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Service Dog Training Near You
What makes a dog a service dog? Who can have a service dog, and why? We answer all these questions and more, as well as explain what sets Dog Training Elite St. George apart from any other dog training service.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite St. George location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Service Dog Training FAQs
What makes a dog a service dog?
Service dogs are dogs that have been specially trained to assist their handler or owner with specific tasks. Dog Training Elite St. George trains dogs to assist people with epilepsy, diabetes, PTSD, autism, and various mental illnesses.
Who are service dogs for?
Service dogs are for any individual dealing with a disability that lowers their quality of life. For example, someone who suffers from epilepsy may avoid going out in public due to a fear of falling or other consequences related to seizures. This may inhibit their independence and sense of well-being.
In addition to improving the lives of individuals, service dogs can bring a sense of security to families, such as families with autistic children. Children with autism can often feel isolated and a service dog becomes a 24/7 companion to share experiences with, connect with and love. They can also help children reintegrate into society and connect with others.
Families who have children with autism experience a decrease in stress as they are more able to engage socially in public settings and experience less anxiety at home. A service dog increases safety and has a calming presence that can minimize emotional outbursts, allowing the family to feel more secure and a child with autism to better participate in family activities.
Service dogs are for all individuals or families that are experiencing a decrease in quality of life due to disability.
What kind of training does a service dog need?
Service dog training begins with puppies. Dog Training Elite St. George’s service puppy training program works with breeders to adopt puppies that are fully obedience trained by six months and are ready to undergo extensive socialization and additional training to ensure they are well-suited for service and therapy needs.
Then, Dog Training Elite St. George places puppies with families or individuals. Further specialized service training takes place alongside the new handler. It generally takes 1-2 years for a service dog to become fully trained.
Service dog training focuses on two main areas: public access behaviors, and how to “do work or perform tasks” that assist with a disability.
Public access behaviors refer to how a service dog acts in public - well-trained service dogs remain calm in public situations and in turn help their handlers to stay calm, and are attuned to any other handler needs.
As for “do work or perform tasks,” the ADA requires that service dogs be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability.
For example, to assist handlers with PTSD, Dog Training Elite St. George trains dogs to de-escalate anxiety, wake handlers experiencing night terrors, and so on.
Do service dogs require special certification?
The ADA does not require special certification for service animals. State and local government agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry. Mandatory registration of service animals in the city of residence is also not permissible under the ADA.
However, service animals are not exempt from local animal control or public health requirements, such as vaccinations, or local dog licensing and registration requirements.
Why should I train my service dog with Dog Training Elite St. George?
Dog Training Elite St. George sets itself apart from other dog training methods by focusing on positive reinforcement with a personalized, in-home approach. This method empowers owners and handlers to be an integral part of the process for sustained dog obedience and service training. For service dogs especially, it is important that handlers be present and involved every step of the way.
The positive reinforcement approach, also referred to as “Classical Conditioning” or the “Pavlovian” model has shown to be more effective with longer lasting results than any other training method.
Dog Training Elite St. George does not use punishments or shock collars to break bad habits. Instead, Dog Training Elite St. George pairs positive reinforcement training with a vibration electronic collar. An electronic collar is not a shock collar and does not harm the dog. It is used to gain the dog’s attention, similar to a tug on a leash. It is never used as a punishment for bad behavior.
Another unique aspect of training with Dog Training Elite St. George is that while most dog training programs train dogs at their own facilities, Dog Training Elite St. George specializes in in-home training, customizing training to the dog, its owners and its environment for long-lasting success.
Positive Reinforcement Training
Training takes time, commitment and balance and Dog Training Elite St. George is there every step of the way. With Dog Training Elite St. George, dogs will learn the highest level of obedience, even in the face of the toughest level of distractions. The positive-reinforcement method focuses on encouraging good behavior through ongoing praise, creating a dog that wants to please from the inside out and creating deep-rooted, sustained obedience as well as a strong bond between dog and owner.
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!
Best dog training place in St. George. My dogs never behaved, but after working with Sarah and Hayden, I have seen such an improvement in the behavior of my dogs. Highly reccomend!— Dracozu
Posted September 12th 2023
Hayden and his team of trainers have been so wonderful to work with training our dog! About a year ago we started working with Dog Training Elite to service train my dog and we have had nothing but positive exprience from day one. Even now, if I ever have an issue or concern with my dog, the trainers are more than willing to help out. 10/10 best investment for my pup!— Shantel Baker
Posted March 17th 2023
Sarah and Hayden have done such a great job for us and our dog Lil'bit. They helped us to be more confident which has given our dog an opportunity to rise to his confident self. With all the preparation we were so happy when Lil'bit was introduced to other dogs. Hayden did such a great job helping Lil'bit understand how to interact with other dogs. Both Sarah and Hayden have helped us to be confident with our dog around other people and other dogs. Thank you for bringing more freedom to our home.— Kaimana Allen
Posted February 22nd 2023
I adopted Watson two years ago after losing my 18 year old Peekingese. I have gotten older and I needed help with Watson's training. I am so glad I called dog training elite. The e-coller has never left any marks on my dog however it does help him to pay attention to what is being taught. Hayden (the trainer) is professional, dependable and very patient with me. Hayden explains the training techniques thoroughly and I am seeing real results. Thank you Dog Training elite!— Cynthia Guptill
Posted January 4th 2023
In the beginning, I was involved with the shock collar for my dog, and I was not comfortable with doing it, and really didn’t want to believe in it. But after being educated about the guard and how it teaches the dog faster and more relevant to the situation. So it took me a little while but I grew into it and now it’s become an every day lesson with my dog.— Shane Davis
Posted December 8th 2022
I can’t even tell you how happy I am with the results of training our puppies with Dog Training Elite St. George. I guess since I’m submitting a review I will try. I have 2 dogs ages 5 and 1. We have all but given up on our five year old ever responding to us when we call him (unless it’s on his schedule). When we got the new puppy, we decided to make the extra investment to train him right. We really want to have a well behaved dog that doesn’t freak out in public. Hayden from Dog Training Elite trained both dogs for us! Now, when people come over, the dogs will stay in their place. They don’t jump up on people. We can take them for walks or to festivals and they are so well behaved. Now, I’m one of the cool dog owners that has the awesome dogs- not just one, but two! Also- we have trained our little dog to be a service animal and he gets to visit the kids in the hospital and they love it.— Leslie Seal
Posted October 22nd 2022
I would definitely recommend working with them to train your dog! Very clear instruction and results.— Katelyn Bryner
Posted October 20th 2022
Hayden at DTE has been absolutely outstanding in getting my crazy German Shepherd Dog under control. He has taught me a great deal on how to control my dog’s behavior. In just a few short weeks I am able to walk my pup with confidence without all the barking and pulling. Thanks Dog Training Elite! Money well spent.— Bobby Cuomo
Posted August 16th 2022
Hayden has been great!! We have 6 dogs. 4 pit mixes (all rescues) one heeler and one Dane. My Dane and male pit mix are having some aggression towards one another and my main goal was creating an overall more structured/peaceful home for them. DTE has been super accommodating! I live in Mesquite and Hayden comes to my house every week! And worked with my goals. We still have a long way to go but he has truly helped me and my four legged kids. As someone who has years of experience with animals of all kinds, having his outside and professional skills has dramatically improved our lives. Pic of our two boys together!— Alexandra Imbach Lagenour
Posted July 16th 2022
A life giving experience. We were ready to find a new home (or possibly put down) our aggressive dog after he had bit several people including us multiple times and a random kid. We were completely lost with what to do, it was a very emotional time. We called Hyden with Dog Training Elite out of complete desperation. Within a few weeks our aggressive puppy that we loved so much was making huge strides. Not only is he not aggressive anymore, he has learned basic and advanced obedience techniques. We would HIGHLY recommend Dog Training Elite for anyone with an aggressive dog or anyone who is looking to improve their dogs’ behavior.— Andrew Jensen
Posted May 1st 2022
Hayden has been absolutely wonderful to work with. (As well as Grayson who has been great with appointment reminders and any questions I have!) Super professional, reliable and patient. I adopted my 1 year old dog, Bat, a few months ago, he is extremely sweet with some pretty reactive behaviors, I already see so many positive changes in my dog and we just started the program. I feel that both Bat and I are very supported in the training and I’m excited for the weeks to come.— Megan
Posted April 26th 2022
We have a rescue aggressive dog who has so much potential it was hard to not get her the help she needs. Everyone turned us away except the dog training elite. They have gave my dog a life just in a few short lessons. She’s a whole new dog it’s been amazing to watch her progress. I never thought she would do this good ever, but thanks to them she will be able to live a happier life. I would completely wholeheartedly recommend the trainers at the dog training elite above everyone else we have tried training with. They work around what you have so it’s not more out of pocket and they are very accommodating when it comes to working around my crazy schedule. They have been nothing but kind and very patient with our sweet girl.— Sara Burgess Schwartz
Posted April 22nd 2022
They were so kind and helpful with training my puppy. So grateful for everything that they did.— Treena Schweikart
Posted April 19th 2022
Working with our trainer was such a great experience, I highly recommend Dog Training Elite.— Stacy Schmalz
Posted March 23rd 2022
We have enjoyed working with Dog Training Elite! Their puppy course helps us to curb some of the undesirable puppy behavior. With the one on one training our little guy is so well behaved and happy. He gets excited when his trainer comes over and is sad when he leaves! Thanks Dog Training Elite!!— Maggie Doty Yunker
Posted October 26th 2021
Working with Dog Training Elite has not only a great experience for my family, but for our dog as well. He gets so excited when his trainer comes and we have noticed significant changes! Thanks Dog Trailing Elite!!— Maggie Yunker
Posted October 24th 2021
I love DTE!! They do such an amazing job with all types/sizes of dogs and all their behaviors. Most reasonably priced I’ve ever found as well. Give them a try and I promise you won’t regret it!!— Seirra Lovell
Posted October 12th 2021
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite St. George, 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 St. George 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.