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Posted by: Kirsten on 2010-02-21, 15:30:32
No, you don't have to go to a school to become a service dog trainer. In fact, most service dog trainers don't. Most apprentice with an experienced trainer or program. You can train any dog you like and give it to whomever you like. You don't need a certificate for that. However, if you don't have contacts within the service dog provider industry you must ask yourself just how you plan to ply this trade. Also, trying to sell or advertise a dog as a service dog may be problematic since some states do require you to be licensed in order to do that (give away for free, yeah, but sell or advertise and you can get into trouble). Firstly, most states that give trainers public access rights require that that trainer be in some way accredited, either certified by a recognized organization or working for a recognized program. So people working on their own would not have public access rights for training in those states. That's not to say a service dog couldn't be trained anyway, because it can (just not in public). Not all states have training rights in the first place, for anyone certified or not, yet trainers in these states are still able to produce service dogs. Second, who in their right mind is going to want a service dog from Joe Smith who has no credentials whatever to train a service dog, has no liability insurance, no veterinary coverage for their animals, etc., when there are legitimate programs that do have all of that? And perhaps more importantly, who is going to donate to Joe Smith so that he can run his operation? The average service dog recipient is not going to be able to pay the costs for the dog, even given the trainer's labor is completely donated. It's still going to cost a few thousand dollars for all the health clearances, veterinary care, food, and housing during the 18-24 months of training for each dog. A typical dog costs me $5,000 to produce, not counting anything for the time I put in as trainer. So without some sort of credentials, where does one get any funding? Your best bet is to apprentice with a good program. If you can't do that, then go to Bergin. If you decide to try it on your own, consult an attorney to find out your legal obligations and liabilities in doing so. You really do need the insurance and the credibility. |
