Elite

Therapy Dog Training


Top Therapy Dog Trainers in Gilbert, AZ

Call to Schedule FREE In-Home Assessment

480-277-6659


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Contact Dog Training Elite Gilbert

Or Call to Schedule FREE In-Home Assessment

480-277-6659


Se habla español!

What is a Therapy Dog?

A therapy dog is a dog that performs a service for other people. Typical therapy dog tasks are going to nursing homes or hospitals to cheer people up. For your dog to qualify, he/she must be friendly with strangers, and with training, be able to work around a high level of distraction and to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc.

Research shows that therapy dogs can have a positive effect on a patient’s mood, stress, and pain levels during facility stays. Children, in particular, respond positively to therapy dogs. They are more motivated to participate in treatments, feel optimistic about the future, and experience an overall sense of calm when a certified therapy dog is present.

Therapy dogs can promote social interaction between individuals within communities that may not otherwise experience socialization typically. Therapy dogs offer unconditional love, non-judgmental interaction, reduce stress, anxiety, and loneliness and provide an overall positive distraction to ailments.

Goals for Your Therapy Companion


  • Socialization
  • Lower Pain Levels
  • Motivation
  • Provide Comfort
  • Decrease in Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
  • Promote Healing
  • Increase Overall Optimism
  • Ease Loneliness


Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Gilbert location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.


Therapy Dog

Therapy dog training is based on your dog's abilities.

$3,995

A therapy Dog volunteers alongside you, where permitted, and provides comfort to others. Examples include cheering people up at nursing homes or hospitals.

A good therapy dog is naturally friendly with strangers, able to work around a high level of distraction (with training), and able to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc (with training).

Training Equipment Included: E-Collar

  • Group Training Sessions 16 Sessions
  • Private Training SessionsOne-on-one & personalized 8 Sessions
  • Come
  • Place(go to bed)
  • Heel(walk with you, no more pulling)
  • Sit(next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Quiet(stop excessive barking & whining)
  • Off(furniture when desired)
  • Get into Car
  • Go home(go into kennel or dog house)
  • Down(lay next to you & off leash at a distance)
  • Calm Anxiety & Build Confidence
  • Housebreaking / Potty Training
  • Manners, Safety & Boundaries
  • AKC Canine Good Citizen Certification
  • STOP Jumping on People
  • STOP Mouthing & Nipping
  • STOP Chewing & Digging
  • STOP Begging & Stealing Food
  • STOP Running Away & Bolting Through Doors
  • STOP Chasing Animals
  • AKC Advanced CGC & Urban CGC Certification
  • Therapy Dog Training OR Emotional Support Training (ESA)
  • Make a friend
  • Choose one personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)

Our Balanced Theory

We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.


  • Empowering Owners
    We empower Owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times.
  • Personalized
    We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis.
  • Environment Specific
    We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
  • Supportive
    We support Owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session").
  • Involved
    We work with all members of the household.
  • Simplified & Customized
    We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
  • Continued Training
    Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training.
  • Lifetime Investment
    We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.
  • Satisfaction Ratings
    Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.

We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!

We truly appreciate the time and support Asher, Aspen, and Taylor have shown us and Zia! We are looking forward to future training and continued progress with our best friend!
— Kristen Czapla
Posted October 19th 2023
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I am a firm believer in this company's approach to training. This is now our second opportunity with our newest dog. Our previous dog Cosmo and now Stetson have truly become even better dogs after our training with Dog Training Elite! Our current trainer Azure is extremely intuitive and truly knows the art of training! A big fan of this company!
— Karen Bever
Posted August 11th 2023
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I have worked with Dog Training Elite with two of my dogs. My first dog Branch who was 6 months when we started the program. Branch was very aggressive towards other dogs. Thanks to the owner Neil and his helper Chris my dog Branch is a well rounded dog who became my Service Dog. Unfortunately, Branch who is 6 yrs old now, has hurt his leg and needed to be retired so I began Training my new dog Felicia who is now enrolled with Dog Training Elite. She is only 11 months old and has past her Service Dog Test. Neil came to our home to evaluate Felicia and assisted in getting the process started. Taylor was the trainer who came to my home to continue training with me and Felicia. Taylor also met me and Felicia for our public training and made sure she was completing the task she will be providing. If there was something I needed to work on or if I had any questions Taylor was always able to provide me feedback. Taylor is very passionate and very knowledgeable with the process for continued training. Aspen was the trainer who completed the Service Dog Test and I appreciate how thorough she was at making sure Felicia was able to complete the task she will provide for me ongoing. I would recommend Dog Training Elite and have given out their information as we have traveled in our RV across country because they are wonderful at what they do. I greatly appreciate how much patience Neil and his Team have with dogs and their families. Especially, when helping us train Branch through his aggressive behaviors. If it wasn't for Dog Training Elite we would not have a second dog.
— Tonya Lane
Posted March 11th 2023
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Thank you Dog Training Elite. We got our Belgian Malinois, Cain, when he was 12 weeks old and we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. He had crazy energy, no personal space and we couldn’t take him out of the house without him losing his mind. He would go crazy whining, pulling on the leash, and if someone would approach us, he would bark and snarl, causing a scene. On top of that, at home, he had no personal space and was the literal definition of a “fur missile”. No matter what we did or how long we would play, he would not sleep at night because we could not burn enough of his energy during the day. We took him to an 8 week puppy training course with another private trainer and it helped his basic obedience, but it really made no major change to his demeanor. At that point, we were considered rehoming him, even though we already fell in love with him. By luck, we met Neal and DTE!!! He was like the dog whisperer. After watching Neal completely tame our psychotic Malinois puppy within the first 90 seconds of meeting him, we were sold on DTE’s services. We immediately schedule an in-home demonstration of Neal’s Belgian, Bailey. Once he demonstrated her abilities and being shown that Cain had the same potential, we signed up that morning for the Level Two Obedience and Protection Training courses. After the first in-home obedience session, we were 110% reassured that we made the correct decision in hiring DTE. Cain was already a COMPLETELY different dog. (Honestly, I would have paid the money after the progress of the first session and would have been completely happy!) It was incredible to see the progression after each session and how well the DTE training methods worked. Cain was absolutely thriving on these sessions and loved every minute of it! After training with Neal and the DTE team for over a year, Cain has become an amazing dog. He goes everywhere with us, is incredibly well behaved, and we get compliments on him and his training EVERY time we go out. I can’t thank Neal and the DTE team enough for their amazing work with Cain. They are awesome people to work with and treat every client as family and every dog as if they are their own. HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING DTE FOR ANY DOG TRAINING.
— Michelle Riley
Posted May 15th 2021
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Great training for my pound puppy, Lucy. She has learned so much. She can now heel, sit, down , not jump on people, and so much more from going to Elite dog training.
— Patti Rose
Posted March 9th 2021
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