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SERVICE DOGS

Medical Assistance Service Dogs 

A medical assistance service dog can:

  • Alert someone that help is needed

  • Push a medical alert button when an emergency occurs

  • Provide balance support to help someone recover from an incident or episode 

  • Retrieve a phone or medicine

  • Alert to dissociation or other similar experiences 

  • Alert to and locate the source of noises for hearing assistance 

  • Provide Deep Pressure Therapy or alert to oncoming anxiety or panic attacks 

  • Provide emotional support and comfort during their handler’s recovery period

Mobility Assistance Service Dogs

A mobility assistance service dog can:

  • Provide balance support via a balance/stability harness

  • Provide a brace in the event of a fall

  • Physically pull in harness to help someone up steep inclines, or to get out of a seated position

  • Retrieve dropped items, open doors, turn on/off lights

  • Provide emotional support and comfort for their handler

  • Help their handler achieve greater independence

Autism Assistance Dogs

We offer specialty trained dogs to assist children or adults with Autism. These service dogs can:

  • Provide emotional and psychological support

  • Alert to, and provide support during tantrums or episodes 

  • Provide Deep Pressure Therapy to assist with overstimulation

  • Help improve sleep problems

  • Provide tactile stimulation 

  • Retrieve medication or other items 

  • Provide anchoring to help prevent bolting behaviors 

Guide Dogs

Guide Dogs are specially trained service dogs that are trained to lead blind and visually impaired people. They are taught to navigate around obstacles, stop at any change in elevation, target specific objects in the environment, help maintain their handler’s orientation, and keep their handler safe during travel. We train and place Guide Dogs for non-profit organizations and for private clients.

Skilled Companions

Skilled companions are dogs that are trained to work with an adult or child with a disability under the guidance of a facilitator. A facilitator can be a parent, spouse, or caregiver who lives in the same household as the recipient. The facilitator cares for the assistance dog, encourages a bond between the dog and the recipient, and is responsible for the training needs of the team.

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Skilled companions are well bred, calm dogs that are reliable and affectionate. They are eager to please and enjoy providing assistance to their handler. Skilled companions can receive full service dog training in order to have ADA access rights, or they can receive task training only, so that they can provide assistance in the home. Skilled companions that receive task training only are not full service dogs with ADA access rights, and are referred to as Assistance Dogs. They may accompany their handler to pet friendly places, and are well behaved in public, but they do not receive full public access training like fully trained service dogs. Task only assistance dogs are less expensive due to the shorter training requirement. 

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Requirements for a skilled companion dog:

  • Must be at least 5 years old

  • Must have a physical or developmental disability

  • Live full time with facilitator 

Facilitator Requirements:

  • Be at least 18 years of age

  • Be able to demonstrate the ability to safely and effectively control, manage, and care for a dog.

  • Be willing to take full responsibility for the care and management of the service/assistance dog team 

  • Be willing to participate in the training, placement, and follow up visits for the service/assistance dog team

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