Dog Certifications 101: Service, Behavior and Training
Hello everyone! Ari here with Ollie. Today we’re going to talk about something really important. Dog titles and certifications! You’ve probably heard about Emotional Support Animals and Service Animals and maybe the Canine Good Citizen test, but what are all these certifications? What’s the difference between them? And do all kinds of dogs qualify? Let’s go a little more in-depth.
Canine Good Citizen Test
Have you ever heard of the Canine Good Citizen test? At the American Kennel Club, it’s an expert-made training program designed to help you and your dog be the best you can be. Your dog will learn good manners and you will learn about responsible dog ownership!
The Canine Good Citizen program is open to all purebred and mixed breed pups. And there are also no specific age requirements! But if you’ve got a puppy, the American Kennel Club also has a puppy-specific training program that might be better for you.
And what are the benefits of the CGC? Not only will you and your pup have an even bigger bond, but this certificate is actually a common prerequisite for therapy dog certifications and a good introduction if you and your dog ever want to get into advanced dog sports.
If you’re interested in taking the Canine Good Citizen test, you can take it at Petco locations nationwide or you can go to your local American Kennel Club Training Club. You can find the closest location to you on their website.
Canine Obedience Titles
Canine obedience titles can be earned at competitions that attest to your dog’s good manners. Testing exercises include variations of heeling, stays, retrieves, and jumps. The obedience exercises are evaluated and scored by a judge. And if your pup gets a passing score, they get a “leg” toward an obedience title. Once they have a certain amount of “legs”, then they get an official certificate! You can go to the American Kennel Club or United Kennel Club website to see when they have these events.
Dog Agility Titles
Did you know the American Kennel Club has more than 50 dog agility titles? During the obstacles, they do everything from jumping to going through tunnels. There are several classes in AKC agility, consisting of Standard, Jumpers with Weaves, and Fifteen And Send Time (FAST). Each class consists of four levels, from Novice, to Open, to Excellent, to Masters. The AKC and UKC offer the most agility titles, but there are also other organizations that have titles. You can go to their website to learn more about how to get started.
Emotional Support Animal
You may have heard of Emotional Support Animals. First, let’s start off by clarifying that an Emotional Support Animal is not the same as a Service Animal.
People often confuse these two certifications with each other. Emotional Support Animals don’t require specific training and they’re meant to provide emotional and mental stability for their owners with their love and companionship.
Having an Emotional Support Animal is super useful for people who may have Bipolar Disorder, Depression, PTSD, Postpartum Depression, or Social Anxiety Disorder.
Any kind of pup can qualify as an emotional support animal. Having an emotional support animal means that you can take them into places that dogs normally wouldn’t be allowed to go—you’ll get a certificate in case anyone asks about it. If you want to register your pup, you can go to usserviceanimals.org!
If you think you could benefit from an Emotional Support Animal, please talk to a licensed mental health professional first. They will determine if getting an Emotional Support Animal is right for you and if your landlord needs a doctor’s letter to confirm your dog’s ESA status, they can provide that for you.
Therapy Dog Titles
Your dog can also get a therapy dog title. In order to be a certified therapy dog, a dog needs to pass certain requirements given by the Therapy Dogs International. They are in charge of testing, certifying, insuring, and registering volunteer therapy dogs! And passing the therapy dog test doesn’t immediately earn the dog a title. The titles are awarded to therapy dogs who are actively working, based on how many therapy visits they have. You can go to TDI’s website to get started.
Service Animal
Let’s also talk about service animals. Service dogs help people with disabilities lead more independent lives.
The Americans with Disabilities Act says that a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
A service dog is then trained to take specific actions, depending on the person’s disability. There are guide dogs, mobility dogs, medical alert dogs, and psychiatric service dogs.
There are lots of professional service dog training organizations that train service dogs. Training a service dog can be expensive, but there are also some organizations that provide service dogs at no cost or offer financial aid for people.
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