Training a Service Dog

Here in the United States individuals with disabilities have the rights to train their own service dog as long as it meets the criteria for a service dog under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Dogru training has over a decade of experience evaluating dogs and guiding and teaching clients how to go through this process.

ADA Rules and Frequently Asked Questions About Service Dogs:

https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/

The First Stage:

Socialization and Basic skills

The initial phase of training is where dogs of all ages will learn the skills they will need in order to be well mannered out in public. These include both basic skills like staying in a laying down position and heeling next to their handler, and also foundational skills that may be needed for a disability skill tasks like targeting and basic retrieval.
This step also includes working on any minor behavior issues that might need to be addressed before your dog can be a polite member of the public. Socialization is the number 1 priority at this stage, especially for puppies.

The Second Stage:

Emotional Skills and Distractions

During the second stage of training, we take all of the mechanical skills they have learned in the first stage and begin working to make sure they can do them around distractions. We do this gradually at carefully selected locations with the intent to set them up for success, and gradually build on successes to develop what will become muscle memory for your dog in all locations. This stage is easily the longest and requires the most commitment of time and effort.

The Third Stage:

Refinement of Disability Skills

This stage is where we take all of the foundational skills that we have taught for assisting with disability symptoms and add complexity so that we can be sure your dog understands its job clearly. This stage can be combined with the fourth stage as we put all your hard work together.

The Fourth Stage:

Public Access and Generalization

The final stage of training is where we take everything your dog has learned and put it to the test. We will go to numerous locations and work so that they can perform in a variety of scenarios and maintain calm under all the regular stressors of their handler's life.