Frequently Ask Questions
Why positive dog training methods?
We want your service dog to love their work and love working with you every day. And we want you to love working with your service dog.
This is why our training approach uses positive training methods, employing LIMA (least invasive, minimally aversive) strategies and techniques with focus on effective communication and reward-based training. You dog will learn to look to you for guidance and cues on what you would like them to do for you. And you will learn how to always set your dog up for success and to cue your dog to what you want them to do and how to make it fun and rewarding when they do what you cued.
You will not need to correct your dog or use aversive methods or tools.
Studies have shown positive training methods to be 25% more effective and efficient than aversive methods. Positive training methods also increase the human-animal bond which is critical for service dog teams. Furthermore, aversive training methods have proven to cause development of serious behavioral problems, including aggression and reactivity, and harms the welfare of the dog, putting them in a constant state of fear and high stress.
All dogs can be trained with positive dog training methods without the use of aversive training methods or tools. We strongly encourage all to learn how to train and work with dogs using positive dog training methods for the safety and well being of dogs, their people, and the public.
Is service dog training different from pet dog training?
Yes! Service dog training is very different from pet dog training in several ways both in general and specifically to how we train.
Foundational training for service dogs focuses on creating a language to enable communication between you and your dog as well as basic skills for you both. An example of foundational training for you would be teaching you how clicker training works and help you practice your timing so you can effectively use positive reinforcement to increase the behaviors you want and decrease those you don’t want. And an example of foundational training for your dog would be to teach them to sit and teaching them a cue association to that action, like a verbal cue word like “sit” or an environmental cue like sitting beside you when you stop to talk to someone.
As part of foundational training, you and your dog will also learn the basics of how you both uniquely want and need to work together. Your language will unique and optimized to what works best for you both. How you interact will also be uniquely tailored. For example, you might prefer your dog to stand in front of you when recalled to wait for further instruction but your dog feels more comfortable coming to stand beside you when recalled and this variation does not cause you any issue, so we train the cue “come” to mean, “Please drop what you’re doing and come stand beside me”.
How Do You Train Service Dogs for anxiety disabilities PTSD?
We specialize in helping individuals with anxiety disorders to train their own service dog, this includes service dog training to help mitigate Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which affects a projected 2 in 25 people (>7% of the population).
It’s common for disabled individuals to have more than one disorder or condition, however, so we work with all types and combinations of disabilities. Many of our clients have multiple psychiatric disorders / mental health disabilities or a combination of mental and physical disabilities, disorders, and conditions, such as PTSD and limited mobility. And although we specialize in service dog training for anxiety disorders, an anxiety disorder is not a requirement for our training programs.
What service dog tasks should I teach my service do in-training?
For psychiatric disorders especially, even if multiple individuals have the same disorder, they all experience it differently. This means each individual also will want and need to address their disorders differently.
There are numerous different ways service dogs can assist someone with any given disability. We focus our service dog task training (and also our service dog prospect placement) on what will most help the disabled individual in mitigating their disability. This is why we discuss at length in our Handler Assessments not only what disorders and/or conditions you want the dog to assist you with but also how do you want them to assist you. For example, in the case of panic attacks, some individuals want their service dog to interrupt their panic attacks with fervent kisses, guide them out of the situation, and then take their handler for a long walk or hike, while other individuals prefer their dog to calmly lay across their legs or chest to perform deep pressure therapy until the handler has calmed down enough to function again and further direct them.
We will help you identify and train the most important and relevant service tasks for your unique disability experience.
What standards should I follow in training my service dog?
We tailor our service dog training programs to each team’s unique needs in accordance with Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) training standards and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
All of our service dog teams will learn a minimum of three service tasks specifically tailored to optimally mitigate your most important disability needs and numerous cues to enable you to communicate and work together efficiently and effectively as a seamless service dog team each day in public and private life.
What dog would be the best service dog for me?
We will work with any breed, even abandoned mutts, but not all dogs are well suited to service dog work and not all dogs are interested in working with people all day everyday. Furthermore, dogs who are well suited in general for service dog work may not be well suited for the specific type of service dog work you need and/or the lifestyle you live.
This is why we strongly encourage anyone considering a service dog to work with a qualified service dog trainer to be matched to their optimal service dog prospect. We follow a methodical and collaborative assessment and placement process to match our clients with their ideal service dog prospect.
First, we assess your unique disability and lifestyle needs in a Handler Assessment. This helps us collaboratively identify and define the criteria for your best service dog prospect match. If you are able to raise and train your service dog from a puppy, we encourage you to do so as this ensures the dog will have the highest health standards and you will know everything that they have and have not experienced. For puppy placement, we work across numerous reputable breeders with current and upcoming litters to identify one or more service dog prospect matches. If a puppy is not a fit for you, alternative placement options are available, including dogs from humane societies. The final selection is up to you as the future handler in collaboration with your trainer and, if applicable, the breeder. Regardless of the placement route, you will own and be fully responsible for your dog.
This service dog prospect placement process can take 1 to 6+ months. Our service dog prospect placement process coupled with our Handler Assessment is the best way to set you up for success from the start and dramatically increase the likelihood of becoming a fully qualified service dog team.
We must follow with a disclaimer here though that nothing can guarantee that you and your dog will become a fully qualified service dog team or that you will be able to maintain these skills and standards.
If you already have a service dog prospect in mind, we will follow the same assessment methodology and provide our insights and recommendations regarding if and how the dog is suited to your required service dog work needs and lifestyle as well as options and next steps.
How long does training my own service dog take?
If you start with a puppy that is matched well to your needs and lifestyle, training typically takes 2 to 2.5 years to reach the standards of a fully qualified service dog team. Each team is unique though and it may take longer to reach these standards. If you start training with an adult dog of 18 months or older who is optimally matched to your needs and lifestyle, training can be as short as 6 months. More commonly though, training time with an adult dog of 18+ months is approximately 1 to 2+ years to reach the minimum fully qualified service dog team standards.
What support will I have after completing service dog training?
If you complete a service dog training program with us, we will be here to support and guide you throughout the lifetime of your partnership with your service dog. We will support you in advocating for your rights and will recognize as your team’s service dog trainer for the duration of your time as a service dog team. To maintain our support, you will need to take and pass the Public Access Test every two years with your service dog. This is the best way for us to document and prove your commitment to the high standards you have accomplished and helps us best advocate for you in legal matters.
How does dog development impact service dog training?
Young dogs have several physical, mental and social development phases they are going through in their first years of age. Most dogs are not fully physically developed until 18 months of age and continue to mature mentally and socially beyond this point. Growing up takes time, even for dogs.
Mobility work as well as going on runs, jumping out of the car or from other high points and even spaying and neutering should wait until the dogs growth plates are fully closed. For many medium and large breed dogs, their growth places will close by 18 months of age but always check with your veterinarian first before beginning these activities. It is critical to wait for their growth plates to close before engaging in these activities to avoid irreparable structural damage to the dog. Any structure issues will render the dog unfit and unsafe for service dog work.
What socialization should I do for my service dog in-training?
Socialization or becoming familiar and comfortable with our human world and norms is also a critical part of a service dog in-training’s development and education. This socialization generally takes the most time, effort, and practice of all training and development. Socialization is also a skill to be maintained and continuously developed as there will always be new and strange places, sounds, smells, objects, people, and animals to familiarize with. If a dog is well matched for their service dog work, the service dog tasks themselves will be the easiest, quickest and most fun to learn and perform for you and the dog.
Do I need a medical diagnosis for a service dog?
To begin any of our service dog training programs, you will need a medical diagnosis of one or more conditions from the International Classification of Diseases, Revision 11 (ICD-11) from a medically licensed doctor or therapist and a letter from them stating that your condition significantly limits you in one or more life functions and that they believe you may benefit from the assistance of a service dog to mitigate your condition, i.e. a letter of medical indication. This ensures we as trainers and you as a service dog handler are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and various other laws that will become relevant and require medical documentation as you navigate life with a service dog.
What do I need to do to maintain my service dog’s training?
It is challenging work to train your own service dog and also very rewarding. Once you reach fully qualified service dog team standards, you will need to maintain these standards. You will also continue to grow and learn together throughout your journey as a service dog team, working together to navigate new things. Regular and consistent practice and continued socialization to both known and new will be necessary and will continue to require significant time and effort. Most dogs live between 10 to 18+ years. Expect to work, play and practice together as a team for upwards of 10 to 15 years before your dog tells you they’re ready to retire.
What does it cost to train a service dog?
Training your own service dog with the help of a professional service dog trainer is the fastest and most financially affordable way to become a fully qualified service dog team. It also requires intensive time and effort from the handler both during training and maintenance. The cost to obtain a dog from a reputable breeder is typically around $2,000 and comes with certificates of health, genetic testing, breeding lineage, etc. The cost to spay or neuter, which is legally required for service dogs, can cost upwards of $1,000. A dog from a shelter or humane society generally has no known health or genetic history and often has various medical issues that require attention, costing easily between $2,000 to $4,000. This is why we generally recommend selecting a dog from a reputable breeder as the costs often come out to roughly the same but the health and genetics of the dog are known and solid.
The cost of training from a puppy up to fully qualified service dog team standards, again typically takes 2.5 years, and costs vary especially based on location (cost of living variances), time, i.e. how much help you need, and experience level of the trainer. If you live in an area with relatively low cost of living, such as Mississippi where it is 17% less expensive than the national average as of 2023, and require minimal help from a trainer, be prepared to spend a minimum of $10,000 on training. For locations with higher costs of living, like Austin, Texas, which is 19% more expensive than the national average as of 2023, you can easily expect to pay $20,000 for the same minimum training. Most individuals, especially those training their first service dog, will require significantly more time with a trainer which can range from $20,000 in low cost of living locations to upwards of $40,000+ for higher cost of living areas.
Setting aside financials for a moment, not everyone is able or willing to train their own service dog though. The total cost for an organization to raise and train a service dog and place them with an individual who they then also train how to work with the service dog is approximately $50,000 and 1 to 2.5+ years of time and effort, depending on the age of the dog at the start of training. This approach requires the least amount of time and effort from the handler to obtain (not maintain) a service dog.
The dog also needs to eat, get vaccinations, go to the veterinarian for check-ups and when they are sick, play with toys, etc. The annual cost of maintaining a dog varies especially by the size of the dog and the type of food. We recommend feeding your dog a high quality freeze dried, wet or frozen food and ensuring you keep on top of any and all health concerns for your service dog. You invest a great deal in training them and they are only fit to assist you if they are healthy. It can easily cost $5,000+ per year to maintain a dog at a basic level. Service dog handlers tend to prioritize caring for their dog just as much as their own health and will often spend easily double the average costs to maintain their dog. Be sure to budget, track and plan for this spending.
All of these financials sound like big numbers and these are just some of the key costs to consider. But remember, there are numerous ways to fund the costs if your income and/or savings fall short, regardless of if you train your own service dog or obtain one from an organization. Scholarships, Health Savings Accounts, funding platforms, fundraisers, friends and relatives, etc. are just a few ways to cover the expenses. Most importantly though, we urge everyone to be kind, respectful and responsible to yourself and your dog by knowing, planning and budgeting for the costs before getting a dog.
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