Service dog programs

Service dog training the way the ADA actually defines it: real tasks, verifiable training, no paper certificates.

We build service-dog teams through one of three pathways — placement of a candidate dog we've raised, owner-trainer coaching, or residential task work. Every program is tailored to a specific disability and a specific task list, and every graduating dog meets the same public-access and task-reliability standard.

See the three programs

The four categories of task work we train

Every service dog is trained to mitigate a specific disability through specific tasks. We don't train "general-purpose" service dogs because that isn't what the ADA recognizes and it isn't what makes a team safe. Below are the task categories we currently train, with concrete examples of the tasks in each.

Mobility assistance

Tasks that mitigate the limitations of a mobility disability — bracing, counterbalance, retrieving dropped items, opening and closing doors, helping with dressing and undressing, body-positioning support.

Examples: Retrieve a phone. Brace and counterbalance when standing from a chair. Open and close cabinet and refrigerator doors. Pull a sock off a foot. Position the body to block strangers from approaching.

Medical alert and response

Tasks that detect a medical event in progress or imminent and respond in a trained, repeatable way. Alert training is rigorous — we only certify dogs whose alerts are reliable under distraction.

Examples: Alert to a blood-sugar swing. Find a phone and bring it during a seizure. Push a pre-programmed emergency-call button. Retrieve medication. Apply deep pressure for postural recovery.

Psychiatric service dogs

Tasks that mitigate the symptoms of a psychiatric disability — interrupt repetitive behaviors, ground the handler during a flashback or panic event, perform room-clear and perimeter tasks for the handler's safety, block strangers in a public space.

Examples: Interrupt self-harm behaviors. Wake the handler from a nightmare. Lead the handler out of a crowded space. Stand between handler and a stranger. Apply tactile pressure on the lap or chest during an anxiety event.

Autism support

Trained behaviors that support a handler on the autism spectrum — interrupt sensory overload, tether to anchor a child, redirect during dysregulation, calm-presence tasks at known stress points.

Examples: Tether to a young handler to prevent elopement. Position next to the handler during a meltdown. Initiate calm physical contact when a stress cue appears. Block the handler from walking into traffic.

Three pathways to a service-dog team

The right program depends on whether you already have a candidate dog, how much of the training you want to do yourself, and how quickly you need a working team. We tell you which pathway fits on the consult call.

Candidate-dog placement

12–18 months from selection

We've raised the dog from puppyhood, health-tested both parents, evaluated temperament at the standard developmental milestones, and laid the foundation for public access and task work. You receive a dog that's already on the path. We finish the task-specific training tailored to your disability together.

Best for: Handlers who don't already own a service-dog candidate, can travel for the placement, and are committed to the team-training residency at the end.

Owner-trainer coaching

Custom — typically 6–18 months of intermittent coaching

You have a dog you believe is a service-dog candidate. We evaluate, give you an honest answer on the dog's prospects, then build a phased training plan. You do most of the day-to-day work; we coach the task training and prepare the dog and handler for public-access standards.

Best for: Handlers who already have a suitable dog (or are getting one independently) and want to be the primary trainer with professional support at each phase.

Board-and-train task work

4–8 weeks for the residential portion

Your existing or candidate dog comes to our facility for an intensive residential program covering task-specific training. Then we transition the team back to you with a structured handoff and follow-up sessions to keep the work durable.

Best for: Handlers who own a suitable dog, need the speed of a residential program, and can commit to the structured handover and ongoing refresher work.

The standards we hold every team to

The service-dog community has reputational damage from programs that certify dogs that shouldn't be working. We don't. These are the non-negotiable standards every team has to meet before we sign off on certification.

Neutral behavior in public — no reactivity to other dogs, people, traffic, or environmental novelty after the team-training phase.
Task reliability under distraction — the trained tasks have to work in a grocery store, an airport, and at the doctor's office, not just in our facility.
Solid public-access foundation — settle for the duration of a meal, recover quickly from a startle, ride in a vehicle calmly, ignore food on the floor.
Handler skill — the handler can read the dog, manage cues, recognize signs of stress, and intervene appropriately. A team is only as durable as its human half.
A clear wash-out path — if a dog doesn't meet the standard, we say so early and help the handler decide next steps. We don't certify a dog that shouldn't be working.

Questions we get on every service-dog consult

How do you decide if a dog is a service-dog candidate?+

Temperament first — neutral around strangers and other dogs, recoverable from startle, high but controllable drive, and clean health-test results in the parents. Then the dog has to demonstrate trainability and reliability through a sequence of standardized milestones at 8, 16, 26, and 52 weeks. Most candidates wash out somewhere along that path — that's the system working.

Will my dog become "registered"?+

There is no official US service-dog registry. Any service that sells you a "service dog certificate" or a registry listing is selling you nothing. Under the ADA, a service dog is qualified by its training — task work that mitigates a specific disability — not by paperwork. We train to a verifiable standard and document the team's training history; that is what matters legally.

How long does it take?+

A candidate-dog program is 12–18 months from the puppy-selection point. An owner-trainer program with a suitable adult dog already at hand can be 8–14 months depending on the task list. Board-and-train task work is 4–8 weeks plus 3–6 months of structured handover and follow-up sessions. Honest timelines, no shortcuts.

How much does it cost?+

Service-dog programs are quoted individually because the variables — candidate dog acquisition, the specific task list, your travel and residency logistics, and follow-through requirements — vary so much. We give you a real number on the consult call after we understand your disability and your goals. We will tell you if what you want is outside our scope or budget.

What if my dog doesn't make it?+

Some dogs don't. We have a structured wash-out process: a dog that can't safely do task work in public is not certified. We tell you early, and we help you decide whether the dog becomes a beloved pet or gets re-placed with appropriate disclosure. Honesty here protects you, your safety, and the integrity of the service-dog community.

Can a psychiatric service dog do the same things as an emotional-support animal?+

No — these are legally different. An emotional-support animal provides comfort by its presence and has no required training. A psychiatric service dog is trained to perform specific tasks that mitigate symptoms of a psychiatric disability, and is covered under the ADA for public access. We train psychiatric service dogs to the same standard as any other service dog: the tasks are real, the training is verifiable, and the public-access foundation is solid.

Start with a real conversation

Tell us about the disability we're training to mitigate, the tasks you need, and the dog you have (or don't have yet). We'll walk you through which of the three programs fits and what an honest timeline and cost look like.