Service dogs · medical needs
Service dogs for medical needs
Task-trained service dogs for people living with PTSD and other disabilities. I've trained many service dogs, and my favorite way to do it is Shelter to Service: giving a dog from a local shelter a job, and you a partner, for far less than a purpose-bred puppy.
A separate program
Service dog work is a medical program, separate from my pet obedience and behavior training. Under the ADA, a service dog is individually trained to perform tasks that help with a disability; emotional support animals aren't service dogs. It takes the right dog, months of work and a lot of practice in the real world, and I'll be honest with you at every step about whether a dog is on track.
What I train for
PTSD support is my specialty
I do my best work with dogs for people living with PTSD. Every dog is trained to your needs; these are the tasks I'm known for:
Deep pressure therapy
On cue, or when it notices your anxiety rising, the dog lies across your lap or chest and uses its weight to help you settle and come back down.
Sleep support
A calm partner at night: settling against you so you can rest, and waking you from nightmares.
Public access
Every service dog learns to work calmly in stores, restaurants and crowds: tucked under the table, ignoring food and people, focused on you.
Need help with something else? Tell me about it in your inquiry. Other tasks are possible depending on the dog and your needs.
Three routes
How you get your service dog
Most affordable
Shelter to Service
A dog I select from a local shelter and train for your tasks. The lowest cost by far, with a higher chance of starting over if a dog washes out.
When your needs call for it
Purpose-bred puppy
A puppy from a breeder, chosen for the work you need. The puppy itself can be expensive, depending on the size, breed and lines your needs call for, and that's the biggest part of the price.
After an evaluation
Your own dog
Already have a dog you think could do it? I'll evaluate it first. Many great pets aren't suited to service work, and I'll tell you honestly either way.
How it works
From inquiry to working team
Inquiry
Tell me what you need help with and which route interests you. We talk it through, with no pressure.
The right dog
I evaluate shelter candidates, help you choose a puppy, or evaluate your own dog. Temperament comes first.
Training
Task training and public-access work, one step at a time, in harder and harder places.
Working team
You learn to handle the dog, and we finish as a team in the places you actually go.
Shelter to Service
A shelter dog with a job
I look for dogs in local shelters with the temperament for service work: steady, people-focused and eager to learn. The right one comes home with me and starts training.
Because there's no expensive puppy to buy, Shelter to Service costs a fraction of a purpose-bred service dog. And a dog that was waiting in a kennel gets a home and a purpose.
The honest part: career changes
Dogs wash out of service training all the time, even ones bred for it. Shelter dogs weren't bred for the job, so more of them don't make it.
If a dog doesn't make it, it gets a career change: I re-home it into a good pet home, and we start the search again. You're never stuck with a dog that can't do the work, and the dog still leaves the shelter with a family.
What it costs
Every service dog is quoted individually
No two service dogs cost the same, so I don't post one price. After we talk, you get a quote for your situation. These are what drive it:
- The dog. A shelter adoption fee is small. A purpose-bred puppy can be very expensive, depending on what your needs call for.
- Training time. Task training plus public-access work is months of training, and it depends on the dog and the tasks.
- Your training. Sessions with you as the handler, so the dog works for you, not just for me.
- Starting over. If a shelter dog washes out, we search again. That risk is part of why Shelter to Service is still far cheaper overall.
Questions
Good to know
How long does it take?
There's no fixed timeline. It depends on the dog, the tasks and how quickly it becomes rock-solid in public. I won't rush public access: a service dog has to be reliable everywhere you go.
Do you certify service dogs?
No one can: the ADA doesn't require any certification, ID or registration, and online "service dog registries" aren't required by law. What matters is that the dog is trained to perform tasks for your disability and behaves in public. That's what I train.
Can my own dog become my service dog?
Possibly. I evaluate your dog first. Many great pets aren't suited to service work, and if yours isn't, I'll tell you honestly and we'll talk about the other routes.
What if a Shelter to Service dog doesn't make it?
It gets a career change: I re-home it into a good pet home, and we start the search again.
Is an emotional support animal the same thing?
No. Emotional support animals comfort by being there, aren't task-trained, and don't have the same public-access rights under the ADA.
What can a business ask me in public?
Only two questions: is the dog required because of a disability, and what work or task has it been trained to perform. A service dog must be under control and house-trained.
Is this the same as your board & train?
No. Board & train is for pet manners and behavior. Service dog training is a separate, longer program built around your medical needs.
I'm a dog trainer, not a medical provider. Talk with your doctor or counselor about whether a service dog fits your care.
Start with a conversation
Service dog inquiry
Tell me as much or as little as you're comfortable with: what you need help with, and which route interests you. I'll get back to you personally.
Or email [email protected]