Getting a Service Dog

So, you want a service dog! Great!... Or maybe not great. Here are some things to really consider before getting yourself a fuzzy friend to help your life.

Are you disabled?

That’s a pretty vague question though, so let’s break it down. The ADA (Americans with a Disability Act) defines being disabled as, “a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a person who has a history or record of such an impairment, or a person who is perceived by others as having such an impairment." This basically means you deal with something, whether it be physical, mental, or both, that substantially affects your life to the point that you are missing out on crucial things. Things like going outside, buying groceries for yourself, working, getting yourself dressed, feeding yourself, etc. You may want to talk to your doctor about this.

Keep in mind that you don’t need to be getting disability checks to qualify as disabled. And also that a diagnosis does not equal disabled. For example, some people have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Out of those people, some can function in their day-to-day life fine. Some, however, can’t. That brings us to our next point.

Would a service dog benefit you? This means, would an assistance dog help mitigate your disability? Imagine you’re hard of hearing and you want to get a service dog that performs DPT — DPT, or deep pressure therapy, is a task where a dog is trained to lay on top of you, which activates certain pressure points that can help alleviate stress. DPT does not directly help your hearing issues; therefore, while it may help you in other ways, it does not count towards helping to mitigate your disability. BUT if you have severe anxiety and you want a service dog to perform DPT then go ahead! Because DPT does directly benefit those with anxiety.

So, you’ve decided that you do fit under the definition of legally disabled and that there are tasks a service dog could perform that would directly help you combat your disability. What else is there to consider? So much. So much more.

The cost is a major point. Getting a dog in the first place is expensive. Whether it be through a program or owner training (which we’ll discuss later on) it’s going to cost you quite a bit. From simply buying the dog to continuing to pay for its food, medical bills, and the rest of a normal pet dog’s needs you’ll also have a lot else to pay for. Some of the basic supplies service dogs needs include, but are not limited to, dog shoes, vests, mats, transportable food and water dishes, small bags to carry with you, poop bags, and more.

Now, what was that about programs vs. owner-training I mentioned? So, when you get a service dog, obviously it needs to be trained. The two most popular ways are programs and owner training. Let’s start with programs.

Programs are typically places where they choose a dog for you and they train it and then after about two years from the time the dog is chosen you finally meet the dog. They typically will train the dog to your needs.

The pros of programs are things like, no chance of a dog washing out (meaning you’ll get a service dog no matter what), you don’t need to add the grueling hours of training into your schedule, you’ll have a whole team of people who support you, and a lot of the choosing a dog process is cut out. The cons can be things like, less of a bonding experience according to some, they may not train for all the things you want, you don’t get to choose the training methods, and a lot of the choosing a dog process is cut out.

With programs, there is also the chance you may get your dog for free as a lot of service dogs programs are non-profit! This can mean a long wait time though.

What is owner-training, though? Owner-training is when you train your own service dog yourself. With the help of a professional of course, as you should never attempt to owner train all by yourself, especially if it’s your first time owning a service dog.

When it comes to owner-training you’ll have to consider things like buying your puppy, having them evaluated by a behaviorist, dedicating time to training, and much more. You also get a lot more one-on-one time with your dog when they are a puppy and you can groom them to your liking (within reason, of course).

A service dog can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000. So just keep that in mind.

You’ll also need to ask yourself whether a service dog will help you more than it hurts you. With service dogs you’re suddenly going to be the center of attention everywhere you go, which can be hard, especially for those who previously had “invisible” disabilities.

People won’t care about your comfort or limits. They’ll want to know why you have a service dog, where you got your dog. They’ll want to pet your dog and want to know why they can’t per your dog. People will not care. You need to know that you’ll be able to deal with that.

With all that in consideration a service dog can really help some people, so I hope that if it’s the right choice for you, that you do pursue it!