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Service Dog Training

A service dog is a dog that is trained to perform a specific task (or tasks) to mitigate some aspect of the handler’s disability. Tasks are defined as a behavior that has been individually trained to aid the handler in some way (i.e. licking the face is comforting but not a task, while licking the face as an alert to low blood sugar is considered a task). Service dogs are protected under the ADA for public access and may be taken to non-pet-friendly places, provided they have undergone public access training, are well behaved in a public setting, and are at least in training for a task(s). Service dogs can be used for anything from seizure alerts and diabetes alerts to psychiatric conditions, such as PTSD and panic disorders. Service dogs must go through rigorous public access and task training that emotional support animals do not require. They must learn to ignore dropped food in restaurants.They must also not be distracted by other people or animals while on duty. Distracting a service dog could cause catastrophic health problems if the dog were to miss the signs of an impending seizure, for example.

Maximum Canine can assist you in training your service dog by instilling basic obedience, public access training, and teaching the dog various tasks that will help with the handlers disability. Training your own service dog is definitely possible if the dog has the proper temperament, and we would be happy to evaluate or find a dog if you have a disability and a service dog can help. Maximum K9 can also help you find a puppy to train as a service dog.

Our programs for service dog training vary depending on what tasks you need the dog to perform, how much of an obedience background the dog has, and the dog’s age. The average service dog started as a puppy takes approximately 2 years to fully train. Of course, any dog will require maintenance training to keep its skills sharp as it continues through its life.

Emotional Support Animals

An ESA is an animal that a medical professional has determined provides a benefit to a person at home or while traveling. These animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act and the Air Carrier Access Act to allow them to live with their owner in no-animal housing situations and travel with their animals. They are NOT considered service dogs and are not protected under the ADA for public access. While there is no specific training that an ESA must go through, it is important that the animal be well behaved. Owners will likely be held responsible for any damage the animal causes in a no-animal living situation and, although it is not required, should go through rigorous preparation before traveling with the owner to alleviate any discomfort to the animal which may result in the animal acting out towards other travelers (i.e. If you are taking your dog on a plane under the Air Carrier Access Act, your dog may become nervous, and more likely to lash out, due to the loud noise and close quarters of an airplane so you should prepare your dog by taking him to loud, pet friendly locations to get him used to being crowded and hearing unusual noises). Maximum Canine is able to put the basic obedience in place for your dog to be a solid citizen at home and help proof the dog for any travel it might assist with by providing distraction and crowd training in a variety of pet friendly environments. Our basic and advanced obedience programs, combined with a Canine Good Citizenship and Community Canine tests are the perfect way to prepare your emotional support animal for as many situations as possible.

Therapy Dog Training

Therapy dogs are used by a medical professional or a volunteer to aid someone other than the handler. Therapy dogs often visit nursing homes, hospitals, schools, etc., to lift spirits of patients and educate students. They must pass the AKC Canine Good Citizenship (CGC) test or similar behavioral testing. It is recommended that they go through some kind of distraction training such as the AKC Community Canine test as well since they need to be sound around all kinds of medical equipment, people, environments, and sounds. These dogs are NOT protected by the ADA or the Fair Housing/Air Carrier Access Acts and do not have public access rights.

Maximum Canine is certified to give both the CGC and Community Canine tests and can help your dog become desensitized to a variety of medical equipment and situations. We can also help your dog prepare for testing by a therapy dog organization such as Therapy Dogs International (TDI).

The TDI test includes:

Group exercises:

Basic Obedience

Supervised Separation

Getting through a crowd

Group Sit/Stay

Group Down/Stay

Visit with a Patient

Individual exercises:

Reaction to unusual situations

Pass a person on crutches

Pass a person running and waving their hands

Loud noise near the dog

Heeling pattern (left turn, right turn, about turn, stop and sit, down)

Leave it- dog refuses a treat from a patient

Leave it- dog ignores food and water left on the floor

Meeting another dog

Walking politely through the door

Reaction to loud children

All dogs must be wearing a flat collar or non-correction harnesses at all times.

Maximum Canine’s Therapy Dog Preparation course will prepare your dog for the Therapy Dogs International test described above. The test must be performed on a regular, buckle collar or non-restrictive harness. We will expose your dog to distractions, loud noises, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs, as well as teaching your dog to ignore food offered from patients.