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A Psychiatric/PTSD service animal will be able to go anywhere with their handler and assist them in times of high anxiety and stress. A service dog will provide emotional support, reintegration into society, reduce depression, reduce the frequency and severity of flashbacks, anchor handler to the present, and reduce suicidal ideation.
Individuals with PTSD often feel unsafe and unsure of reality, especially in public settings. Service dogs for PTSD can help ground their handler to reality, prevent people from crowding or rushing up to them and provide the emotional support needed to de-escalate anxieties. They can be trained to recognize the signs of a panic attack, wake individuals experiencing night terrors and regulate emotional responses through pressure.
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Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite of Central Maryland location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Psychiatric / PTSD Support Dog
12 One-on-One & 52 Group Sessions
Starting at $3,995
A Psychiatric/PTSD service dog will be able to go anywhere with their handler and assist them in times of high stress and provide a sense of security. A service dog will provide emotional support, reintegration into society, reduce depression, help cope with anxiety, reduce the frequency and severity of flashbacks, anchor handler to the present, and reduce suicidal ideation. Psychiatric service dogs will learn basic obedience and advanced tasks that are customizable, such as:
- Grounding
- Deep Pressure Therapy
- Panic Response
- Create a Physical Buffer
- Interrupt Repetitive Behaviors
- Additional tasks as needed, must be approved by trainer
Benefits of Psychiatric/PTSD Service Dog Training:
- Increase activity and integration into society: Dogs are active and need to be exercised regularly, the responsibility of caring for a service animal will force their handler to get out and exercise. A routine is established and ties to the future are forged again.
- Create a sense of safety: Public settings and crowds are an enormous trigger for most individuals suffering from PTSD. Psychiatric service dogs are trained to create a physical barrier between their handler and crowds of people.
- Ground in reality, redirect hyper-vigilance: Hyper-vigilance is a symptom of PTSD and creates constant tension and paranoia within sufferers. Service dogs are trained to recognize their handler’s warning signs for anxiety, hyper-vigilance, and panic attacks and redirect that energy into positive coping skills and grounding techniques such as petting the dog.
- Reduce nightmares and flashbacks: One of the most emotionally challenging situations for individuals with PTSD to deal with are flashbacks and nightmares. They can transport an individual back to a terrifying time in their life where they have felt unsafe, threatened, and traumatized. A PTSD service animal is trained to bring their handler back to reality quickly and calmly, ground the individual, and help them to feel safe in their environment again.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
clas·si·cal con·di·tion·ing PSYCHOLOGY noun
A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus and is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
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!
Dog Training Elite has by far exceeded my expectations when providing guidance for both my daughter's service dog and my personal dog. They worked with us 1:1 to develop a plan tailored to our family's needs and were always available for questions or concerns. Having at home training was perfect for our scheduling and then pairing with group sessions gave us a well rounded experience for our dogs. Highly recommend!— Carrie M
Posted March 22nd 2024
We had the pleasure of working with Christy to train my dog to be a service dog for me. She is so amazing, patient and understanding. My dog has fallen in love with her and lights up while wagging his tail so much when he sees her. I would HIGHLY recommend them for training.— LaToya Cross
Posted March 22nd 2024
Highly recommend. Christy and her team truly know dogs, understand dog behaviour, and are able to help us understand and work with our highly active dog! I have seen so much improvement. The instructions are clear and very doable.— Rachael Logan
Posted March 20th 2024
My Wife & I could not be more pleased with the overall experience we've had working with Christy & Richard from Dog Training Elite! We've seen a tremendous improvement in Baxter's (our 2 year old, German Shepherd Mix) responsiveness to commands, and his general behavior, and we're confident that we now have the tools we need to successfully continue his Training on our own. They came to our home for multiple sessions, addressed all of our concerns, and were very easy to work with! Their passion, communication & flexibility made Training much easier than we ever expected...Highly Recommend!— Dave Bond
Posted February 5th 2024
Excellent business! I can’t say enough about our trainer Christy, she was amazing with our dog Beau and us. He’s a different dog after he completed his training. I highly recommend Christy and her team at Dog Training Elite Central Maryland!— Cheri Chalk
Posted February 5th 2024
This training is a game-changer! I was amazed at how quickly we saw results and how easy it is to follow. I would recommend to anyone!— Nicole Mazzella
Posted December 11th 2023
Excellent trainers and an excellent investment. I made more progress in 6 months with my goldendoodle than I did the previous year of training. Their expertise in service animal training, especially with tasks has been a wonderful help!— Annie
Posted October 12th 2023
Dog Training Elite of Central Maryland is amazing!!! Our Goldendoodle was and is an extremely high-energy dog. We were having such a hard time teaching him not to jump on people and run them over as they came into our home. After just a couple of sessions with Christy, our Oliver is like a new man. Don't get me wrong, he is still super high-energy. The difference is, he now listens to our commands. Going on walks is fun again. Thank you, Christy and Dog Training Elite!!— Emery Nelson
Posted October 2nd 2023
Training was excellent!! Experience with trainers were great. Highly recommend this trainer to everyone.— Kenneth Sarkady
Posted September 26th 2023
Dog Training Elite Central Maryland did such a wonderful job helping me to train my puppy. Christy and her staff are top notch, very professional and go above and beyond to help their clients! I definitely recommend them to help anyone training their dog to be the best they can be.— Stephen May
Posted September 6th 2023
Christy did an excellent job training our miniature schnauzer Marty. We saw immediate improvement after the first training lesson, and this was saying a lot since Marty can be extremely stubborn. He listens so much better now, and barely barks or looks at other dogs on his walks like he used to. She taught us how to train our dog, and what tools/ things we can do to continue reinforcing his training. We are very thrilled with the training and happy we invested in DTE.— Rachel Hall
Posted August 6th 2023
We finished our in-house sessions this past week and I’m delighted with the progress we’ve made under Christy’s guidance. The lessons all made good sense and, when I had questions between sessions, Christy gave prompt and detailed responses. I feel I now have the tools to handle just about any training issues that arise. I would certainly recommend Dog Training Elite of Central Maryland to others.— Joel Kramer
Posted August 5th 2023
Christy is a great trainer and she truly seems to love what she does. Our dog Nala took very well to the training and she is doing so much better. We have a golden retrevier that loves people and they were able to help me get her not to jump on people and just be more lady like lol. I highly recommend this company if you need dog training services— Teri Bechtoldt
Posted July 20th 2023
Christy and colleagues were great in our private sessions. We saw immediate improvement with our dog, and the training plan was simple. We look forward to keeping up with his progress in the group classes.— Aubrey Soller
Posted July 26th 2023
My husband and I have a 3yr old Australian shepherd+lab mix. Super high energy! Christy and Tyra did great with her. Our pup is much more well mannered and we now have the right tools to use in different situations to help her focus and make doing things fun for all of us!— Ashley Hall
Posted July 10th 2023
Our Wheaten Terrier, while generally a good dog, is a Terrier with all of their crazy behaviors. But he was starting one that was pretty dangerous - reacting to passing vehicles. He also would react to certain dogs in the neighborhood. We worked with DTE for several weeks to train our dog to act/react appropriately while on walks, etc. When he reverted to reacting to cars again, they continued to work with us. For the last several months, he has been amazingly good. DTE worked with us throughout and made clear that they would be available if he needed more work. We can definitely recommend them.— Robert Sledgeski
Posted March 7th 2023
Great trainers! Highly recommend Christy and Sean!! Thank you for all your hard work!— Jessica Cunningham
Posted March 3rd 2023
Sean is a spectacular trainer and we couldn’t be more happy with the transformation in our dogs behavior and obedience. Now our baby goes everywhere with us!— Ryan Roudebush
Posted March 2nd 2023
Great trainers! Thanks you for all your knowledge and patience!— parker fillmore
Posted March 2nd 2023
Sean and Christy are 2 of the most passionate about dogs and compassionate about people kind of folks that you could ever meet! Great job Team DTE Maryland— KC Owens
Posted March 2nd 2023
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite of Central Maryland, we believe that Service Dogs save lives. It is our mission to make these life-saving companions available to our Veterans, First Responders, Women Survivors, and Children with Medical Needs. Whether it be for PTSD, Mobility Support, or Special Needs, Dog Training Elite of Central Maryland works with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.