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DELIVERY
Once your dog has completed formal training, we will fly or drive to your location along with your service dog. For local clients, delivery is done through a series of private lessons. For distance clients (those located outside of the Charlotte Metro area), we stay in your area for approximately 3-5 days, and provide several private training lessons per day. For distance clients, travel fees will apply (mileage, flights, hotel, etc).
During the delivery, we will teach you how to motivate and build a great relationship with your new dog. We will review all your dog’s obedience commands and disability tasks, and we will work both inside and outside of your home. We want to ensure that you feel fully confident in your ability to work with your new dog, and prepare you for the team certification tests.
Each team must pass three tests in order to graduate from our program; AKC CGC (Canine Good Citizen), AKC CGCA (Advanced), and a Public Access Test (PAT). These tests are included at no extra cost. A certificate of completion is awarded at the end of the program, and the AKC will send you a title of completion for both the CGC and CGCA tests.
What to expect when your service dog arrives:
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Daily Exercise - Exercise is an important component to keeping your dog physically and mentally healthy. Dogs that are not exercised on a regular basis can become destructive within the home due to boredom. We will review what your new dog finds motivating, and show you how to safely exercise your dog.
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Service Dog Health - You will need to be knowledgeable about basic grooming (cleaning ears, clipping nails, brushing teeth, heart worm medicine, and flea and tick preventative). Please look into a local veterinarian prior to your dog’s arrival. Your dog will have a completed health certificate prior to their arrival.
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Schedule and Structure - You need to have your dog on a feeding, watering, and relieving schedule. You will also need to set aside time for training, and we will discuss how to incorporate training into your everyday life. We will review your dog’s training, feeding, watering, and relieving schedule during the delivery.
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Consistency is Important - Everyone in the family, and anyone who will handle the dog needs to be on the same page in regards to the dog’s training and behavior.
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Play Time - Even service dogs will still need time to play and relax. Dogs cannot work all day long. Just like people, they need down time to rejuvenate. We will discuss ways to incorporate play and nap time into your dog’s schedule.
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Create a Safe Environment for Your Service Dog - If you have a fenced-in backyard, make sure that it is safe and appropriate for your dog. If your dog is off-leash trained, we can discuss safe areas for off-leash freedom.
Follow Up Services
We offer free follow up services for the life of every service dog team. We are available via phone, email, skype, or private in-home lessons whenever a team needs more support. Travel fees apply for distance clients (those outside the charlotte metro area) if an in-home session is needed. We require a follow up session around 6 months post-graduation, and 1 year after graduation. This can be done in person for local clients, or virtually for distance clients.