Service Dog Training

creating an unbreakable bond To Enhance Your Quality of Life

Training Service Dogs is where The Dependable Canine got started and is something we continue to love to do, whether it’s working clients locally and afar, teaching online college courses, or mentoring new, up and coming trainers. With over a decade of experience, working with well over 100 individual teams in this timespan, we are confident in our ability to provide you and your service dog the support you deserve.

Types of Service Tasks Available

There are many staples of what distinguishes a Service Dog, amongst which are classic general obedience cues such as a reliable sit, down, recall, impulse control, loose leash walking, a social and well meaning disposition and good health. Service Tasks are what transform a well trained dog into a Service Dog. These tasks are aimed to help mitigate the symptoms of a disability. The Dependable Canine offers the following support with these tasks.

Psychiatric Assistance
Deep Pressure Therapy
Item Retrieval
Mobility Assistance
Wheelchair Assistance
Hearing Alert
Counterbalance
Facilitated Service Dogs (Service Dogs for Children)
Therapy Dogs (see below)
More available based on initial consultation

On average, privately trained service dogs range from $25,000-$40,000, some even pushing beyond $50,000. We find that to be unobtainable for most individuals without major life changes. Our small program allows us to offer competitive prices with top level results.

For pricing and other questions, fill out our Intake Form found at the bottom of the page.

The Dependable Canine’s Service Dog Training Program

We break our process down into Steps, with each Step working towards the ultimate goal of making you and your dog an official The Dependable Canine Service Dog Team!

Step One
Initial Consultation

Fill out our customized Service Dog Consultation Form found at the bottom of this page, and we will review your information and schedule a completely free call that typically lasts 20-45 minutes, going over any questions you may have and how best we can help moving forward.

Step Two
Meet & Greet + Evaluation

Step Two allows us to meet you and your dog in person, beginning in your home to go establish rapport with each other and establish training expectations. We will do a light temperament test, ensuring your dog is comfortable with handling, can work with a new handler quickly, shows no major fear or aggression, or any other types of behaviors that are reasons for ineligibility of becoming a Service Dog. If they pass this initial greeting, we will go to a local dog friendly venue to gauge how you and the dog interact and work together in public. There, we’ll be gauging your dog’s overall sociability, confidence, engagement, ability to walk on leash, ability to do simple cues, and show no major signs of fear or aggression. We’ll also gauge how you (or the primary handler) handle your dog in public, and overall public access questions you may have.

Once all aspects of the evaluation are passed, we will discuss Steps 3 and 4.

Step Three
The “Lock In” Payment

We at The Dependable Canine take our Service Dog teams very seriously. We aim to offer the highest quality possible and will work our hardest to achieve it, and we will expect the same from our teams. This initial deposit ensures our services for life and is a sign of your commitment to the training ahead, as well as purchase necessary training supplies. We will enter a formal training agreement and schedule our first lesson.

Step Four
Obedience & Task Work
2-5 months needed on average

Step Four brings us to the official start of our Service Dog Training journey. We will aim to have 2-3 lessons per week (averaging an hour or two) to build consistency in your training and build results faster. These lessons will begin with a review of your dog’s general obedience training both inside and outside your home. Additionally, we will begin foundational task training, depending on the tasks needed. There is a Step 4 Benchmark that requires passing before Step 5 begins.

Step Five
Public Access & Certification
2-3 months needed On average

Step Five is our final Step and is where we combine the obedience and task work we’ve established in Step 4 with Public Access Training. For 2-3 lessons per week (averaging 45 minutes to 2 hours) we will work in a variety of Public Access locations, which can be tailored to locations you frequent in your everyday life. The final Public Access test will be held in a busy environment to ensure you and your Service Dog are able to succeed as a team in any circumstance.

Graduate Teams are offered 4 free 1 hour in-person “retouch” lessons per year. Graduate Teams can reach out to us for support at any time and have unlimited access to virtual lessons.

Ready to begin? Fill out our Service Dog Application below to get started!

Therapy Dog Training

Having worked with multiple Therapy Dog Teams throughout our experience, we know the vital role these incredible canines play and the impact they can have on their community. Whether it’s enriching the lives of young children in a hospital setting, visiting our elderly population in nursing homes to provide companionship, offering nonjudgmental aid to children in a courtroom setting, and much more, there are a plethora of ways that dogs can be an invaluable aid to certain communities.

We are pleased to offer Therapy Dog Training. We follow the same flow of our 5 Step Service Dog Program, with adjustments made for the type of Therapy Dog being trained.

If interested, please fill out the Service Dog Application below. For non-applicable required questions on the form, simply put “therapy” in those spaces.