A service dog and their owner outside - find elite service dog training in Salt Lake City, UT with Dog Training Elite.
Dog Training Elite

Service Dog Training in Salt Lake City, UT

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Our Service Dog Training Could Help:
Veterans or civilians with PTSD, anxiety, or depression
Children or adults with autism
Individuals with epilepsy
(participating locations)
Advanced medical training (participating locations)

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City

Service Dog Training in Salt Lake City, UT

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service dog as “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.” Disabilities include mental or physical impairments that affect an individual’s ability to perform one or more major life activities (walking, seeing, etc.).

Because service dogs play such a key role in the life of disabled individuals, they are protected by the law. Places of residence, employment, and commercial facilities cannot discriminate against disabled individuals with service animals. If you are wondering how to get a service dog, you can either purchase a fully trained dog or purchase a service puppy and train it.

With our service dog training in Salt Lake City, UT, we ensure that your dog is trained to meet the specific needs of your disability, providing personalized support and empowering both dog and handler for long-term success.

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A man and his support service dog - learn more about our positive training methods at Dog Training Elite.

Our Positive Approach to Service Dog Training


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At Dog Training Elite, we believe that successful dog training requires dedication, patience, and balance. That’s why we are committed to using positive reinforcement techniques in all of our training programs.

Through balanced training, our team helps owners build trust with their dogs. This approach is especially important for service dog training because strong relationships and communication are essential for dogs to reliably assist their handler.

By focusing on encouragement rather than punishment, we created confident, well-behaved dogs that are eager to perform their best and impress their owners.

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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!

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Garrett Bazany
    Jan. 7, 2026
    Meggie was very thorough and knowledgeable
  • Keri Hanzelka
    Jan. 2, 2026
    We were so impressed with our first meeting with Jeff. He analyzed our dogs and was very honest with his recommendations. He gave us hope that there is a solution to assist with some bad behaviors the dogs have developed but didn’t sugarcoat the truth in telling us to be exactly where we want the dogs behavior to be when around others (dogs people they don’t discriminate) we’re about a year out of daily corrections and praises. I was excited to know that we can correct the behavior. He was very direct in the fact that the owner is as much involved as the dog and trainer. The owner will also be given homework. I was so impressed that before we start our second lesson, we are to show the trainer where the dogs have come over that week. I love that. He was also very clear that every dog has their own personality and what works for one dog doesn’t always work for the one sitting right next to him or her. I agreed with this philosophy, 100% There are no bad dogs just bad trainers dog training elite is the (sorry for the pun,) elite in the dog training world. If you want a training facility that trains you as much as the dogs this is the trainer for you.
  • Maureen Sweeney
    Dec. 16, 2025
    Meggie and the team at Dog Training Elite of Salt Lake are the best!! Our dog loves working with them and had made fantastic progress!!
  • Nicole Pickett
    Dec. 29, 2025
    We had a fantastic experience with Dog Training Elite. Jeff was clearly very knowledgeable and confident with dogs, and even though this was just a meet-and-greet, he took the time to show us exactly what we could expect from training. He was amazing with our young, hyper Dalmatian—calm, patient, and engaging—which immediately put us at ease. It was obvious he understands dog behavior and knows how to work with high-energy breeds. We left feeling excited and confident about the training process. Highly recommend Dog Training Elite and Jeff!
  • Jenn Oldham
    Dec. 2, 2025
    Jeff is always extremely professional. I love how much he cares for and loves dogs! Great guy! Look forward to having him back
  • RK C
    Dec. 17, 2025
    Meggie was very personable, professional, did an excellent job of explaining the programs, and displayed in-depth general knowledge of dog behavior and specific breed traits.
  • Joyce Ferrone
    Jul. 31, 2025
    Jeff has provided us with amazing tools to help us create a lovely well behaved dog 😊❤️.
  • Anne Reynolds
    Nov. 26, 2025
    Jeff is great. These people know what they’re doing. Training humans to train dogs! And it works
  • Adam Fox
    Oct. 16, 2025
    McCall is super professional and thoughtful about training our puppy to mine and my wife’s needs! Not only that but teaching US how to work with the puppy ourselves! 10/10
  • William Koehler
    Sep. 6, 2025
    We had Jeff Slack in our house today to meet our new puppies and he was absolutely fantastic and his vibes were fantastic and we’re excited to work with him
  • Laura Smith
    Oct. 16, 2025
    Jeff was great with our dog Sera, she loved him and his dog. We are really excited to start training with him. Had our 3rd lesson with Meggie and it was very good she have us great advice. Meggie and Happy were awesome to work with and she is very positive. Finally went to a puppy socialization class with Jeff. It was really good for my puppy and really showed me what I still need to work on. Seraphina did really well and I was super pleased. I definitely have my work cut out for me though cause she could careless about treats. She just wants to play. She was definitely ready for bed last night and she's still tired this morning..LOL Jeff was out today and he was excellent with Seraphina. She is a very stubborn alpha puppy and he really helped me to understand how to handle her stubborn side. She is already listening better, but i am working on being the alpha in or relationship. I had to tie her to my desk cause I told her to stay and she kept leaving. Eventually I was able to untie her and she stayed and fell asleep 😴 💤 We all went to Lowes with Meggie and had a great class working on sit for duration and not breaking with distractions. Seraphina loves running through the big blue flatbed carts. It was very fun. Thank you Meggie.
  • Erin Sanford
    Dec. 10, 2025
    Soooo helpful and patient
  • Stephanie Cisek
    Dec. 10, 2025
    McCall (and everyone else at DTE) was absolutely incredible—it truly felt like she treated Gunner like her own!! She took our dog—a well-known trash goblin—to a certified good boy. Gunner is seriously the most well-behaved and obedient boy now! He LOVED going every morning, and would even start whining in the car as soon as we turned into the parking lot! We’re excited to start the group classes to keep up on Gunner’s training!
  • Debi Penagos
    Jun. 27, 2025
    Thanks to the Jeff and Yaga team for teaching Brady and I some new behaviors. We appreciate you so much for helping US become a better team. I highly recommend Jeff and all the trainers at Dog Training Elite.
  • Curtis White
    Aug. 5, 2025
    Wow, Jeff arrived and quickly put our dog Delilah at ease. She’s always so happy to see him. Today we learned the Heal command. She did extremely well even with distractions like Jeff’s dog walking with us; small killer dog barking at us; and motorcycles going by. We highly recommend the Elite Dog Trainers to all wanting training for themselves and their dogs. Mary and Curtis.
  • Bria Mertens
    Nov. 17, 2025
    We had a fantastic experience taking two dogs through the program. McCall was an outstanding trainer and made great progress with both our adult dog and our puppy. We are really looking forward to sending our other two doggos through the program soon!
  • Katie Burton
    Nov. 16, 2025
    Always a joy working with Jeff. Out dogs love him and we are learning a lot about training our pups.
  • Andrea Boyle
    Nov. 13, 2025
    Jeff is the dog whisperer! First day went well! Coco is progressing nicely!
  • Julie Alverson
    Sep. 24, 2025
    I have loved working with Jeff and his dog. Our dog loves him too. He has a great way to teach and connect with us.
  • Pamela Aizad
    Oct. 14, 2025
    These trainers are amazing !! They are so knowledgeable and patient! They know their stuff!!
A Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City owner smiling with his dog in Salt Lake City, UT.

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City

Is a Service Dog The Same As a Therapy Dog?

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Many types of working dogs increase the quality of life for their handlers. The three main categories of working dogs are service animal, therapy animal, and emotional support animal. Each category covers different areas of support and different levels of protection under the law.

  1. Service Animal

    As mentioned above, service animals assist individuals with disabilities. Depending on the person’s needs, the service animal learns how to perform certain tasks. Guide dogs, for example, help blind individuals safely navigate their environment. Seizure response dogs respond to their handlers when the individual is having a seizure. Service animals are highly trained and specialized, and they are also offered the most protection under the law compared to therapy or emotional support animals.

    Dogs are not the only kinds of service animals - miniature horses are often trained to support individuals with disabilities!

  2. Therapy Animal

    Therapy dogs provide comfort and improve the mental well-being of individuals in hospitals, hospice care, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, and more. These dogs must have a friendly, calm demeanor and be comfortable when handled by strangers.

    Therapy dogs are not trained to perform specific tasks, but they must be obedient and well-mannered. Therapy animals are permitted in some areas where pets are not, but they have fewer protections than service animals. All therapy dogs must be certified before they can offer their services to the community.

  3. Emotional Support Animal

    Emotional support dogs relieve loneliness, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of mental health disorders. They provide comfort to their handlers, but they are not trained to perform specific tasks. Most emotional support animals are sensitive to the emotional changes of their handler and will remain close by at all times. Emotional support animals are not protected by the ADA, but residential buildings must permit emotional support animals.

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City

What Can Service Dogs Do?

Service dogs are crucial in assisting individuals with various disabilities and conditions, providing them with support, independence, and companionship. These highly trained dogs can perform specific tasks tailored to the needs of their handlers. Learn about breeds that make great service dogs, who can benefit from a service dog and the training that will help these pups meet their handler's needs.

Service dogs are a great help to disabled individuals thanks to their incredible ability to perform highly specialized tasks, like opening doors, switching lights on and off, assisting with balance and stability, guiding, pulling wheelchairs, answering phones and making calls, finding objects or places, unloading and loading items, clearing rooms, finding help, and many more. Service dogs improve the lives of disabled individuals by increasing their autonomy.
Individuals with certain diseases and disorders can benefit from a highly trained service dog. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and they can detect the chemical changes associated with oncoming seizures and increases in blood pressure. Alert service dogs alert their handler to these situations to prevent a life-threatening emergency. Alert dogs also help those with extreme allergies detect potential allergens in food.
Disabled or epileptic individuals are more prone to emergencies than the average person. Service dogs are trained to alert their handler to a potential emergency, and alert surrounding individuals to an active emergency. Service dogs can also call for help on pre-programmed phones.

Additional Service Training Info

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City - PTSD Service Dog Training in Salt Lake City, UT. DTE

PTSD Service Dog

If you're looking to train a PTSD service dog in Salt Lake City, UT, Dog Training Elite is here to help. Our service dogs are trained to assist with symptoms such as anxiety, hyper-vigilance, and panic attacks, providing grounding emotional support.

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City - Psychiatric Service Dog Training in Salt Lake City, UT

Psychiatric Service Dog Training

Our psychiatric service dog training in Salt Lake City, UT helps individuals with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. We'll help train your dog to mitigate symptoms by offering emotional grounding and support during stressful situations.

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City - Mobility Service Dog Training in Salt Lake City, UT

Mobility Support Service Dog

Enhance your independence or help a loved one with specialized mobility service dog training in Salt Lake City, UT from Dog Training Elite. Our expert trainers teach dogs the skills they need to support their owners with mobility challenges.

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City - Seizure Response Dog Training in Salt Lake City, UT

Medical Response Dog Training

If you are in need of a seizure response dog in Salt Lake City, UT, Dog Training Elite can help. Our training program is designed to help individuals with epilepsy regain independence and confidence.

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City - Autism Support Dog Training in Salt Lake City, UT

Autism Support Service Dog

Bring life-changing support to your family with Dog Training Elite's autism support dog training in Salt Lake City, UT. Our compassionate trainers work closely with your family and dog throughout the entire process, ensuring your pup is fully prepared to provide comfort, safety, and companionship.

A service dog at a ball game with their owner - get professional Salt Lake City service dog training with Dog Training Elite.

Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City

Service Dogs for Anxiety, PTSD, and Autism

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Service dogs trained to assist handlers with severe anxiety or depression perform specific tasks that reduce the potential for panic attacks or self-harm attempts. Such tasks include deep-pressure therapy, tactile stimulation, alerting, clearing rooms, blocking strangers from approaching, and more. Service dogs trained to assist those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have greatly improved the lives of many veterans.

Service dogs also make a big impact on the lives of children with autism. Children with autism are often prone to meltdowns, have trouble communicating, and are quick to run off or become easily lost. Service dogs prevent and mediate all of these behaviors to provide a higher quality of life for children with autism and their families.

As autism is a spectrum disorder, each child has varying needs of assistance. Autism service dogs perform the following tasks:

  • Tracking: Children with autism often wander away, and a parent’s worst fear is turning their back for just a moment and discovering their child is gone. Autism service dogs will track the child if this ever happens.
  • Tethering: This task minimizes wandering, which is common in public settings. The child is tethered to the service dog’s leash or harness, preventing him or her from wandering away.
  • Behavior Interruption: Repetitive and ritualistic behaviors are typical of autistic children, as are meltdowns when the child becomes overstimulated. Autism service dogs recognize these negative behaviors and redirect the child’s attention when they start. A simple paw or nudge is all it takes to prevent a meltdown.
A service puppy waiting for their owner - Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City.

How Do I Get a Service Dog?

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If you are wondering how to get a service dog, there are a couple of different approaches. Some service dogs are purchased outright, fully trained. Or a compatible dog is selected and trained from an early age. Training a dog from the start is the best option, especially for those with specialized needs.

Training a dog to perform service responsibilities must start from day one. Only certain breeds are suited to service work, and breeders put a lot of time into raising puppies to be service animals. Once you have purchased a service puppy, additional training is necessary to prepare your puppy for life as a service dog. This is a complicated process that involves various steps. Dog Training Elite makes getting a service dog easier with our service dog training program.

Our talented trainers can help select puppies that are prepared for a life of service from well-respected breeders. When these puppies enter the service dog training program they are closely monitored for behavior and temperament and can be fully obedience trained by the age of six months. These puppies undergo extensive socialization and additional training to ensure they are well-suited for service and therapy needs including specialized service training alongside the new handler.

This program is ideal for handlers who want to take part in the developmental years and extensive training of their service puppy.

A group of dogs being trained by the expert team at Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City.
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Educate, Empower, Elevate, Elite

Victory Begins With Elite Education

A trainer, a man and his service dog - find the best service dog training in Salt Lake City, UT with Dog Training Elite.

We Are Committed to Making a Difference

Choose DTE for Salt Lake City Service Dog Training

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At Dog Training Elite, we are passionate about transforming lives through Salt Lake City service dog training. Our proven, balanced training methods help create highly skilled, dependable service dogs that are both obedient and loyal to their handlers.

From mobility support and physical assistance to emotional well-being and more, Dog Training Elite is committed to providing personalized, high-quality training that makes a lasting impact.

Choose Dog Training Elite Salt Lake City and experience the difference that elite training and compassionate care can make.