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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 Kenosha & Racine location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Therapy Dog
Therapy dog training is based on your dog's abilities.
$2,995
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).
- Puppy Selection advice
- Private, one-on-one training sessions in your home and the community 10 Sessions
- Group Training Classes 8 Months
- AKC Training
- Therapy bandana, ID Card, and Certificate of Training
- An exclusive directory of therapy events and locations for you to donate your time
- Come
- Leash Manners (no more pulling)
- Sit, Down
- People Manners
- Off, Wait
- Quiet (stop barking and whining)
- Load up in the car / kennel
- Place
- Make a friend
- Choose one personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)
- Top-notch off leash obedience
- Distraction Training
E.S.A. Training
Emotional Support Animal training is based on your dog's abilities.
$2,995
An Emotional support dog provides comfort and companionship to its handler at home. ESA's have housing rights with medical endorsement (but not public access rights).
A good emotional support dog promotes improved mood through positive interactions, touch therapy, and maintaining a routine.
- Home and Community One on One Training 10 Sessions
- Group Training8 Months weekly then Unlimited monthly group training
- Puppy Selection Advice
- One Personalized Skill
- Come
- Heel
- Sit
- Place
- Off
- Quiet (stop barking and whining)
- Lay Down
- Leash Manners
- People Manners
- Load-up (in Car or Kennel)
- No Jumping up (on people)
- Make a friend
- 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.
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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!
They have helped me with my 3 year old Labradoodle. I can now walk him around other people and dogs. He no longer pulls me over or growls at everything. They do private training and group training. Highly recommend their services!—
Posted August 21st 2023
Jeff did a wonderful job getting my 3 year old Siberian Husky, Che, certified to become an official service animal. It was very challenging to get Che to listen at first, given how stubborn Huskies are as a breed, but with persistence, practice, and some great one-on-one sessions, we were able to get Che over some large hurdles. Che is super obedient now compared to how he used to be, well-behaved off leash, and has successfully traveled on a plane! I never thought we could get here with Che's training and I am very grateful to Jeff and his guidance.— Juliana Siward
Posted May 16th 2023
I teach first graders at GEMS World Academy Chicago. We do a six week unit of inquiry into accessibility. Jeff, Lara and their dog Max came into our classroom. Jeff and Lara are incredibly knowledgable and were great with the kids. They answered all of their questions about service dogs and more. We were very impressed with all three of them. I would feel very comfortable and lucky to have Jeff or Lara come into my home to train a dog for me personally or for a friend requiring ta service dog.— Kirsten Richards
Posted March 6th 2023
Enjoyed the training. Jeff was very good with our Trixie. Although we didn’t work as hard as we should with our puppy, Jeff was very good as training with Trixie. She did learn all the skills, we just have to enforce them. Thanks Jeff!—
Posted February 22nd 2023
Jeff and his team are passionate dog people and trainers!— Kelley Rosequist
Posted May 18th 2022
We are extremely pleased with our dog Maisy's training sessions with Atalie of Dog Training Elite-Kenosha. Atalie is always professional, on-time and accommodating to our specific requests for guidance. We came to DTE-Kenosha needing help with our 11 month old rescue Pug with aggressive behavior directed at our other 2 Pugs. During the evaluation session Atalie quickly and accurately assessed the pack dynamics and presented us with a structured 'plan of attack' to help Maisy overcome her insecurities causing the aggressive behavior. From our very first lesson Atalie stressed that she was not only training Maisy but more importantly training us to be consistent and impactful with our interactions with Maisy. After a few sessions with Atalie, reinforced with our daily 15-20 minutes of practice, Maisy has made remarkable progress especially learning to go to her 'place' to give her time to decompress and calm down. Our house has become a much calmer place and Maisy's interactions with the other Pugs has greatly improved. The DTE training methods work if you follow the program and do your homework. Atalie's super energetic and friendly personality has all 3 of our Pugs so excited to see her each visit. We are confident that we can eliminate Maisy's aggressions with the assistance of DTE. HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING DTE-KENOSHA FOR YOUR DOG TRAINING NEEDS.— Lisa Lantz
Posted November 30th 2021
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite Kenosha & Racine, 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 Kenosha & Racine work's with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.