Service Dog Programs
Building Confidence and Independence in Your Team
Service Dogs are highly trained so they can help their owner with their disability in public and go places pet dogs are not able to go. The process to fully train a public access, task ready service dog can take up to 2 years. And while it is highly rewarding to have such a loyal partner, it can be a lot of work - especially on your own. That is where we come in - our programs will help guide you all the way through the process so you can have a Service Dog that can truly help you be more confident and independent in your daily life.
We help train Service Dogs for mobility, autism, medical alert, psychiatric, and other disabilities. However, just because you may have one of these disabilities does not mean that your best intervention will be a service dog. We work with you, your family, your doctors, therapists and others to make sure we are working with you as a team to help you determine if having a service dog is right for you.
Program Offerings
Service Dog Offerings to Fit Your Needs
We offer a few unique programs designed to fit your needs and budge. We work both with currently owned dogs or are happy to aid in the process of picking your service dog candidate. Starting your service dog journey with the right dog is crucial for everyone’s safety and success.
Already Have a Dog?
For those who already have a dog they would like to enroll, the dog will undergo a series of evaluations to ensure they are the right fit for the job and your needs. Not every dog is the right fit for what is needed to succeed. Candidates will be evaluated for health temperament, stability, biddability and neutrality amongst other criteria. Mobility dogs have the most demanding jobs physically and will need to undergo additional health evaluations to ensure their longevity and safety for the tasks required.
Need a Dog?
For those who need a dog, we have a breeder we work with who has historically produced fantastic service dog candidates who are a good fit for mobility, medical alert and more. If you are looking for a specific breed different from what we recommend, we will try to help you find the right breeder to get a dog that will fit what you need in your service dog.
Full Service + Puppy Start, Service Dog Training & Coaching:
This is our most comprehensive program, starting with the picking of your service dog candidate puppy. We work with a breeder who has historically produced fantastic service dog candidates. We pick a puppy that meets initial temperament testing requirements and seems to have a personality suited to your family and the tasks needed. Once your puppy is picked and purchased, you will bring your puppy home and begin bonding + initial guided socialization and training with Tracey.
When your puppy is about 4 months old, he/she will enter our residential training program. The first portion of this program takes place in one of our well-established Prison Dog Programs. During the first phase of training, your dog will spend approximately 4 months with their handler and be taught basic skills as well as begin task training. Once they have completed this first phase, they move in with Tracey for approximately 2 months where they receive task proofing and public access training. When Tracey is confident in their task and public access skills, she will deliver your dog back to you and spend 2-3 days transitioning the dog’s skills to your home and needs. Once the initial handoff is complete, Tracey provides a minimum of 6 weeks of customized follow-up training to ensure skill stability and a solid working relationship.
For dogs who are trained in multiple disciplines or have more complex tasks, there may be additional follow-up training. All Pawsitive Purpose Service Dogs can receive a lifetime of support with Tracey.
Full Service + Adult Start, Service Dog Training & Coaching:
This program is very similar to our puppy start program with the exception that you are bringing your owned dog to the training process. After completing the service dog application, your dog will undergo an initial evaluation to gauge whether or not your dog is a suitable candidate for service dog training. If they pass their evaluation, you may be able to enter directly into the program. During phase 1, your dog will spend approximately 4 months in our residential program where they will begin task training.
In phase 2 of training, they move in with Tracey for approximately 2 months where they receive task proofing and public access training. When Tracey is confident in their task and public access skills, she will deliver your dog back to you for phase 3 and spend 2-3 days transitioning the dog’s skills to your home and needs. Once the initial handoff is complete, Tracey provides a minimum of 6 weeks of customized follow-up training to ensure skill stability and a solid working relationship.
For dogs who are trained in multiple disciplines or have more complex tasks needed, there may be additional follow up training. All Pawsitive Purpose Service Dogs can receive a lifetime of support with Tracey.
Coaching and Support Only
(available for local clients)
We know the cost of training a service dog can be prohibitive. This is why we also offer individual coaching packages based on your needs, skill level and ability. Everyone entering our coaching only program will still need to undergo the application and evaluation process. Our coaching and support services are tailored specifically to your needs to ensure that you get exactly what you need from having a service dog. Coaching is provided in person and via zoom. During coaching programs, you have additional support between sessions via email or zoom.
"Tracey knows just what our dog needs to become a service dog. She is very clear with teaching both owner and dog. She is very dedicated to the process and meets the owner and dog at the level of training they need. We started training with her the day after we brought home our dog at 8 weeks old. It's remarkable what our dog can do now. Can't say enough good things about Tracey and her training methods!!"
-Steve M.
"Tracey is amazing! She did the service dog training for our son's service dog and he is awesome. She is all positive reinforcement and it works. She even checks in periodically on him even after his training has been completed."
- Brooke B.
