Service Dog FAQs
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What is a service dog? ​

A service dog or "assistance dog" is a specially trained dog whose specific skills are meant to mitigate the symptoms or difficulties that accompany neurological, psychological or physical disabilities by assisting in every day situations.

​They can help people with disabilities that range from Hearing Impairment, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), Anxiety Disorder, PTSD, and Agoraphobia.

A Service Dog is different from a Therapy Dog and an Emotional Support dog. ​

What is the difference between a service dog/ therapy dog/ emotional support dog?

Service dog: protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which allows the service dog to enter in any and all public spaces with the it's handler.

Therapy dogs:trained to support psychological well being for large groups of people- for example, in an elderly care home, hospital, or hospice.

Emotional support dogs: Most loosely defined of the group- they do not require formal training and are companions that provide unique, although untrained emotional support to their owner.

Neither therapy dogs nor emotional support dogs have access to all public spaces nor are their rights defended under ADA. 
​

What is the difference between training my own service dog and getting one fully trained? How long does it take to train a service dog? ​

There are many differences between training your own and getting one fully trained.

In our opinion, for many different disciplines, it is beneficial for the individual in need of a service dog to be involved in the training in order to form a close emotional bond-- especially in the case of Psychiatric Service Dogs, Emergency Medical Response/ Medical Alert Service Dogs, and Hearing Impairment Dogs. When the individual in need of a service dog is involved, there is more room for flexibility and individualized and specific task learning. We can do the training in the home where the dog will actually be working, which is an advantage. 

Another advantage to being involved in the training your service dog is that often there are years long waiting lists to receive a fully trained service dog. If you obtain a puppy or young adult that has been evaluated and deemed a possible service dog candidate, you can begin the training almost immediately- though the puppy or young adult will not be fully certified until they are at least 15 months of age. 

It typically takes between 6 months to 1.5 years to train a service dog to be prepared for certification, although it varies from dog to dog, individual to individual, and service orientation to service orientation, and can take up to two years. 
​

How much does it cost to train an owner-trained service dog for certification?

The potential cost of training a service dog varies greatly depending on a number of factors:

1)The ability/ time availability of the handler to perform follow up training between sessions,

2)The age/ previous training of the service dog candidate, and

3)The desired Service Dog Orientation. 

We at Dog's Downtown do our best to make the training program affordable by not requiring up-front payments for Owner Trained Service Dogs.

Instead, you would be paying as you go throughout the training process and your trainer will honestly assess the amount of professional sessions needed. The minimum for completing the Public Access test with us is 2x month for 6 months. 

For general pricing information, check out our Private Lesson, Weekday Drop Off Training, Group Classes, and Board and Train options. Most people do some combination of these options!​

What if I can't afford the training?

Because Dog's Downtown is a for-profit business we are not able to train dogs without payment. However, there are options for someone who needs a service dog and cannot afford one outright.

​Our clients in the past have done fundraising, online and in the community, received funding from local businesses, been sponsored by different organizations, and received support from non-profit organizations. ​

How does the training work? ​

Training for service dog certification is made up of four parts:
1) Basic Obedience and Socialization,
2) Advanced Obedience and Continued Socialization,
3) Disability Assistance Task Learning, and
4) Public Access Test and Certification. 

Before we get started there is always an initial evaluation and consultation in which we will explain our process, costs, and the work involved for certification in a step-by-step process.

In most programs, we will do a mix of in-home, in-facility, board & train (between one to four weeks) and "off site" training sessions.​

Can I just do partial training and not go for complete certification?

Yes! If you would like to work on basic and advanced obedience as well as disability assistance task learning without going for full certification, we can definitely help with that.
​

Where do I get my dog? How old is it supposed to be? Is there a specific breed type? ​

It is up to you to either have, purchase or adopt your service dog candidate, although we are happy to help with evaluation and selecting a service dog candidate on an individual basis. Please contact us directly if you need help selecting/ finding a service dog candidate. 

There are no strict guidelines on how old the service dog candidate should be. Typically a puppy or young adult is the best option (anywhere from 8 weeks old to six months), however, if you have a one year old dog who is suitable for service dog certification we will train them as well!  

We work with all different breeds but the most common breeds are German Shepherd Dog (GSD), Labrador Retriever, Standard Poodle, and Golden Retriever. However, we will train any breed or mix that is deemed a suitable service dog candidate!  
​

Is my dog guaranteed to become a service dog? ​

It is not possible to guarantee that your candidate will become a Service Dog!

​There are many variables to dog training: the handlers time and availability to do follow up training, the dog's level of socialization, the dog's genetic disposition and so on. 

Dog's Downtown's trainers strive to be upfront, realistic and honest about a service dog candidates ability to be certified. We will always do everything we can to ensure certification and if at any time we think that the dog is not well suited for service dog certification we will promptly tell you.

However, we will always do our utmost to make sure the training program is individualized and intensive enough to give you and your service dog candidate the highest possible chance for certification. We always listen to the handler and shape our training based on individual need, and professional experience.

How do I begin? What is the required documentation to get started? ​

To begin, get in touch with us so we can answer any lingering questions and schedule your initial consultation session.

​ We always encourage communication and do our best to be available to answer questions and clarify explanations at all times. We do require a letter of medical necessity from your doctor, a copy of your dog's Rabies Certificate (assuming the dog is old enough) and documentation of Distemper Combo Vaccination and Bordetella to commence training. We also need a veterinarian health check.

What tests / certifications will my service dog take?

We complete the: 
AKC Canine Good Citizen 
AKC Community Canine Good Citizen 
AKC Urban Canine Good Citizen 

Public Access Test(matching ADI standards) 

Disability Task Test

These tests are not legally required under the Americans with Disabilities Act. At this time there are no federal requirements for a Service Dog to take any certifications. However, Dog's Downtown and most reputable Service Dog trainers will ask that dogs take skills test to confirm they have reached an appropriate skill level for public access. 

what are the pre-requisites for the public access test?

Pre-requisites for Completion:

• Minimum Age: 15 Months 
  
• Completion of AKC tests: CGC, ACGC, UCGC 
  
• Duration of Dog/ Handler Relationship: Minimum of 3 Months 
  
• Duration of Training Relationship with Dog’s Downtown: Minimum of 6 months (2x month) 
  
• Health Certificate that dog is sound for training from Licensed Veterinarian 
  
• No Bite History (Human or Dog) 
  
• Neutered/ Spayed (except in cases where a veterinary has provided a notice indicating it has been delayed for medical reasons) 
  
• No Psychiatric Medication for SD
  

at what point is dog's downtown able to verify my service dog for air travel?

We are only able to verify your Service Dog for flight if we have fully disability task-trained, or verified the tasks already in place and completed the ADI compliant Public Access Test. 

Dogs Downtown Service Dog: Cuddles