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How to Get a Service Dog

First, service dogs are reserved for people with disabilities. You or someone you love will have to be disabled to apply for a service dog.

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The next step is to find a service dog organization where you can apply for a dog. Different organizations train dogs for different situations and you’ll need to find someone who trains dogs for your specific disability.

We’ve put together a list of autism service dog providers where you can apply to get a dog. It’s not a comprehensive list and we don’t recommend one over the other.

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There is also a comprehensive list on the Assistance Dogs International website. These organizations are accredited and are considered to be the Gold standard of service dog organizations.

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The best way is to start researching each one to find which one fits you best. 

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Which organization is the best fit for you or your loved one?

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It’s hard to know which service dog organization will be the best fit for you or your loved one. How do you choose?

Here are five questions to ask yourself when trying to choose a service dog:

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  1. What are your basic needs?

  2. Are you prepared to handle the care of a dog in your home?

  3. Are you prepared to learn how work with your dog? This is a 24/7 lifelong commitment.

  4. What particular issue(s) would you like to mitigate?

  5. How far are you willing to travel?

  6. Are you willing to raise the funds that may be necessary to get a service dog? Some organizations provide dogs free of charge and some help you with fundraising.

 

These questions will help guide you as you search for the right service dog. It’s a long process, but it will be so worth it in the long term.

 

What About Certification ?

While there is an accreditation process for service dog organizations, there is no equivalent for individual dogs themselves. There is no such thing as a "certified” service dog. Beware of websites that offer “certification” of service dogs for a fee—it’s not a real thing.

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