Service dog
Therapy dog
Emotional support
Therapy dog
Emotional support
first of all
Understand the difference between a service dog, therapy dog, and an emotional support animal!
First you need to understand the difference between a medical / service dog, a therapy dog and an emotional service dog. Each “type” of trained dog gives you access to different things. Please make sure you understand the difference, the amount of time its going to take to get there, and the cost of the training involved.
Medical / Service Dog Training:
Involves an extensive training process to ensure the dog meets state requirements to be certified as a service dog. You MUST have a legal reason to have a service dog for this and must be determined by a professional (Medical doctor). Service dog is defined as the following, “Service animals are dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure…”
1. You must have a letter from your medical doctor with his/her reason and signature certifying why you need a service dog. This will have to be kept for your records as well
2. Your dog will need to go through an assessment to determine if it’s a proper fit to be trained as a service dog, and to determine if your dog is capable of completing the tasks required to assist you.
2. Your dog will need to go through an assessment to determine if it’s a proper fit to be trained as a service dog, and to determine if your dog is capable of completing the tasks required to assist you.
What commands will/can my service dog learn?
That question is truly dependent on your disability needs. Each service dog and what they must be taught is unique in regards to what you and your doctor have determined to be necessary.
Some service commands / tasks include (but are not limited to):
Some service commands / tasks include (but are not limited to):
1. Chores such as picking up clothes / objects
2. Opening / Closing doors
3. Deaf / Hard of hearing (Alerting you of someone knocking, doorbell, alarm, intruder, name being called, etc.)
4. Walking support
5. Medical Alerts (Seizures, Heart Attacks, Migraines, Narcolepsy, Diabetic, Etc)
6. Stand between owner and stranger for people with social disabilities / protection
7. Press a doggy 911 device to alert police of an emergency
8. Fetch a bottle of water from fridge
9. PTSD, Suicidal, Psychiatric, Assistance
10. Neuro-divergent
2. Opening / Closing doors
3. Deaf / Hard of hearing (Alerting you of someone knocking, doorbell, alarm, intruder, name being called, etc.)
4. Walking support
5. Medical Alerts (Seizures, Heart Attacks, Migraines, Narcolepsy, Diabetic, Etc)
6. Stand between owner and stranger for people with social disabilities / protection
7. Press a doggy 911 device to alert police of an emergency
8. Fetch a bottle of water from fridge
9. PTSD, Suicidal, Psychiatric, Assistance
10. Neuro-divergent
- Autism
- Asperger’s (No longer diagnosed)
- Down Syndrome
11. DPT (Deep Pressure Touch / Deep Pressure Therapy)
12. DTP (Deep Tissue Pressure)
13. Turning on / off lights
14. Retrieving Medications
15. Alert to a wandering child
16. Prevent a child from wandering / eloping (grab belt, block door, etc)
17. Child locating (Scent work – Dog will track child that has successfully eloped)
18. Scent Detection (Celiac Disease – Gluten Allergy, incontinence, peanut allergy, etc)
19. Somatosensation (Tactile / Sensory Petting)
20. Wheel Chair assistance (Forward momentum, Pulling)
21. Stimming Redirection / Harmful Behavior Redirection (Redirects individual who punches, slaps, etc, themselves)
12. DTP (Deep Tissue Pressure)
13. Turning on / off lights
14. Retrieving Medications
15. Alert to a wandering child
16. Prevent a child from wandering / eloping (grab belt, block door, etc)
17. Child locating (Scent work – Dog will track child that has successfully eloped)
18. Scent Detection (Celiac Disease – Gluten Allergy, incontinence, peanut allergy, etc)
19. Somatosensation (Tactile / Sensory Petting)
20. Wheel Chair assistance (Forward momentum, Pulling)
21. Stimming Redirection / Harmful Behavior Redirection (Redirects individual who punches, slaps, etc, themselves)
Cost of Service Dog Training:
The cost involved of training a service dog can range GREATLY depending on what tasks your dog must complete. First and foremost your dog must be obedient and listen to commands given 99.9% of the time. That process alone usually takes the majority of the dogs first year. Once maturity is established and obedience / commands are reliable, then you can graduate to the second step. Through our service dog program you will exceed the requirements to ensure a greater standard for service dog work and accountability.
Therapy Dog Training:
So you want to volunteer your time and believe your dog is a good fit for therapy work? This is definitely the place to start! Therapy dog training involves an extensive training process to ensure your dog meets our high standards to be allowed to be taken into public schools, hospitals, retirement homes, etc.
What do therapy animals / dogs do?
- Help reduce stress and anxiety of OTHER people including, patients, students, elderly, etc
- Visit hospitals, nursing homes, hospice, senior apartment complexes, schools, libraries, and group homes as well as other locations.
- Therapy dogs provide support in situations such as national disasters
- Therapy dogs assist with counseling for victims of crime, abuse, maltreatment, etc
- Mental health counselors and psychiatrists have used therapy dogs to supplement traditional sessions.
What qualifies my dog as a therapy dog and what will my dog learn?
Ultimately therapy dogs must be taught to remain calm and poised in different environments. We recommend focusing on one location setting such as hospitals, elderly homes, etc for training so the dog will have a full understanding of that environment and so that we can train and practice there. Each location considered will have different requirements and often have their own test to ensure your dog also meets their specific standards.
Therapy dogs must meet minimum requirements such as, but not limited to:
1. Being calm around patients, elderly, and kids/students
2. Remaining calm regardless of the environment (screaming kids, patient that may accidentally pull hair, medical technology noises, etc)
3. Remain calm when being hugged by kids, adults, elderly, etc
4. Must have good hygiene and properly maintained at all times
5. Must be up to date on all shots
2. Remaining calm regardless of the environment (screaming kids, patient that may accidentally pull hair, medical technology noises, etc)
3. Remain calm when being hugged by kids, adults, elderly, etc
4. Must have good hygiene and properly maintained at all times
5. Must be up to date on all shots
Cost of Therapy Dog Training / Time Frame / Schedule:
Our therapy dog program is a full extensive program that will begin at the basics (yes, regardless if you and your dog have prior training with other trainers). Our program ensures that you have put in the proper training techniques, and the time, to ensure you meet any and all standards you’ll be requested for where you will be utilizing your therapy dog.
Emotional Support Dog Training:
Emotional Support dog training or (ESA / Emotional Support Animal) involves an extensive training process to ensure the dog meets our standards. Please understand the difference between an emotional support dog and a service dog. If you are not sure which type of training you need, please read the description of each.
What does the Emotional Support Dog training program include?
You and your dog will go through a rigorous 1+ year program including the following
1. Basic Obedience
2. Intermediate Obedience
3. Advanced Obedience
4. Proper / Courteous neighbor program
2. Intermediate Obedience
3. Advanced Obedience
4. Proper / Courteous neighbor program
- Ensures that you and your dog have proper etiquette and training to be a good neighbor.
- Dog will be trained not to bark constantly (There is a time and place when barking is ok, and dog must understand when)
- Ensures proper training and etiquette for a variety of living situations such as apartments, homes, etc
Cost of Service Dog Training / Time Frame / Schedule:
The cost and time involved of training an emotional support dog can range GREATLY depending on how much you practice.
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