Animanialmanac t1_ix51nzf wrote
Service dog training is dependent upon the patient needs. The best way to find a reputable service dog training organization is to go through patient advocacy groups. For example, I’ve had patients with permanent physical disabilities receive dogs from Assistance Dogs International through their social workers. Two patients received dogs from Mountain High Service Dog training in Colorado through the neurologists.
I don’t believe the process is to train your own dog, patients receive dogs that were selected for temperament and talent, then trained for a specific task. Your primary care provider or specialist should be able to direct you to a good patient advocacy organization for your needs.
anne_hollydaye t1_ix87e4g wrote
Most service dogs are owner-trained. The cost of a dog from an organization like ADI is astronomical...and folks in need often cannot afford them.
Animanialmanac t1_ix8ersn wrote
I believe you may be mistaken. Most lower income patients I see with service dogs received the dogs free through the appropriate patient advocacy group for their diagnosis. My roster is entirely Medicaid, none of my patients could afford $25,000 or more out of pocket, and then more for continuing veterinary and ongoing training for a service assistance dog. Patient advocacy groups pay for the animal and ongoing vet care. That’s why I suggested the OP check with their provider to get connected to right patient advocacy group for his/her diagnosis.
Are you thinking of emotional support pets? I’ve seen dog training places offer to certify animals as emotional support pets to allow the pets on planes, in rental apartments and other environments. This is different from a service animal. A true service assistance animal requires a medical diagnosis from the handler, costs $25,000 or more and should be trained by professionals.
anne_hollydaye t1_ix9ows5 wrote
Most certainly not talking about ESAs. I know several individuals who had to go the self train route because they were not approved based on income. All of them need medical alert dogs for fainting disorders.
Animanialmanac t1_ixa0e7b wrote
I don’t know those individuals, but the details don’t track with what I’ve experienced professionally as a physical therapist. Patient advocacy groups and charities are private organizations that don’t generally have income requirements or limits. Personally I’ve attended many fundraiser bull roasts, bingo nights, quarter auctions held by patient advocacy groups to raise funds for service animals, my own church donated funds for several parishioners who needed service animals. I’ve never heard of an income requirement or an income limit to owning a service dog for any diagnosis, I can’t see why a syncope diagnosis would come with an income requirement. I still suggest the op check with their provider before attempting to self-train a service dog.
Can you imagine a person with low vision being told they must train their own guide dog, or a person who experiences seizures being told to teach a dog to alert to seizures? The scenario you’re describing is implausible and discredits the hard work service animal trainers and patient advocacy groups do. That seems more a vanity project than reality.
I strongly encourage the OP to discuss the support of a service dog with their medical provider before giving money to any organization that claims to show them how to train their own dog to be a service animal for a fee. There is no cost to that conversation and it can’t hurt.
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