according to tx laws about SDs in training “An assistance animal in training shall not be denied admittance to any public facility when accompanied by an approved trainer who is an agent of an organization generally recognized by agencies involved in the rehabilitation of persons who are disabled as reputable and competent to provide training for assistance animals, and/or their handlers.”
but what if the trainer is also the dogs owner? i plan on training my own service dog and getting him certified once he meets all the requirements (which is usually around 2 years old) but i need to know if ill be able to take him everywhere with me in order to socialize him to the things he’ll need to deal as a certified SD… does anyone know anything about this or has a #/email/website that i can contact to find out. im only concerned with TX laws since thats where i live. thanks!
im not a certified trainer. i am just training my own dog to become my service dog and dont wanna be kicked out of stores b/c hes not certified yet. he will be wearing a “service dog in training vest” too where ever i take him.
#1 by iluvtorofl on February 11, 2010 - 12:50 am
As long as you are an approved trainer it doesn’t matter who owns the dog.
Be sure he has on his vest and you have your card. But if the dog has on his vest/halter, you will probably never be stopped anyway.
#2 by WiseBonzai on February 11, 2010 - 1:41 am
I am in California, so I can’t quote Texas laws, however it is pretty simple to answer.
In the set-up of the basic determination of Federal Law, which governs the USA, and which supercedes all state and local agency laws, the ADA would supercede the statement above, because it is a Federal Law.
The ADA (Americans witth Disabilities Act of 1990) is a Federa Law which states that many service dog owners train their dogs themselves, and it further states that we do not need certification, or to wear identifying gear, tags, ID cards or to prove our dog is a Service Dog.
This ruling, in a court of law, would legally supercede any state codes or regulations.
You have a Federal, legal right to train your own dog, and as its trainer are qualified to train it, without having to attend any kind of class as such…because in the ADA it states that owners can train their own dogs.
As a trainer, you can take your dog into stores and places of business while it is in training, and when it is ready to graduate, YOU graduate your own dog.
If you are really worried about someone confronting you and attempting to make your life difficult, there is an organization online called SARA (Service Animal Registry of America) which will give you a certification for your dog as a trainer, and will certify your dog.
If he is a puppy…my advice is do not take him anywhere until he knows all the puppy training basics (sit, stay, come, down, down-stay and is fully potty-trained), and start by taking him to large outdoor gatherings, rather than into stores right off the bat. Socialize him a lot….
You’d have more problems if your puppy you are taking in public is ill-trained, because that is when people take notice. They don’t even notice a well-behaved, constantly watched and well trained dog. Those are un-noticable because they are not doing anything wrong.
If you ever need to discuss service animal issues with me, please feel free to email me off of here…the link’s in my profile.
I belong to a lot of lists which support owner training and certification of service animals. I can point you toward places to help you learn about this and the rules and regulations therein.
I really hope this helps.
:)