08/22/2024
Credibility In the Dog Training Industry.
Fraudulent credibility among young trainers is a growing concern in our industry. Recently I heard a young trainer whom I know make a claim she had trained hundreds of service dogs for people with psychiatric disorders and hundreds of dogs with people with physical disorders. It definitely sounded like she had experience talking intelligently about her position on service dogs, except "the math wasn't mathing."
Hundreds of group x and hundreds of group y is impressive, but a clear exaggeration. Maybe it's an intentional slip of the tongue, but let me be clear on what the problems are in 9 bulleted points below.
#1) Training Service Dogs take years of Mentorship. This isn't something you just learn by reading or jumping in. It's not something you learn in 10 years. Ive been emersed in herding sheep for 10 years, this is the first year I've agreed to start dogs for folks. It takes time.
#2) One trainer can only handle so many dogs in a day, even pushing themselves, there's no possible way to get even 400 service dogs trained (with 60+ days each) in someone who is in their 30s lifetime. It's impossible.
#3) Group classes, seminars, zoom calls, etc really don't count.
#4) On top of successfully trained service dogs there is a huge amount of dogs that start down the path that don't cut the mustard. Not every dog can be a service dog. Most dogs aren't cut out for it. I'd assume 1 in 4 makes it. So let's think about the claim, it now moves from 400 moves to 1200.
#5) It's becoming a money grab in the dog training Industry where unqualified trainers are taking this on to take your money. If you need a legit service dog, please do your research and find an organization that can actually help you.
#6) Blood Sugar Dogs can actually do that skill while being a pet. It's a pet with a skill. We sold a wild BC puppy who naturally alerted on blood sugar dips. We didn't train her for it, I do not consider myself an expert in glucose detection. We would encourage you to still monitor your blood sugar in other ways as folks die from ketoacidosis.
#7) Your 8 month old intact backyard bred Siberian Husky, isn't a service dog. It takes a ton of training that no 8 month old dog is prepared for.
#8) Legitimate Service Dogs, such as guide dogs for the blind, are selectively bred, raised by puppy raisers for a year, spend the next 6 months in training to perform 24/7 work that is not only mentally taxing, but physically taxing. It's a job that doesn't quit and few dogs are cut out for it.
#8) Emotional Support dogs are wonderful, they are not service dogs and not protected the same way. Our dogs save us for sure, but watering down legitimate service dogs with Ill behaved pets or emotional support dogs is a huge disservice to legitimate service dogs.
#9) Being a Pet Dog Trainer does not mean you can teach a dog anything. Doesn't make you a veterinarian. Doesn't mean you can deceive clients.
Please do your research. Start to Finish Dog Training does not train Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and we've been competing with dogs since 1999. I'd encourage you to do extensive research before handing out any money to have your pet trained as a serious service dog.
