That’s why many are turning to a more DIY solution: creating their own service dog bootcamp at home.