© Tammie Rogers 2022
Page Title
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 own and 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.