Service Dog Handler Requirements Not everyone can own a dog and provide the life it needs and deserves to be happy and healthy. Far fewer people have the wherewithal to handle a Service Dog. A Service Dog Handler / Owner should • Maintain the dog’s health by providing appropriate and timely o nutrition o exercise o grooming o down-time / secure relaxation o secure management from environmental hazards o veterinary care (worming, parasite intervention, vaccinations etc…) • Be capable of maintaining focus and attention on the dog, especially when in public places. o Consider the skills necessary to be singularly responsible for a three year old child. o Realize that keeping tabs on the dog’s behavior is more important than eating a meal at a restaurant or watching a television show at home. • Be able to instantly evaluate that intervention is necessary o to keep the dog safe o to stop the dog from triggering on a distraction o to prevent a stranger from interfering with your dog o to deliver a necessary command or correction • Be able to immediately execute the actions necessary for the above mentioned interventions • Have the capacity to impose her will upon the dog o to offer benevolent leadership o to control the dog if it misbehaves o to establish predictability, trust and respect • Recognize and own the responsibility for the dog’s behavior always in all ways • Willingly and promptly seek assistance when necessary to maintain the dogs best condition, psychologically and physically • Feel confident expressing the following ideas o To resolve unacceptable behavior, a correction method should be used. o To encourage a dog to present new /challenging behaviors, a positive reinforcement method should be used. o A balanced approach to training makes sense to me. o its my job to be able to evaluate and execute the appropriate methods in a calm, relaxed and confident manner A student who is learning to become a Service Dog handler • is likely to present the following conditions, during class and at home o Performance anxiety o Stress o concern, worry o frustration o anger o self-doubt o irritability • must be able to move through those challenges o without taking out the frustration, anger or stress on the dog o and quit working with the dog when he experiences heightened emotional conditions • must refrain from any form of physical abuse to the dog • must be courteous to others in the class and at home when working with his dog • must not permit her dog to interfere with other students or dogs in the classroom or in public • should recognize and respect that the instructors have good intentions and are coaching rather than judging • should recognize that family members most probably have good intentions and are coaching rather than judging A disabled individual who is not able to handle his own dog, can still benefit from a Service Dog. However, a competent dog handler must be responsible for the dog’s behavior. A parent may handle the service dog for her disabled child, as long as she can maintain the standards defined above for the dog’s care and behavior.