Maze is gonna be a service dog

I'd imagine the first thing is to get her certified as whatever the Canadian Equivalent of the CGC (Canine Good Citizen) which is done thru the AKC here in the States. 

Then you'll have to contact a qualifying agency and find out what their testing entails.  Even here it's a TON of paperwork. 

The agencies should have a list of commands they require or suggest.  Basic obedience has to be bombproof -- then you go for other stuff like "get", "take" etc. 

Resources for you on this big journey:

IAADP: the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners

Delta Society: look specifically at their pages on service dogs.  They've got some good basic standards and a list of equipment suppliers that may be useful in the future.

OC-Assistance-Dogs: a yahoo group made up of people who are owner-training or train for organiztions using +R based methods with a focus on clicker.

ADI: Assistance Dogs International

 Thanks for the advice and links!

Callie, I do plan on getting Maze's CGN (canine good neighbor.. Though I like the name "Canine good citizen" better. Lol)  I'm wanting Maze's obedience to be bombproof anyways so this helps me get my butt in gear!

I have the feeling that this is gonna be a long hard road to travel but in the end it'll be worth it.

My dear hubby is disabled but still ambulatory for how long????  just like you it is always a possibility.   I was teaching our Rottie Shadow how to help with easy stuff and to find "Daddy" and to help him up if he fell or had trouble.   Unfortunately we lost Shadow to cancer but he was so willing to learn.   Rocky is also that willing although not quite as big.  Hot Shot is big enough but a little... hmmmmm.. I hate to say lazy more like laid back,lol.   I have not tried to get formal training for any of our boys but have taught from early on simple things like taking the laundry to the laundry room, finding "Daddy",  etc.   Maybe some day I will do the CGC thing but the main thing is to get them to understand to lay out of the way or move quickly if they are in the way, always be aware of where "Daddy" is, simple tasks get rewarded with praise at our house, not treats.  Having a certified service dog has to be both rewarding and beneficial, but I think it is just as important for us to train in a way that will benefit us now as well as in the future.

This is a wonderful idea, talk about "Bloom where you're planted."  Smart!

I would also recommend getting her health testing done. It's not REQUIERD but ought to be by anyone reputable who offers certification (which you may or may not need- I know it's different in each province in Canada). Hips, elbows, thyroid, eyes - you CANNOT ethically work a dog with any sort of chronic condition taht cases pain.

I'd recommend checking out servicedogcentral.org - there's a very good active forum there.

You may also want to talk to your doctors to make sure that Alex meets the legal definitions of disability in terms of being allowed (legally) to use a service animal in public- just a significant injury isn't always enough, and again, this is location specfic.

 FYI, I am not aware of any requirement that a service dog must be "certified".  Owner trained dogs are acceptable, they must simply be able to perform the tasks that the disabled person requires, not be a nuisance (example - your assistance dog is allowed into a movie theater because of public accomodation laws, but if he barks during the movie they can ask you to leave).  The reason for training to a high standard, however, is equally important for owner-trained dogs, because there are still some people who try to say their pets are assistance animals just so they can keep them (maybe what we really need are laws that protect unrestricted rights of domestic pet ownership in housing).  There is also no requirement that I know of that you must identify the dog with a special leash or vest, but, of course, doing so makes public access easier.  Also, when entering a public establishment, you cannot be asked what your disability is, only whether the dog is an assistance dog.  Check out the Department of Justice information on this, and maybe get one of the small wallet cards that instructs merchants and others about your rights as a disabled person.  Barbara Handelman puts out a video on training the assistance dog, which is very good.

Just something for the public to keep in mind - not all "assistance dogs" are guide dogs or "seeing eye" dogs.  Disabled people also have "invisible disabilities" such as psychiatric disorders, seizure disorders, and diabetes, for which dogs are being trained to assist. 

 Thanks! Anne, Maze would be Alex's arms when he can't reach. Here (i think) the dog has to be advertised as a service dog. So Maze would need to be certified.

The sites have given me alot to think about. My trainer is more then willing to help me the entire way so I'm not alone in this adventure. Lol

Not in the US, no! But the ADA doesn't apply in Canada, obviously, and their rules are on a provice-wide level rather than federal, and I know there are some provinces which DO require it. 

Cait

spiritdogs

 FYI, I am not aware of any requirement that a service dog must be "certified".  Owner trained dogs are acceptable, they must simply be able to perform the tasks that the disabled person requires, not be a nuisance (example - your assistance dog is allowed into a movie theater because of public accomodation laws, but if he barks during the movie they can ask you to leave).  The reason for training to a high standard, however, is equally important for owner-trained dogs, because there are still some people who try to say their pets are assistance animals just so they can keep them (maybe what we really need are laws that protect unrestricted rights of domestic pet ownership in housing).  There is also no requirement that I know of that you must identify the dog with a special leash or vest, but, of course, doing so makes public access easier.  Also, when entering a public establishment, you cannot be asked what your disability is, only whether the dog is an assistance dog.  Check out the Department of Justice information on this, and maybe get one of the small wallet cards that instructs merchants and others about your rights as a disabled person.  Barbara Handelman puts out a video on training the assistance dog, which is very good.

Just something for the public to keep in mind - not all "assistance dogs" are guide dogs or "seeing eye" dogs.  Disabled people also have "invisible disabilities" such as psychiatric disorders, seizure disorders, and diabetes, for which dogs are being trained to assist. 

 Sorry, I had forgotten that you are in Canada.  This list might help you decide which tasks to train first:

http://www.iaadp.org/tasks.html

And, you may want to contact these folks for info or referrals:

http://www.encouragingpaws.com/