Call me a Service Dog Snob. I just retired my professionally trained Service Dog.
Let me ask you a question?
If you were blind- would you want a dog who wasn't professionally trained?
So don't you want your dog to be professional in public, and do its job EVERY time, without flaw, 24/7 ??
That cost $$$.
Best to you.
Jeff

I have the article that the ADA put out about this topic. If you want it just let me know and I'll share it with you. It's really informative. It really helped me out.

I have recently found some info on this very topic online. And from what I understand from the reading is that, yes you can use your own pet and actually it doesn't have to be trained by a high dollared "professional" in order for it to be considered your service dog.

nothing is for free. you have to register to get that service dog papers. everyoe is different so research that. as for the training part. you (or a friend that is a trainer that will do it for a favor or little money) will do it. here's a link to train your dog to be a service dog. https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to...

I have heard of places that will train your dog though the dog must be 1.5 years old or younger but you'll have to check out different places I'm not sure where they'd do it. The lions foundation does train dogs for epileptic that are free but if I'm not mistaken they use their own dogs. Plus I'm in Canada so things may be different elsewhere.