Imagine what could your dog do for you?
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Hearing Assistance
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Physical Assistance
Mental Illness Assistance
Does my dog qualify?
Unfortunately, not all dogs are going to qualify as a good service dog candidate. The good news is even if your dog does not qualify to be a public access service dog that doesn't mean they can't still offer assistance in the home or emotional support. We can help you train your dog for the job but we want you to keep in mind just like there are jobs you wouldn't want to work, not all personalities of dogs want to be a service dogs. Some dogs just prefer other work.
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For a fully trained serviced that could possibly gain rights to work in public access they must have the following. Some of these prerequisites are teachable but you want your dog to have some innate tendency for the skill.
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Friendly and not afraid of people
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Not reactive and generally calm around other dogs
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Does not startle easily or show anxiety around loud noises
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Is eager to please and enjoys learning new tricks
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Calm but alert energy
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Stays with handler and walks well on leash
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Not easily distracted and focused on tasks
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Is comfortable in lots of environments
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Is in good health and physically capable for work
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Dogs that will not qualify are dogs that show any aggression towards people, dogs, or other animals. Some reactivity can be worked through and if you currently have a dog that is reactive or anxious we will need to address this behavior concern first before we can begin any service dog training.
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We strongly suggest that you start your service dog training journey when the dog is under 4 years old. The most ideal age to train a service dog is between 2-4years . Prior to 2 the puppy should be learning basic manners that will make them eligible for service dog work.
How does it work?
At KAS we believe in bringing out the best in our animal companions through relationship, science, and positive reinforcement methods. We train service dogs that enjoy their work and willingly show up every day in support of their handlers for years. This is possible because we put your relationship and the dogs needs first.
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When you reach out we will go through an assessment phase. This phase consists of virtual sessions with you to understand your disability and your need for a service dog. We then discuss and assess the dogs viability for being a service dog. Following these discussions we will set goals and expectations. KAS requires your dogs veterinarians involvement to ensure your dog is fit for the tasks we are planning. Finally, in many cases we ask to include your health care team and support team to make sure that the dog's tasks will actually be helpful for you.
Full Assessment and planning process costs $300 flat and this includes all the discussions, planning sessions, and assessments. It does not include any boarding trials or pre training sessions.
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Once we get through the series of Assessments, and planning we can hit the ground running. Depending on our final program decisions we may including boarding school for your dog as well as home training coaching and support. No two service dog training plans look the same. Training personal dogs is dependent on too many variables to give any clear idea of what your program will look like.
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After all this we want to prepare you for the fact that your personal dog may not make the cut. Do you have a plan for this dog if they are not suited for service dog work? Will you keep your current dog or choose to re-home and purchase a puppy better suited for service dog work? Whatever you decide Kind Animal Services can continue to assist you. We can help you continue to train and improve your dog's behavior or facilitate the re-home/adoption process.