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Client Owned Service and Therapy Dogs Training Program

Sometimes our clients already own a dog and would like help in training their dog for their needs. Assistance Dogs of America, Inc. also assists clients who would like their personal dog trained as an assistance dog. To help you decide if this program is appropriate for you, please consider the following pros and cons:

Pros

You already have a dog and don’t want to bring in another dog to the family. The bond with your dog is already established. You enjoy the involvement and training of their dog.

Cons

Very time consuming! Depending on the age of your dog, it could take six to 15 months to complete the program. Labor intensive - having the physical ability to do the training. The dog may not have the right temperament and personality for the job. Bad habits and behaviors are difficult to change once they are established. Your dog will need to stay at our Education and Training Facility for three to four months for advanced training.

Raising Your Own Puppy

While raising a puppy may seem like a great idea initially, there are even more challenging issues that need to be considered. Watching a puppy grow up is fun, but they also require a great deal of work. Many individuals with physical disabilities find it very difficult to housetrain, teach house manners and basic obedience commands. The largest drawback is the ability to determine the puppy’s temperament and socialization as an adult. For a dog to become a service dog with public access, it must have a very stable and friendly personality. They need to be focused, confident and adaptable in all situations. The success rate is generally less than 50 percent that a puppy who begins the training program will develop the personality to handle the work required of a service dog. Realistically, an individual can start with a puppy and invest a great deal of time and energy in the puppy’s training, then after 1 to 2 years, determine that the dog is not able to perform in public. Another large disadvantage is the potential for hip problems to develop as the puppy develops into maturity. While you may reduce the puppy’s chance of having hip or elbow dysplasia by selecting the puppy from a breeder with OFA hip clearance, it does not guarantee your puppy will not have the genetic disorder. If your puppy develops the condition, it may have lameness problems and could require expensive surgery. This condition would also limit the puppy’s ability to perform specific tasks.

Client’s Responsibility

All client owned dogs are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and the dog and client must meet specific requirements. These requirements include:

• Taking full responsibility for training their dog under the guidance of our training staff. (If the clients are unable to physically carry out the training exercises, it is their responsibility to find someone to assist them.)
• The dog must be evaluated and approved to be accepted into the program.
• The client must complete the application process.
• Dog must be spayed/neutered and current on all vaccinations.
• Dog must be enrolled in a community puppy socialization class and a basic obedience positive reinforcement training class.
• Clients must follow ADAI’s educational curriculum and complete additional outside reading.
• Clients attend monthly training classes at ADAI’s Education and Training Facility located in Swanton, Ohio.
• Clients must follow established policies and guidelines for ADAI’s Foster Family Program.
• Dog must stay at our Education and Training Facility for three to four months to complete the Advanced Training Program.
• Clients must complete the Client Team Training and follow-up for formal certification.

Please keep in mind that at any time during the training program, ADAI may determine your dog is not suited to continue our training program and would be released with no further obligations.

Summary

Training your own dog to become an assistance dog takes a great deal of time and dedication. Most of our graduates who have completed the Client-owned Training program say that they would not do it again because of the potential problems and the amount of work required. However, for some clients the rewards are worth all the work!