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Autism Support Service Dog Training

Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville

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A kid with a dog - find autism support dog training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN.

Improve Family Life and Emotional Well-Being with an Autism Support Dog

Autism Support Dog Training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN

Service dogs provide emotional support for children with autism and a sense of security for the entire family. Families often experience reduced stress, allowing them to engage more comfortably in public and feel less anxious at home. With our autism support dog training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN, we help enhance safety and reduce emotional outbursts, allowing children with autism to participate more fully in family activities.

Children with autism often feel isolated, and a service dog becomes a constant companion, offering connection and support. These dogs not only help children reintegrate into social settings but have been shown to reduce cortisol levels, providing measurable relief for children with autism and those prone to stress.

Learn more about how our specialized service dog training can help you and your family today.

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Understanding Autism Support Dogs

Key Benefits

There has been an enormous increase in the use of service dogs as a powerful tool in advancing and supporting those with autism. The autism world is widely accepting and promoting service dogs as overwhelming results come in showing that not only is a child’s psychological state improved, but that of the entire family is as well. A service dog can unlock levels of connection and progress that is otherwise very difficult to obtain with autism.

Key benefits include:

Service dogs encourage children with autism to engage with others, helping them feel more comfortable in social settings.
Service dogs are trained to gently interrupt repetitive behaviors, promoting focus and reducing anxiety.
Autism support dogs foster greater independence by assisting with daily tasks and offering emotional reassurance.
Interaction with a service dog can help children expand their vocabulary through verbal commands and communication.
The calming presence of a service dog can help reduce nighttime anxiety, leading to better sleep quality.
Service dogs offer comfort by helping children with autism manage overwhelming sensory stimuli in their environment.
Autism support dogs are trained to ensure the child's safety, preventing them from wandering or entering dangerous situations.
Service dogs can perform deep pressure tasks to help calm children during moments of stress or sensory overload.
Autism service dogs provide physical support, aiding children with mobility challenges in navigating their surroundings.
The steady, calming presence of a service dog helps reduce overall anxiety and creates a more peaceful atmosphere.
Trained to track and locate, service dogs can help swiftly recover a child who may wander or become lost.
A beautiful golden retriever service dog - Dog Training Elite offers autsim support dog training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN to help families and children that need it.

Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville

How We Train Autism Support Dogs at DTE

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Here's how we train your dog to be a reliable, helpful companion:

  1. Getting to Know Your Needs and Dog's Personality: We begin by learning about your family’s specific needs, challenges, and goals. Understanding your child’s unique requirements and your dog’s personality allows us to tailor the training program for the best results. We take into account your dog’s temperament and natural instincts to ensure they are the right fit for autism support training.
  2. Specialized Training: Once we’ve developed a personalized training plan, we begin specialized training sessions that focus on skills vital to autism support, such as sensory assistance, deep pressure tasks, redirecting repetitive behaviors, and ensuring safety. We use positive reinforcement techniques to create a strong bond between your child and the dog, ensuring a seamless integration into your family life.
  3. Ongoing Support & Communication: Our relationship doesn’t end when the training is complete. We provide ongoing support to ensure your dog continues to meet your child’s needs as they grow. We maintain regular communication and are available for any follow-up training, guidance, or questions that arise after the program.

At Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville, our main priority is the safety of your family. We take service training seriously, ensuring that both your dog and children feel safe, loved, and supported.

Additional Obedience Training Info

Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville - Classical Conditioning Dog Training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN. DTE
Classical Conditioning Training
Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville - Positive Reinforcement Dog Training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN. DTE
Positive Reinforcement Training
Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville - Puppy Obedience Training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN. DTE
Puppy Obedience Training
Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville - Off Leash Dog Training in Murfreesboro / Spring Hill, TN. Dog Training Elite
Off Leash Training
Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville -
Agility Through Basic Obedience Training
A beautiful corgi service dog - learn more about the specialized training we offer at Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville.

Autism Support Dog Training with Dog Training Elite


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At Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville, we understand the impact an autism service dog can have on a child and their family. Through our personalized training programs, we help families experience the comfort, calm, and confidence that these specially trained dogs provide. We focus on essential tasks such as promoting safety, redirecting repetitive behaviors, offering sensory support, and providing deep pressure tasks during moments of stress.

Our goal is to build a strong, trusting bond between your child and their service dog, ensuring they become a constant source of emotional stability and companionship.

Contact us today for your free consultation and learn how we can help make a difference in your families life.

Get Your Free Assessment

You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

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Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Tamar Gillock
    Dec. 10, 2024
    Brad and Dog Training Elite Nashville were the absolute best thing to ever happen to my dog. Our family has a miniature Aussie and boy is he a handful! Within 3 training sessions our dog Bandit was a new man! Once we were finished with our in home session it was like Brad had given us a new dog, it was amazing. I can’t speak highly enough of Brad and his ability to work with not just dogs but their owners. I would recommend them over and over!
  • Amanda Corn
    Dec. 5, 2024
    Brad with Dog Training Elite has been FANTASTIC to work with. He is great at both dog training and training us to be confident and able to effectively train our dog outside of scheduled sessions. He has helped us be able to see and unlock our dog's potential. We thought we were doing okay on our own, but Brad has helped us take our dog's obedience to a whole new level. Highly recommend Dog Training Elite Greater Nashville.
  • Brett Hinson
    Nov. 26, 2024
    Helped out tremendously!!!! Night and day difference from day 1!! Brad has been amazing!
  • Sr. Catherine Marie, O.P.
    Nov. 24, 2024
    We have been so pleased with the work of Brad Okeson at Dog Training Elite. He has done wonders with our facility dog. Our school counselor was able to reenforce the skills taught. Our dog is now able to work effectively with the children in our school and they are responsive to him. Brad has been personable and great to work with.
  • Susan Akers
    Nov. 24, 2024
    Brad has done an amazing job with our Saint Rose School therapy dog, Cosmo. He has a gentle teaching style that works beautifully to encourage and teach Cosmo.
  • Regan Smith
    Nov. 22, 2024
    Brad is an excellent trainer. Our facility dog is pretty close to perfect!
  • Lauren Lewis
    Nov. 22, 2024
    They have done a wonderful job training our sweet Cosmo! I would highly recommend them to anyone!
  • Leissa Rich
    Nov. 21, 2024
    Brad is an excellent trainer, he was so accommodative with our schedule and AMAZING with our dog! We couldn't have been more pleased with the results shown through his training course, & would totally recommend him again and again to everyone and anyone. 🩷
  • Leslie Iorio
    Nov. 11, 2024
    Where to start: Brad Okeson is an outstanding trainer as well as a supportive listener and incredible teacher. He is all of these and also generous with his time and talent. Brad has been training our dog to be a therapy dog for our school. He assessed the puppies in our dog’s litter when they were 49 days old and chose our pup for his temperament, explaining how he was chosen. The very next week, Brad began working with our puppy, Cosmo, and me, as his owner and handler, in the environment for which Cosmo was chosen: our school. Brad has faithfully, continually, and patiently addressed issues, explained our puppy’s behavior, determined goals and helped us to reach them. Brad’s demeanor is pleasant and his style is gentle and firm - Cosmo adores him. He is delightful to learn from and watch in action. Cosmo is now eight months old and he is beloved by students and faculty alike. Cosmo’s behavior is so obedient, loving, and gentle that some of my colleagues have arranged to hire Brad to work with their own dogs in their homes. I cannot adequately express the admiration and gratitude I feel for Brad Okeson but I highly recommend him to you as you consider training for your pup.
  • Randi Pentzer
    Nov. 12, 2024
    Brad is the best!!! He is so attuned and amazing at his job. He made all of our dog dreams come true as he personalized our experience down to every detail. Everything little thing I wanted to change and work on, he made happen, happily and easily. I’m so thankful I went with elite before anyone else. I truly don’t know where else I would have gotten this wonderful experience with the best results.
  • Alvin Devendorf
    Nov. 12, 2024
    Brad was a pleasure to work with and very patient with our stubborn beagle. Our beagle had food aggression issues. Brad help us understand the reason for the behavior and how to best deal with it.
  • Laura Minguela
    Oct. 21, 2024
    Very reliable! I wouldn't look anywhere else for dog training.
  • Victoria
    Oct. 18, 2024
    Brad is great. If you need your dogs trained in the Nashville area give him a call!
  • Raymond Lombardi
    Oct. 18, 2024
    Brad has an incredible way with dogs. He’s patient, knowledgeable, and does a great job at making every session productive and enjoyable. Highly recommend him to anyone looking to get better at communicating with their dog and see real progress along the way!
  • Chris Lombardi
    Oct. 17, 2024
    Brad is phenomenal at communicating with dogs and has a unique ability to make training both effective and enjoyable for both dogs and their owners. If you’re looking for a trainer who truly cares and delivers real results, I can’t recommend Brad highly enough!
  • Jesse Davis
    Sep. 12, 2024
    My 3.5 yr. old lab mix, Oreo, was becoming more reactive and territorial over time. He was our first dog (Covid dog), and we hadn’t properly socialized him or taken him places. It gradually grew to the point where we were having to put him up when guests came over and run outside to get him when anyone pulled up. His unpredictable behavior made me extremely anxious! I knew we had to do something, so I looked up dog trainers. The first thing that drew me to Elite was the free in-home evaluation and positive reviews … some related to reactivity and aggression. I met Brad and felt very comfortable with him. He was knowledgeable and extremely thorough when asking questions about history and behavior. He genuinely wanted to know what was going on with my dog and how to help him. Oreo responded well to Brad immediately. Brad was always right on time and even stayed a little longer at times to work on something we’d mention. The in-home sessions were so helpful, and he showed us what to do between visits. We are now in the stage of doing group classes, which I was very nervous about. My alpha male, reactive, unsocialized dog just attended his first group class and did amazing! I was/am shocked at how quickly he has progressed. At home, we are still figuring out guest interaction and logistics, but I have confidence knowing that on the leash I can control him in most any situation. With a bit more time and practice, I think we’ll be able to control him just using voice commands. He already responds to all of his voice commands off leach under normal circumstances. I can’t recommend Elite enough for most any issue. I honestly wasn’t sure if it would work or work well enough to be worth the cost for our dog, but it definitely has been. I realize now how wrong we went about things … we had not given him boundaries or taught him how to behave in a way he could understand. Just like with kids, I actually think he likes his boundaries and feels safe when they are in place. I’m excited for Oreo’s future and continued learning.
  • Gary Okeson
    Aug. 20, 2024
    I highly recommend Dog Training Elite. My trainer was Brad. He was very knowledgeable and patient with our dog. Great results.
  • Hayley Preston
    Jun. 1, 2024
    Dog Training Elite is absolutely the BEST. I have had dogs my entire life and never seen a dog more wild than our Flair. She is a strong black lab & has so much energy we had lost control. We could not even walk her around the block due to jumping, pulling and running. My parents nicknamed her "the wrecking ball." After being knocked down and having my elbow dislocated, I decided to get help. I'm so thankful to have found Brad. He came to our home for a consultation and then began coming on Friday mornings for training. Brad is so knowledgable, patient, caring, and kind. He is definitely the kind of person you would want training your dog. He also taught my daughter and I how to work with and support all the new behaviors Flair was learning. I was amazed at how quick she responded to training. After a few weeks she listens, follows directions, does not jump on furniture or people. Flair even walks on a leash like a champ. This morning we moved from walking in the neighborhood to Lowes. She is doing better than I ever expected and it is all because of Brad. We are so thankful to Dog Training Elite for helping us enjoy every moment with our sweet girl. Flair even got her first pup cup today as a reward for doing such a great job!
  • Cha Sloan
    Jun. 2, 2024
    We just finished our in-home classes. Brad is a great trainer. He's serious about his work but he also makes it fun. He's patient, he listens, and he cares. It's amazing what he can do with our stubborn dog, Willow, in such a short period. My husband and I have learned so much from him and we are extremely grateful. I'm happy that Jackie has joined him. She's lovely and a great trainer as well.
  • Shaelyn Alexander
    Jun. 1, 2024
    Brad is an exceptional dog trainer who transformed our Australian shepherd into the best-behaved boy both at home and in public. His expertise and effective training methods worked wonders, and we saw remarkable improvements in our dog's behavior in a short period. Brad's approach is professional, compassionate, and tailored to our dog's unique needs. We're so impressed with the results that we've already planned to have him train our new puppy, Keeko. We highly recommend Brad to anyone looking for a skilled and reliable dog trainer!