Don't Know If I'm Really Qualified??

[GottaSmile90]

I'm not quite sure if I could actually qualify for a service dog. I have a chronic knee problem and now hip problems starting. I never know when I knee is going to give out and when it does its such bad pain that sometimes I black out. I work on ranches and horse farms, usually by myself. So It would always be nice to have someone there to get help or help me up. Also, in the winters my arthritis gets very bad to the point where it hurts to grip anything. The arthritis can be helped with supplements sometimes but not always. With me going to college next year 12 hours from home to a state and town where I don't know anyone and I'll be working on even bigger more secluded ranches and farms I would really feel better with a service dog to help me if a problem come up or if I'm having a bad day with my arthritis.
 I feel like there's people who need these dogs ten time worse, but I think it would really be good for me and I cant seem to find information on whether I can apply for a SD or if I'm not enough in need.

[AmbientNight]

There are a couple of places you can go to get help with this.  Sounds like what you need most is a mobility assist dog.  There are even resources out there to train the dog yourself.  Don't know if we are allowed to post this ourselves so if I'm doing something I'm not supposed to everyone please forgive me.

These are two of the best resources that I know
www.topdog.com has lots of equipment to help you to train a service dog yourself includeing some wonderfull books and videos that work with each other.


www.freewebs.com/serviceanimal has a resource of trainers that are often availible to help over the net with weekly lessons for you again to be able to train a dog yourself.

hope this helps a little

[Shidash]

The first thing that you have to do is consult your doctor and ask them if they think that you are qualified as disabled under the Americans with Disabilities act. After that, you should make a list of what you have trouble with and certain tasks that may help to mitigate your disability. Talk to your doctor more about this, your family too if you can.  Then when your doctor has signed a form prescribing a service dog (for any legal issues that may pop up), you should find a trainer.

There are two main routes to take when training a service dog- getting a program trained dog or owner training. A program trained dog is ideal for anyone that does not have experience with dogs and dog training and is looking at a dog for the first time. Owner training is better for people that have experience with dogs, though for some it is the only option. The key to this is to find a good local trainer to help you out. The trainer should have experience training service dogs and selecting service dog candidates. I will try to write a bit about finding a trainer or program later, but I have to go to bed now.

One last thing though, one year is not long enough to train a service dog. The training process typically takes two years, sometimes longer. Not to mention that if you owner train it takes a decent amount of time to find a dog that checks out as far as temperament and health go. You may have a shot at getting a dog from a program though it may still take longer than a year.

[Kirsten]

While most people would benefit from a highly trained dog, that benefit alone doesn't mean they qualify as disabled under the ADA.

Whether or not a person qualifies is not something anyone here can address.  It's a determination made based on careful consideration of the person's complete medical records and is best discussed with one's own doctor.  Ultimately, the question is, "does your impairment substantially limit you in one or more major life activities?"  Where "major life activities" are things like walking, breathing, seeing, hearing, thinking, etc.

My legs were crushed in a car wreck.  I spent four months in a wheelchair and continue to use a cane.  But I can walk.  I can make it from the parking lot into a store, and nearly always can make it throughout the store under my own power.  I can walk to the bus stop .1 mile from my home.  I am not substantially limited in my ability to walk.  A person who cannot walk 10 feet is substantially limited.  Your doctor can help you determine which is the case in your situation.

You can apply for a service dog with a program and go through their evaluation to determine whether you qualify for their program.  Here's an article that will help you find available programs:  http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/262

When it comes to owner-training, it isn't all rosy, and isn't the route most people should take in getting a service dog.  Service dog training is far more advanced that pet training and requires considerable skill.  Few people in the general public have this skill.  Those that don't will face a very difficult learning curve, trying to learn while training the dog.  The failure rate in these situations is very high.  So you have to consider whether you are willing to risk owner-training, knowing that if your dog washes out you'll be back at square one, or take the program route which has a much higher success rate.

Here's an article on one person's experience with owner-training:  http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/224

If you do not already know how to train a dog to heel properly (ie maintain a position relative to your leg regardless of whether the dog is on leash and regardless of distraction and without deviation of more than 12 inches in any direction) then in all honesty, you aren't ready to train a service dog.  The skills needed to train a proper heel are also needed for the rest of service dog training and a lacking in any one of those skills will result in an inferior dog.

Remember that studies have shown that of the general dog population, only one dog in a hundred really has what it takes to become a service dog.  Without experience selecting and training advanced dogs, what are the odds of a person managing to pick that one dog.  Also take into consideration that experts succeed within the general population at a rate of one dog in eight.  That's why so many programs have gone to in house breeding programs to produce the dogs with the needed qualities.

[Kirsten]

Clarification.  I said experts succeed at a rate of one dog in eight.  What I mean was that of the dogs they specifically identified as good candidates, only one in eight passes health clearances and is able to complete training.  That means an expert might consider 8 dogs in 100, but only one of those eight would make it.  For the non-expert, knowing that an expert is only right 12% of the time, what are their odds in choosing that one dog in a hundred that has all the "right stuff?"