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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 Central Nashville location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Therapy Dog
Therapy dog training is based on your dog's abilities.
$2,745
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
- Puppy Selection advice
- Private, one-on-one training sessions in your home and the community 7 Sessions
- Group Training Classes 16 sessions
- AKC Testing
- Therapy bandana, ID Card, and Certificate of Training
- An exclusive directory of therapy events and locations for you to donate your time
- Come
- Sit, Down
- Place
- Heel
- Quiet
- Off, Wait
- Leash Manners
- People Manners
- Load up in the car / kennel
- Make a friend
- Choose one personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)
- Top-notch off leash obedience
- Distraction Training
Emotional Support Animal Training
Emotional Support Animal training is based on your dog's abilities.
$2,745
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.
Training Equipment Included: E-Collar
- Puppy Selection advice
- Private, one-on-one training sessions in your home and the community 7 Sessions
- Group Training 16 sessions
- Come
- Heel
- Sit/Down
- Place
- Off
- Quiet
- Leash Manners
- People Manners
- Load-up (in Car or Kennel)
- No Jumping up (on people)
- One personalized Command/Skill (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!
Izabel has been amazing! Great with me and my dog. She has been patient and has greatly improved my dog's behavior.— Elizabeth Jacobs
Posted April 8th 2024
i love elite so much!! we’ve seen so much progress in our dog and i just know he’s going to be a great service companion. we love izabel and everything she’s done for us— partygore
Posted March 30th 2024
What a difference a well behaved dog is to take in public areas! Thanks to Dog Training Elite my 3 year old Cavapoo heels and does not tug on leash, lays quietly under table without begging for food, greets people at my command on all four paws no more jumping on visitors. I would suggest if you are dealing with behavior problems and need an obedient dog then grab your dog and leash and RUN DON't WALK to your first training session with Dog Elite Training. You and your dog will not be disappointed!!— Gail Petty
Posted March 3rd 2024
The dogs they've trained are the most well-trained dogs I've ever seen!— Katie Gurney
Posted February 20th 2024
Parker’s training saved my dog’s life. I feel very comfortable with him again and he does commands that I never thought I would be able to get him to do. Highly recommend and worth every penny.— Erik Halbig
Posted February 13th 2024
I am so so grateful for all of the trainers at Dog Training Elite. My dog, Penny, started puppy training around 12 weeks, and started Service Animal training at 6 months. I cannot even imagine having trained her to do everything without the trainers at DTE. She's an 11 months old German Shepherd and she's impressively well-behaved. A couple weeks ago, she passed her Public Access Test, and now she's starting Task Training. The best part of all this is that she and I got to do it together, thanks to guidance and tools from the trainers. It may seem expensive, or inexpensive depending on your presumptions, but this is the best possible place to get your companion trained.— Lizzi Riordan
Posted January 22nd 2024
After just a few sessions of training I was able to take my Laszlo to our local dog park on my lunch break or before a meeting, due to finally being able to recall him and leave the dog park rather than embarrassingly chasing him or bribing him. The trust built between us now after learning and practicing basic commands is priceless. We both look forward to the weekly group sessions.— Jennifer Dalton
Posted January 13th 2024
Superb training session today with Parker. Both dog and owner were smiling at the end of an intense hour of learning— Nikki Dalton
Posted January 11th 2024
I cannot express how grateful we are to have used Dog Training Elite Nashville. From day one of training with Izabel, Sam, our Border Terrier, has been learning so quickly. She evaluated Sam’s strengths and weaknesses along with me and my husband to find the best way to train all of us. We can take our dog anywhere in any situation and he’s extremely well behaved.— APRIL MCVAY
Posted January 2nd 2024
Wonderful staff and fun and engaging learning skills!! Can’t recommend enough!— Mary Davis
Posted December 19th 2023
Izabel was the most patient and amazing trainer I have ever experienced! Super knowledgeable on everything she does!— Jolene Fredrich
Posted December 15th 2023
Izabel is such a wonderful trainer! My fur baby Toothless would just get overly excited and with her help she really was able to give us both some calmness and a better understanding of each other! He’s a pitbull mix and although I love breed I haven’t owned one myself so I’m thankful for her skills and education with us both! Thank you Izabel!— Emily Cooper
Posted December 9th 2023
Amazing staff and care, my pit mix was the most stubborn pup and now she is the most well behaved girl.— Timothy Ochoa
Posted December 9th 2023
We love Izabel and the Elite team. Our daughter and pup are thriving and we document be happier.— Kami Harold
Posted December 8th 2023
Izabel Gray is a caring and knowledgable trainer, and her dog Rubie is proof that she knows what she's doing. This company's service is top notch and well worth your time. Request Izabel for sure! :)— Chris Galloway
Posted December 8th 2023
Izabel Gray really knows how to make dog owners feel confident, Her knowledge is so helpful when learning how to have a well behaved dog.— Jennie Galloway
Posted December 8th 2023
My dog, Tucker, was lucky to have Isabella from Elite for his training. We have learned so much and look forward to continuing with our training so Tucker can be the best dog ever. I would recommend both Isabella and Elite for your training. Thanks! Ginny Johnson— Ginny Johnson
Posted November 28th 2023
Our cockapoo has grown so much with dog training elite. Barley needed some commands to keep him safe when off leash. Our trainer helped him know all the commands and allowed my husband and I to feel safe with him while outside the house. He knows when to come, knows what to stay off of, and is a much safer dog being trained by dog training elite!— Jaryn Jones
Posted November 27th 2023
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite Central Nashville, 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 Central Nashville 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.