Expert Service Dog Training for Life-Changing Results
Helping individuals and families turn great dogs into confident, reliable partners.
Train Your Own Service Dog for Yourself or Your Child
- Does a disability make “simple” activities difficult?
- Eager for increased self-reliance, safety, and confidence?
- Ready to go to the store, school, work, or on trips – with ease?
A service dog enables you to do what you want – on your terms.
We empower motivated adults and teens with a disability, or the parents of children with disabilities, to train their own service dog. From finding the right dog, to public access and task training, we’ll guide you toward a successful partnership.
A service dog enables you to do what you want – on your terms.
We empower motivated adults and teens with a disability, or the parents of children with disabilities, to train their own service dog. From finding the right dog, to public access and task training, we’ll guide you toward a successful partnership.
If you’re ready for a better life — And you have a passion for dog training…
Take the first step! Watch our video below.
FREE Informational Service Dog Training Video
- Costs
- Timelines
- Assess your dog’s aptitude
- Service dog legalities
- This video is closed captioned. Read the transcript or download the slides.
Assess your dog’s readiness for service dog training by watching our free video: “How to Train Your Service Dog,” and score your dog’s aptitude.
Choose Your Starting Point
Empower Me to Train My Service Dog! Take a class
Get My Service Dog Started Right! Enroll in Board & Train
Train key foundations for future skills:
puppy raising, manners, self-regulation, confidence, and focus.
Training Options
Which level of support is the right starting point for your dog? You can begin at one level and move to another.
Train for Me (Platinum Round-Trip Board & Train)
The premium option for busy people who want the best results in the shortest time. Delegate puppy, manners, public access, or task training to a caring professional who will train your dog in half the time. Intensive training in a loving, family environment and private transition lessons for you keep skills strong at home.
I’m ready to enjoy an easier life with my service dog ASAP!
Empower Me (Classes)
Immerse yourself in the art and science of service dog training with live, individual coaching in online Dogs In Service Certification (DISC) courses. Step-by-step instruction in level 1 (PEARL) teaches you to train, communicate at a deeper level, and avoid common mistakes. Pass the PEARL assessment to advance to Bronze DISC – intermediate task and public access foundations. Keep leveling up with classes or add in private lessons.
I want freedom and self-reliance with my service dog!
Complete Public Access Training (Step 4) and Task Training (Step 5)
The unique combination of classes, lessons, or board & train your dog needs to complete training will depend on their tasks and their public access strengths and challenges. Our Sample Service Dog Training Plans provide time and cost estimates.
Service Dogs Types
We typically train these types of service dogs:
Dog helps with a mental health condition, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), agoraphobia, panic or generalized anxiety, depression, autism spectrum (ASD), attention deficit disorder (ADHD).
- Tactile stimulation or deep pressure therapy (DPT) – e.g., dog lies on your legs or chest, bops your hand, or licks your face. (Learn about our Deep Pressure Therapy class.)
- Turn on lights or perform “room check”
- Interrupt self-harm (e.g., picking, scratching)
- Reminders (e.g., get out of bed, take medication)
- “Watch my back” or body blocking
- Guide to home, exit, car
Dog helps with a physical disability or illness.
- Retrieve (water bottle, dropped items, medication, cane, phone)
- Turn lights on and off
- Open and shut doors
- Fetch a family member
- Steadying walk (non-weight-bearing) or forward-momentum pull
- We do not currently train guide dogs for the blind
Dogs may help with a variety of disabilities, including hearing impairment (deaf or hard-of-hearing), traumatic brain injury (TBI), developmental disability or cognitive impairment, POTS, diabetes, seizures, and sleep disorders.
- Alert to alarm (fire, clock, infusion pump) or other sounds
- Prevent or respond to falls
- Guide to a seat or around obstacles
- We do not train allergen or gluten detection
- For medical alert tasks, once your dog has started foundation training, we will refer you to a trainer who specializes in scent training to complete your dog’s task training.
100% Improved Quality of Life
Before we came to At Your Service, I tried to go into stores and I would panic and have to leave. Now, I can go in public and crowded places. There’s so much more in life I can do. Gatsby has 100 percent improved my quality of life. I don’t have many accomplishments as a result of my debilitating anxiety. But I was able to train him. That makes me very, very proud. He’s made a very negative part of my life super positive. I am so thankful.
–Allison Rhinelander
Answers to Your Questions
I just got my puppy. Where should I start?
Woohoo! You’ve waited for this moment for a long time. You may feel happy, excited – and a little overwhelmed. We’ve got you covered with the combo of PEARL DISC and Puppy Primer classes. Our on-demand Puppy Primer course covers critical starting points for service dog puppies: potty training, slow and positive exposure to new experiences, body handling, independence, and learning to learn. PEARL DISC classes cover all the other service-dog-in-training basics for both puppies and adults. You’ll receive the Puppy Primer course FREE when you register for PEARL! Learn More about Classes or Register for PEARL.
Can I combine classes and B&T? If so, where can I start?
Absolutely! Combining the affordability and empowerment of classes with the fast results of board & train provides the Best of Both Worlds to you and your dog!
To start B&T within the next 3 months, fill out the B&T application now so we can check fit and availability.
To use B&T later, register now for PEARL DISC class so you and your dog can get learning!
Want professional guidance on the best starting point for your dog? Fill out the Owned Dog Intake Form and include your questions. We’ll get back to you with specific recommendations based on your dog’s current needs.
Can I take private lessons?
Yes! We offer private 1-to-1 coaching sessions (online or in-person) for advanced training – public access or task training, including medical alert – and for all levels of training for dogs we helped you find.
For those in Western Mass., we also offer Day School, which provides day-long training for your dog, and transition lessons for you.
Combining private training with classes and B&T or day school provides the most well-rounded training and is our most popular option. A plan for great results is…
- Age 2-4 months: Puppy Raising Round-Trip B&T (weekends home)
- Age 4-7 months: PEARL DISC class
- Age 7-10 months: Bronze DISC class + B&T 1 week/month
- Age 10-15 months: Silver DISC & private lessons on advanced public access and to begin task training
- Age 16-24 months: Complete task training with private lessons + 2 sessions of 2-week B&T
Learn more about prerequisites for private lessons.
How long will it take to fully train my service dog?
There’s good news and bad news. As you can guess, training your dog to behave beautifully everywhere, as well as learn the tasks you need, will take time. Training primarily with group classes will typically take between 2 and 3 years. Relying primarily on board & train can cut training time in half – to about one year (depending on the age of your dog). Combining B&T with classes can get your dog fully trained in 1.5 to 2 years. The good news: Your dog can start some task training before its public access training is complete, AND training together is fun, rewarding, and builds your bond! See our Sample Plan time and cost estimates for more details.
This feels like a big investment. How much will it cost to train my service dog?
It’s true. A service dog is an investment in your freedom, safety, and quality of life. While some opt to save time by using board & train, you can go the other route and save money. With our affordable online classes and as-needed private lessons, your dog can complete all its training for as little as $7500. For faster results with some savings, combine classes, board-and-train, and private lessons (our most popular option) for a fully trained service dog for $15-20,000. Our Sample Service Dog Training Plan breaks it all down for you. Plus, if you’re low-income, you may qualify for discounts from our scholarship fund.
How do I know if my dog and I “have what it takes” to be a service dog team?
Unfortunately, you may not know yet. But you watched our video, which gave you some important hints. Now ask yourself these 3 questions:
- Did your dog get a high aptitude score? That’s an excellent sign.
- Do you have the time, resources, and motivation to train a service dog? That’s a crucial element!
- Would a service dog make a big difference for you? We want that for you, too.
If you said YES to all, you’re positioned perfectly! Enroll in PEARL DISC! or Apply for Board & Train.
Here’s a little secret. If you’re still unsure if this is your dog’s path, but you’re motivated to train, enroll in PEARL DISC. You see, the DISC classes aren’t just fun and informative dog training classes. In addition to providing demonstration, instruction, and individual coaching on manners, public access, and task training foundations, the PEARL and Bronze courses answer the question, “Is service dog training right for me and my dog?” Assessment questions on a range of issues are sprinkled throughout the discussion and homework. You’ll arrive at a clear answer, usually within a few months, about whether a service dog career is right for your dog. If you discover it’s not meant to be, you will still have gained special insight into your dog’s mind, improved their training, and deepened your bond. That’s a win in our book.
Do online service dog training classes really work?
Honestly… yes! We have been just as surprised as anyone to discover how powerful and effective online classes and private coaching can be. We started online training in 2020 because of the Covid pandemic. The results were so impressive, we moved most of our training online.
Our online classes are our most popular service. Our clients love the convenience – saving time and “spoons” on travel allows you to spend more time training. We love the fact that you and your dog learn better at home.
Emily Rose sums up what we hear all the time… “Favorite part of the program: That it’s done via Zoom! I actually expected to hate this, but doing the classes in my home meant we could learn the skills without distractions and then add them in later. That made it easier for both of us to learn.”
See clips of real training classes, and read more student feedback on our class and testimonial pages.
More questions? Consult our FAQ.
Far beyond any other trainers
I am in awe of Sharon Wachsler – her depth of knowledge, her extensive library, her training methods (the handler as well as the dog), and her professionalism. Sharon’s clear and concise, step by step instruction is far beyond any trainers we have met. I have learned the foundational reasons of what and when we train – the why behind the what. My service dog, Shadow, has been trained at three other facilities. No other trainer has done this.
–Lee Atherton
Pro Trainer?
Are you a professional trainer who wants to add, or level up, your service dog offerings? On-tap consulting provides immediate answers or support.
Increase my confidence with service dog cases.
More Skills at a Faster Pace
As a busy working parent, training a service dog for my daughter, having someone I trust to train my dog consistently is huge. I have trained two dogs. The one that went through At Your Service’s board & train program learned more skills at a faster pace. She also had fun and was always excited to return. Hands down, the best training option I’ve found.
–Tere Ramos and Heidi
Certifications & Associations
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