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Over the past decade there has been a rise in the number of people with Emotional Support Animals. This has caused some confusion around what it means to have a service, emotional support or therapy animal . Here, we explain briefly the differences between each of these animals, the training required for each different type, and debunk some common myths. Read on to learn the differences between each type of animal, which one might be right for you or your loved one, and how Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana can help.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
ESA vs. Therapy vs. Service Animals: What's the Difference?
Service Animals
Service animals are animals that have been trained to assist individuals with tasks specific to their needs.
- Redirecting attention when an individual is beginning to feel overstimulated
- Reminding owners to take medication
- Waking someone who is having a nightmare
Service dogs are valued in the mental health, health care and disability community and are protected under ADA laws which allow owners to take their service dog with them everywhere they go. Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana trains dogs to serve individuals with autism, diabetes and PTSD.
Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana trains autism service dogs to benefit and assist children with autism. Autism service dogs can be trained to track their child in case of wandering and redirect a child’s behavior when they are starting to become overwhelmed.
PTSD service dogs help ground owners to reality, especially in public settings. These service dogs can also be trained to recognize signs of a panic attack and regulate emotional responses through pressure.
Diabetic service dogs can alert their owners to their low blood sugar and provide stability, safety and support.
Visit our individual web pages to understand more about the differences and benefits of autism service dogs, PTSD services dogs and diabetic service dogs.
Emotional Support Animals
Although all dog owners may feel the emotional benefits of owning a dog, the dog needs to be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional to a person with a disabling mental illness such as anxiety or depression to legally be considered an ESA. Emotional Support dogs can be of any age and any breed whereas service dogs usually begin training as puppies.
In addition to being prescribed by a mental health professional, owners may wish for their dog to undergo more specific training. If you are looking for emotional support dog training in your local area, Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana has you covered.
The professional dog trainers of Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana are experienced with training various types of therapy animals. Trainers work with a dog’s natural temperament to ensure a strong, loving bond between dog and owner. Training can be personalized to fit the needs of the owner.
It is important to note that Emotional Support Animals are meant for just that - emotional support. Dogs trained to assist with specific tasks that may be associated with a disability are service animals. Training a dog to be an Emotional Support Animal or a therapy dog is less intensive than training to be a service animal.
Therapy Animals
Therapy Animals are very similar to Emotional Support Animals, except that they are often used to bolster the mental health and wellbeing of a community, as opposed to just an individual. Therapy dogs are often seen serving in hospitals, rehabilitation or care centers with their owners.
Owners who feel their dog may be a good fit for this kind of community service can have them receive top-notch training from Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana.
The most important thing to note as a difference between Emotional Support Animals, Therapy and Service dogs, is service animals are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act which states service animals must be able to accompany their owners wherever they go. Emotional Support and Therapy animals do not have the same protections and public establishments may have their own rules about ESA and therapy dogs.
Whether you’re ready to get a new lease on life with the help of a service dog, or strengthen the existing bond with your dog, Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana has the experience and resources you need.
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.
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!
We’ve had an exceptional experience with our dog trainer, especially with Deidre's guidance. Our journey began when our puppy was 10 weeks old and we dove headfirst into puppy training, eager to mold him into a therapy dog for hospital volunteer work. However, our optimism was quickly overshadowed by a frustrating hurdle: the dreaded habit of poop consumption. Feeling overwhelmed, we reached out to the trainer for help. They were incredibly supportive, offering a variety of solutions to address the issue. When the initial attempts fell short, they promptly provided alternative approaches, ensuring we never felt alone in our struggle. Thanks to their guidance, our puppy, now 5 months old, has overcome this unsavory habit! We're immensely grateful for their expertise in navigating this challenging aspect of puppyhood. Having successfully completed the puppy training program, we've seamlessly transitioned into the obedience program. Witnessing our puppy's progress has been truly remarkable and encouraging. He is developing into a patient, well-mannered dog and has learned many obedience skills that we can build on.— Jackie Sitterud
Posted May 15th 2024
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Posted May 14th 2024
Our puppy Navy is around a year and 2 months and desperately needed some help, she would constantly pull on walks and bark at every person and dog that walked by. She would always jump on people when they came inside and that’s where I started looking for training and I found dog training elite! They have completely transformed my dog into a respectful sweet pup that listens to all the commands I give her! I’m so grateful to have worked with them and it’s been life changing to have a dog who now respects boundaries and who can walk beside me on walks! Definitely recommend them if you need some training!!!— courtney zenger
Posted May 10th 2024
The at home sessions were great! Looking forward to the group sessions!— Michelle Woolard
Posted May 10th 2024
Love the process my dog has made! Deidre has been a great teacher to both me and my dog, have noticed a huge difference in her personality since starting training! Would recommend elite dog training to anyone looking for consistent progress in their pup!— Mariana Hincapie
Posted May 8th 2024
Simply amazing!!! My dog had been in other trainings and mild change, one day and she has learned more than she did in one month at other places ! Day one !! Simply WOW!— Cynthia Ramos
Posted May 6th 2024
Before the training, my dog was barking at any sound, any movement in the house, never listened to commands. He was already pretty good with walking on the leash but would pull on occasion. Now that he’s completed his training, I almost don’t recognize him, in a good way of course. He is a completely different dog now, he obeys commands in the house and stops barking after the initial alert to someone at the door. I am beyond grateful for Shawn and Sharon for the training provided for me and my dog. I will always recommend them to anyone that has behavior issues. The price for the training is definitely worth what you get in return, the initial in home training as well as the lifetime help with any future issues or questions as well as the group training on the weekends. 100% recommend!!— Michelle Lacey
Posted May 6th 2024
I can't say enough positive things about Dog Training Elite. My puppy is only 12 weeks and she is already starting to understand sit, wait, heel, place, break, lets go, and come. After the 3rd day my puppy new exactly where we were walking into Dog Training Elite facility and her tail would start wagging fast. The trainers are awesome and it's great giving your dog the ability to interact with other dogs in a controlled environment. I highly recommend you bring your dogs here for training!— Justin Morales
Posted May 4th 2024
Elite dog training is the absolute best of the best!!! We have a service dog for my 9 year old, and between Evan, and Kaycee I couldn’t ask for better people to work with! They have gone absolutely above and beyond to help our pup do any, and everything possible to help our daughter live the most independent life despite her chronic health problems. The amount of time, and work they have put into Reggie these last two years is astounding. Because of them Reggie is able to spend countless weeks in the hospital with my 9 year old, he goes to school with her everyday, and goes everywhere she goes. He is by far the best dog ever because of the incredible people at Elite. You can absolutely tell the people at Elite love what they do! 5 stars is not enough to describe what an incredible company this is!! We LOVE Utah County Elite dog trainers!!— Karissa Illu
Posted April 1st 2024
Wonderful service and people! My (formely) crazy dog is a new, obedient girl. Couldn’t be happier, highly recommended!— A.M.C.
Posted May 3rd 2024
We have two small dogs with lots of energy, fear of larger dogs and people, and barkiness! The trainers at Dog Training Elite were so knowledgeable about how to approach their individual issues. After two weeks of training, we were amazed at the transformation. Our pups are much more confident, obedient, and willing to learn new skills. They are still young and have more to learn, so we are grateful for the continuing group classes and in home sessions. Thank you to Jake, McCall, Jeff and Dallin for all their help and patience with us and our pups!— Jonathan and Marisa Schwartz
Posted May 2nd 2024
From the very first day I expressed interest in training my goldie, Ry, to be a service dog, this wonderful team has made the process nothing but positive. I can’t recommend them enough. I am wholeheartedly SO grateful for this training center and what they do. Ry has already made immense progress and I can’t wait to continue his training with DTENU :)— Dresden Chamberlain
Posted May 1st 2024
I had an extremely positive experience with Dog Training Elite and Jeff. My dog is able to comfortably go on hikes off leash and is happier than ever.— Zachary Kriesberg
Posted May 1st 2024
Special thanks to Dog Training Elite and trainer Alexa! Their service is beyond comparison and Alexa has been exceptional with the one on one training for our little Peaches! Much appreciated and if you’re looking for a trainer for your pets, look no further! They’re the BEST!!!— James Foster
Posted April 27th 2024
Elite really help teach us and our dogs how to deal with those unwanted behaviors that all digs do. It's definitely about being consistent and staying positive about the process.— Marlean Wright
Posted April 25th 2024
We have our new 3 month golden retriever training to be our service dog with them and they have been very professional ! He is learning very fast with all there training .i would recommend them .— Sharlene Thum
Posted April 16th 2024
Dog Training Elite, with Alex and Talia, has worked wonders with my.dog Jack and myself. Talia has pushed, prodded and pulled Jack & I to where we are a pretty good team about to take our Public Access Test!!! Wish us luck. If you have a Jack in your family, this is the place for you! Terrific training, professional and friendly 🐶🐶— pamela elliott
Posted April 16th 2024
A knowledgable, well-maintained, and established dog trainer run by consummate professionals. We work closely with the trainer Deidre with our two-year-old german shepherd and could not recommend both her and the business more.— Kimball McIntire
Posted April 12th 2024
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite Southeast Louisiana, 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 Southeast Louisiana 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.