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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.). Service dogs are trained to guide and assist such individuals so that they can lead happier, healthier lives.
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.
Is A Service Dog The Same As A Therapy Dog?
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.
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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, pigs, and monkeys are often trained to support individuals with disabilities!
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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.
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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 stay close by at all times. Emotional support animals are not protected by the ADA, but residential buildings must permit emotional support animals.
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.
What Can Service Dogs Do?
Perform Tasks
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.
Alert Handlers
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.
Assist in Emergency
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.
Support Mental Well Being
Service dogs trained to assist handlers with severe anxiety or depression will 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:
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Tracking
Children with autism often wander away, and a parent’s worst fear is turning their back for just a moment and then 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.
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. Take the first step towards a better future with a trained service dog by contacting Dog Training Elite today!
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!
After having several dogs over the years we decided to invest in training for our year old Aussiedoodle. What a great decision. Thanks to the great trainers at Dog Training Elite, Bruno modified several poor behaviors and he is even more of a joy in our home and in public. We weren’t sure it would all work but have been pleasantly surprised how responsive Bruno is to many different commands.— Bob Farrell
Posted September 26th 2023
We have seen such great results with this program! We loved that we could be present, and trained as well, for each weeks training protocol. The ability to do training at our home made all the difference in us choosing DTE. We appreciate Jeff and the staff for providing us the confidence we needed in caring for and handling our aggressive pup.— Jessika Reilly
Posted September 26th 2023
FIVE PLUS STARS We are so grateful these five stars were aligned and led us to our wonderful forever friendship with DTE! It has been 5 years since we lost our beloved 15 yr old fur family member. Didn’t think we’d be doing this again. Dogs are mental health for me. That’s ALL I wanted for Christmas! Oh boy…the new puppy arrived and we knew we needed help! That’s when McCall arrives at our door and quickly teaches us that WE are the Boss of our home, not this adorable fur ball! We witnessed McCall’s magic which was quiet but firm. Our pup Sonny was left feeling like the best boi each time they met! He since has completed 2 dog camps. These are not easy but he couldn’t get to the door fast enough. Jake worked wonders with Sonny! Jake has a very confident energy that is passed on to your dog with so much praise. Dallin, who teaches the puppy classes, is as fun & friendly to the families not just the adorable puppies of all kinds and makes you feel you are the best parent! There is not a question or concern that Kacie, who runs the show at the front desk, can’t immediately help you with and is the perfect person who greets you with a friendly Hi & smile!— Paige
Posted September 25th 2023
Incredible service, training and especially trainers. Jake and Mcall were superb and Moses (golden retriever) looked forward to training and came away a better pup— Ben Harrison
Posted September 24th 2023
Words can not express how happy I am with the difference in my dog. Zeuz(my dog) was having some behavioral issues that I wanted to fix. After just the first session, people were commenting on how he had changed. How last session was yesterday. The dog he is now from the one he was back in March of this year is crazy! The people that work here are very talented and care about these dogs. Trevor was the one that saw Zeuz the most and I will forever be thankful for him. They are very flexible with scheduling, and if something comes up they are more than happy to switch some things around. You will see fantastic results with these trainers. I can not recommend them enough!— Yarely Vazquez
Posted September 15th 2023
Got the Whole Den package and am very satisfied with the level of professionalism that everyone had. They gave wonderful suggestions and presented things I a way I could understand. Will use them going forward for all trainings on our little one.— Demy Averett
Posted September 8th 2023
If I could give 10 starts I would. This place is amazing. I did the two-week training camp for my 8 month old puppy and I couldn't be happier with the results. The entire experience was perfect from start to finish. The training staff is incredible. They answered all my questions and took extra time and care in helping my dog be successful. Special thanks to Jake and McCall, who worked with my dog every day. You can tell they love their jobs! I would recommend them to ANYONE. Thanks again DTE!!!— Kym Hancock
Posted September 6th 2023
I highly recommend Dog Training Elite!! Brock has made the most amazing changes in just a week! I couldn’t do this alone! Jake is incredible and patient with my pup. Even though my Lab was crazy… he’s learning how to be an absolute gentleman! I am so impressed with everything at DTE!—
Posted September 6th 2023
I highly recommend Dog Training Elite!! Brock has made the most amazing changes in just a week! I couldn’t do this alone! Jake is incredible and patient with my pup. Even though my Lab was crazy… he’s learning how to be an absolute gentleman! I am so impressed with everything at DTE!—
Posted September 6th 2023
We are very pleased with Dog Elite Training. Gosia is amazing and was very thorough about training our baby Leia. We seriously recommended their services. Training goes a long way when it comes to ordinary circumstances and we are glad that we decided to get Leia on board with their Gold program. Can’t wait to try their Therapy Dog program. We are so grateful about having all the support from Dog Elite to get Leia where she is now. Jessica was also very quick to communicate throughout the whole program. Kudos to their excellent customer service.— Karen S
Posted September 5th 2023
I am seriously blown away by how effective this training has been for our dog just after 5 weeks. Every trainer we’ve interacted with was extremely nice, informative, and we can tell they really care about our dog! Our dog’s behavior has changed tremendously, he listens to us more than he ever has in the 7 years we’ve had him. My wife and I were sort of nervous to spend this much money on dog training (we spent almost all of the money we have saved) but after seeing the results, we are so happy that we did. 5 stars isn’t enough!— Mike Mazda
Posted August 27th 2023
The trainers are always friendly and professional. My daughter's "Service Dog in Training" couldn't ask for a better Trainer. Terrance answers all my questions but also takes the time to show my daughter how to implement at home what the dog has learned.— Christine Drain
Posted August 25th 2023
The best place for dog training! The trainers are excellent as well as friendly and communicative to pet parents. They are available for parents ant time you need them So glad we entered our dog in their training program. Try them. You won’t be disappointed.— Kathe Dobson
Posted August 24th 2023
(Translated by Google) I am looking for an opportunity as a dog trainer!! I have years of experience in k9 narcotics (Original) Estoy buscando una oportunidad como adiestradora canina!! Tengo ańos de experiencia en k9 narcotico— karla yanira lopez espino
Posted August 16th 2023
I brought My baby blue a (Belgian malinois” here for puppy training and soon to be service dog training. What can I say? The service and the Team are amazing. They love their job and they love dogs and care for your babies. I enjoy seeing my baby grow up and The training and guidance They provide is Amazing. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a dog training program— Israel Deluna
Posted August 13th 2023
The instructors at Dog Training Elite are not only knowledgeable and experienced but also kind, patient and fun. Our dog was driving our family crazy and we feel fortunate to have found DTE. Louie went from being a rebel to becoming a service dog in just 3 weeks. What an amazing transformation! He is a totally different dog, although mischievous at times, he now listens and follows commands. We continue training and working with DTE so that Louie can continue to improve. Thanks to all the instructors who have worked and helped train Louie :)— Gabriela Barba
Posted August 13th 2023
I have a dog that had some major anxiety issues. After training for a few weeks there was a big change in how my dog and all for the better.— Lacey Kornicki
Posted August 12th 2023
They really took the time to understand how to help my dog. Every trainer paid attention and listened to what he needed. They really helped us form a strong bond. The classes are so wonderful for controlled socialization as well! Hugo's week isn't right if we don't go to class!— Natalie cleveland
Posted August 12th 2023
Dog Training Elite Utah County is without a doubt the best option for dog training, I am so extremely happy with my experience. Before I started training, taking my dog, Finley, out caused me a lot of anxiety because I never knew if or how she was going to react. Then I made the best decision ever and hired them to help me with training and the results are incredible. Evan and Ryan were wonderful and helped me help Finley live her best life. I could not be happier with how well-behaved Finley is, while still being able to show her very goofy side!— Katie Watson
Posted August 3rd 2023
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite, 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 work's with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.
How Do I Get A Service Dog?
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.
Popular Areas of Focus
Service Dog Pricing & Packages
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.