Many dogs live their lives as regular pets but there are some that do much more than this.
They are called service dogs and their dog training is focused on helping disabled people get through their daily lives.
Individuals who are afflicted with physically debilitating illnesses but do not have people living with them can actually get by quite well in the company of a service dog.
These animals can assist them with many things, from something as simple as opening a door to more complicated procedures like providing some sort of first aid in case of medical emergencies.
Training a Dog for Service If you are interested in turning your pet into a service dog, you can either enroll him into a service training school or teach him yourself.
Training your dog on your own may sound exciting and fun but it can actually be rather difficult, especially if you don't have the proper skills and experience to do it well.
For most people, the more convenient option is to have someone do the dog training for them and to teach them the skills necessary to become a real service dog.
There are also those who choose to get a new dog that has already been trained.
Buying trained dogs is definitely the more expensive option.
If you are rather low on budget, it might be best to roll up your sleeves and do the job yourself.
Finding the right techniques of service dog training is actually very easy with the Internet.
However, for many individuals, this will take too much time, which is a luxury they can't afford.
Hiring a professional dog handler to teach the special skills necessary to be a great service dog might be more costly, but the training period will be much shorter, thanks to the efficient methods these professionals use.
Furthermore, if you buy a dog from a breeder, the breeder will take care of all the basic training lessons that include teaching the dog the most basic commands.
Upon completing these lessons, it is up to you to teach your newly trained service dog the special commands that can help him to eventually help you.
There is special dog training applied so that they are capable of a wide range of specific commands such as turning on the lights and assisting in medical emergencies.
These dogs are extremely helpful to people who are physically unable to do certain things on their own.
There are dozens of excellent service dog trainers based in centers all over the country.
However, it might be interesting to know that many of the service dogs today are actually trained by prisoners detained in American jails.
Availing of a service dog isn't that easy.
Right now, the waiting lines are quite long and it could take anywhere between a few weeks to several months before you receive one that is completely trained to assist you in your needs.
In addition, there is also a brief adjustment period so that the dog can familiarize himself with his new owner and surroundings.
While most service dogs end up living with and assisting physically disabled individuals, some of them can also be great companions to psychologically distressed persons by giving them much-needed emotional support.