How Is a Person Who Needs a Service Dog Able to Train It Themselves?

Question by Julie D.: How is a person who needs a service dog able to train it themselves?
I’ve seen people post this all the time on this site, but I don’t understand it. I thought that a service dog was for people who were handicapped in some way whereas a service dog would provide a REAL service to them, such as a leader dog for a blind person. Also, from my understanding, an emotional support dog is NOT the same as a service dog, and therefore is not entitled to the same privileges. If this is true, then how can someone *train* their own dog, buy a service dog vest on Ebay, and get away with it, if that person does NOT have a physical handicap such as being blind, having MS, etc.? Are they just trying to screw the system because they want their pooch to be able to go everywhere with them? Do people actually get away with the legalities that are involved with this?

No TD will be given by me.
@ Libby…..This is not about understanding mental illness. This is about the differences between a REAL service dog, that has been provided by a professional service to a handicapped individual, which has been bred and trained for a specific purpose, such as a leader dog for the blind. Unless I’m understanding you wrong, you think that a person can train any dog to be a service dog, for whatever reason, and then it should be allowed to sit on your lap at a restaurant because you need it for emotional support?…….and then downloading FAKE documents online and buying a used service dog vest justifies that?
@ heart…..I certainly agree with you to a certain degree, but HOW does one going about making that dog *legal* to take it everywhere they go? Yes, I’m asking this because I truly don’t know. If a person such as you mentioned does all their own training, is there an organization that they have to go to to GET the dog certified as a service dog? I have no hidden agenda with my question, and I’ve never came across a person that has a fake service dog, or at least in my eyes, what a fake service dog means to me.
My question actually stems from this one:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AuRxFTKW9KzrVg4WBKs22Hvsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20130216053935AASbAC3
Yes, I did answer this question, but I did not give any of the other answerers a TU or a TD.

Best answer:

Answer by dadnbob
A service dog provides a service…..emotional support does not count. Those who use that are just trying to be a victim…..too many do that. If they say they “trained” the animal themselves I don’t think they are correct in doing so.

Answer by heart
There’s physical disabilities like epilepsy or leg paralysis where that person still has the ability to train a service dog…and why not? Physically handicapped doesn’t mean mentally incapable of dog training right? Emotional support dog…I’m not sure my guess is maybe the person really needs one and has a dog already so wants their dog not a new one and from what I hear the few questions on dog forums about it many psychiatrists are very willing to help make that happen.

Add: I thought a physician took care of that but that was just my guess. That and the dog has to be certified. I had guessed it was a similar process like the therapy dog test. There’s a national service dog registry just like national therapy dog registries.
http://www.nsarco.com/

Add your own answer in the comments!

Stop Physician Owned Physical Therapy Services (POPTS) – Mary Hayashi (D-Hayward) has introduced a bill that is: 1. bad business resulting in over-utilization of physical therapy services 2. results in substandard …

Drop-in therapy: Zoomcare adds mental health, other services
But during the past year, ZoomCare has started reaching beyond primary care to provide specialty services for patients. Chronic care, pediatrics, dermatology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, naturopathy and physical therapy services have been added. Read more on Portland Business Journal (blog)

Michigan Physical Therapist and Home Health Agency Owner Pleads Guilty for …
A licensed physical therapist, Bhagat began working in June 2009 for Troy-based Prestige Home Health Services Inc., a home health agency owned by alleged co-conspirators. In approximately August 2009, he and other co-conspirators became owners of … Read more on eNews Park Forest

DC Metro Area Chiropractic and Physical Therapy Provider, Sport and Spine …
Sport and Spine Rehab is excited to release its new video that will help educate the community on our chiropractic and physical therapy services as well as FUNHAB, our patented rehab program. Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Google+ Share … Read more on PR Web (press release)