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Having a Service Dog seems like it should be a no brainer. Someone has a disability and a dog can be trained to assist them with having a more normalized life. But there is so much more to this solution than people realize. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions that we get.

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How long does training take?

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Depending on the age of the dog, training can take anywhere from one(1) to two(2) years. Most of the Service Dogs we have, started their training as early as 6 weeks old. We use that age as the puppy is ready to explore and not be dependent on momma dog always being around. 

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In what order do you train your Service Dogs?

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​Our training program is based on positive reinforcement along with the utilization of a training clicker and high value treats that only come out during training time.

 

  1. The Basics

  2. Intermediate Skills (These two can be taught at the same time, or in either order)

    1. CGC - Canine Good Citizen​

    2. Tasks specific to the handlers disability

  3. Advanced Skills​

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*** The CGC is the "poor man's" way of training for Public Access as the skills required to pass that certification are also the same skills the ADA requires for Public Access ***

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How much does a Service Dog cost?

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Depending on who you go through, they can cost up to $50,000. We do believe in owner training and recognize that not every  owner knows how to train a dog let alone a service dog. The lowest that one of our handlers has had to pay out of pocket for training was $5,000 over the course of a year times 2 years to train from puppy to adult. This was allowing for specialized scent training for allergen detection and the CGC's with a local pet trainer as it is challenging to train for public access when at home all the time and limited public interaction. Once our program is in full motion we will have several options to choose from. 

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Is it true that if you purchase a company trained service dog, you don't actually own it?

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This will vary from organization to organization. Some will allow the handler to purchase a fully trained dog that is furever theirs. We have seen some that will fully train but retain ownership of the dog as a matter of animal welfare should something happen to the handler. We hope to strike a balance all the way around that if someone purchases a fully trained dog it is theirs with the understanding should something happen and they are no longer able to care for their K9 Companion that it will be returned to us.  Any of the dogs that the handler is a part of the training, we will retain ownership of the dog for the sole purposes of ensuring that it remains complaint with public access, is being well cared for, and should something happen to the handler be returned to us.   

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I see your program has a monthly meeting only nine(9) months out of the year. What happens during the three (3) months with no meetings?

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As monthly meetings are mandatory for any dog that is a part of our organization and seeing that we are in Central Texas, we had to make a compromise for the safety of the handlers in not having meetings outside during June, July, and August. The month of May will be determined at the beginning of the month and dependant on how hot the temperatures already are. Any month that we do not have a physical meeting, one will be held via ZOOM on the third Saturday at 5 PM Central Time. We will also keep an eye on the few colder months that we have to insure the safety of handlers and their K9 partners.

 

We do require all handlers, and those in our dog training program, to track daily training times, what skill(s) they worked on, any behavioral issues they are encountering, and keep medical records of their K9 Partner up to date with the Guardians Guild Resource Leader. 

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Wait, so I can join your program and learn how to train dogs for other people too?

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In a word, YES!!  We are partnering with an online animal training academy and will act as an externship for their program so that students can have hands-on experience. Whether or not a Puppy-in-Training goes home with them will depend on several factors and will be discussed during open enrollment months of April and September. We also hope to have enough mentors to pair a student with so they have the ability to work at the one-on-one level of someone who is a veteran in the dog training industry. We also pair our Externship Students with someone from our Guardians Guild, Merchants Guild, and Resources Guild so that they have a well rounded understanding of how a dog training business works, marketing techniques, and liability factors they need to consider before starting a dog training business on their own. All trainers and trainees do need to reside within the Greater San Antonio service area and must be able to make the monthly meeting on the third Saturday of every month. 

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How do I sign up for one of your dogs?

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Once we are ready with puppies that have the basics, or dogs ready to be placed, those applications will be made available on this site and our social media platforms. We suspect that there will be a waiting list for each of the dog types we train for. We will also have an application process for anyone who would like to have their pet dog evaluated or assistance with picking out a prospective dog from a rescue shelter. That trainer will then create a training plan based on your needs and the estimated cost if we do all of the training or if you will be meeting with them once a week and have homework assignments to work on daily. This would be considered "Owner Assisted Training" and the handler retains ownership of the K9 Partner. 

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What types of working dogs do you train for? and will you offer basic obedience training to the general public?

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Going to answer these in reverse:  At this time, we are not set-up to offer basic training and CGC's to the public. Once that happens, we will discuss with our trainers the feasibility of that happening. 

On to the first question: While our goal is to be able to train all working dogs classes from Police/Military applications, to Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs, our primary focus will be on Service Dogs as this is the industry that currently has the highest need of trained dogs in. That does not mean that all of our trainers are focused on this area and we will list on this website, under Trainers Section, those who are willing and able to train any dog for any reason. 

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If there is a question that we have missed, please feel free to email us at SWDHG@GuildsofRequiem.com

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