Training a service dog for seizure and
mobility work
Service dogs can be trained to help so many people with varying
challenges. Years ago the only service dogs that were known were guide
dogs for the blind. Now you will see dogs who are trained for autism, seizures,
anxiety disorders, etc. This is such an exciting topic because it is very dear
to my heart. You see, I have 2 daughters who suffer from seizures.
One of these children also has autism. I self-trained our service dog
"River" for seizure alert and she is also trained to help me with autism
issues as well.
Why did I choose to self-train?
Before I even thought about training our own dog I researched
the foundations who do train dogs for differently-abled people. I knew
there was a long waiting list and we really didn't have time to wait. I
needed a dog to start bonding with our family and begin training as soon as
possible. The different agencies either required a large sum of money or a
promise to fundraise the funds. In all honestly, what special needs family
has time to fundraise and attend functions while trying to care for a special
needs child? Not me! I wasn't even able to have a bath without having a
baby monitor on so I could hear my daughter! Then I started to look into
training a dog myself. I researched a great deal and came to the
conclusion that I wanted to go this route. Now, in all honestly, I do have
a great deal of dog training experience. To make a long story short, I
found a breeder and picked the perfect dog. I learned so much during those
days! The sweet dog you see in the picture above is "River" and she is trained
for seizure alert, autism, and can even sense a migraine before it happens.
Seriously, this dog is amazing, as are all dogs. A service dog can be
owner trained and I have decided to help those of you who are really serious
about doing this. If you would like more information about what I can
offer please email me at shanka@cogeco.ca
I am dedicated to helping other parents make life easier for their special needs
child(ren).
Some facts...
Owner-trained service dogs can
have access to ALL public places
There are laws in place to
protect your rights as a service dog handler
It takes dedication to train your
own service dog, but with help you can do this!
It doesn't have to cost thousands
of dollars
Please see "Article" section for
great articles on Service Dogs
email me for more
information
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