Where do you go in South Australia to learn how to train assistance or support dogs for the disabled?

Question

I would like to train Lions Hearing dogs, but on their site it didn't say how to get involved.

Answer 1

This is the web site for Lions Hearing http://hearingdogs.asn.au/site%20map.htmlDogs. You can contact them at http://hearingdogs.asn.au/contact%20us.html. They can put you in touch with the schools for other Lions service dogs.

There are two types of trainers. The first are volunteers who take young puppies and raise them. The volunteers provide obedience training, and if the system in Australia is similar to Canada and the USA, teach the puppies how to behave in public, including stores and restaurants.

When the dogs are old enough, they go to a school where professional trainers teach them to be guide, hearing, or other types of service dogs. Each school has its own criteria for trainer qualifications. You would have to ask the individual schools if this is what you meant by training the dogs.

Answer 2

Most of the trainers in certified programs are trained by apprentice programs after basic disablitity and mobility training which is offered at colleges. For example, the apprenticeship for Seeing Eye dog training is 3 years. Contact the sources of the dogs you are interested in and ask what they expect of new hires and what training they support.