[Mt-blind] service dog training schools in Montana

[Jim Marks]

The law regarding service animals does not speak to the training.  It's
entirely legal for people to train their own animals, even for guide dogs
used by blind people.  At the same time, it's certainly also fine to talk
about what constitutes good training.  Each of us is entitled to an opinion,
but legal facts are not affected by how we feel about what is allowed or
prohibited.  Of course, individuals and groups can advocate for changes in
the law.  Then the legal facts could change to reflect the will of
citizens.

I think that guide dog schools are not overly threatened by small training
programs or self-training of service animals.  For one thing, service
animals are used by people with physical disabilities and hearing
impairments.  It's not really a blindness issue.  For another thing, we have
to look at outcomes.  Credible guide dog schools do such a great job that
one would be hard put to undertake some sort of alternative.  If someone
were to ask me, I would say go with one of the reputable guide dog schools.
Blind people can get good training for themselves from these schools as well
as wonderfully trained animals.  All costs are carried by the school, and
most schools provide ongoing support for the blind person and the guide dog.
Weighing such considerations would lead nearly all of us to the conclusion
that it would be foolish to re-invent a wheel that works perfectly well.

As far as service animals for physically disabled and hard of hearing/deaf
people goes, these folks do not have the same options that blind people do.
That's why the options of small training programs or self-training are used.
When there's no choice, people have to do what they must.  Only other
alternative I can imagine is not to use a service animal.  But service
animals perform very important functions, and I do not think we should stand
in the way of those who are doing what they must to get a valuable tool.




Jim Marks
blind.grizzly at GMail.com