According to the Americans With Disabilities Act, a person can choose to have a service dog due to a disability. No matter how much training a dog has, it is not a service dog if the handler does not have a disability.

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Being a service dog is challenging and requires the right temperament. If you think your dog might be a good service animal candidate, we can evaluate his or her suitability for public access behavior as well as the task training you will need to mitigate your disability.  We can also work with existing service dog teams, whether specific challenges come up, or add on more tasks over time!

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Our team of experienced professionals will ensure your dog can assist you by performing the tasks you need, has good manners in any environment, and is trained in public access behaviors that are specific to service dogs. We will also build your dog's confidence, independent thinking, and problem-solving skills.

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We work with, but are not limited to, the following types of service dogs:

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• Psychiatric Service Dogs (PTSD, Anxiety, and more)

• Mobility Assistance Dogs

• Hearing Dogs

• Medical Alert Dogs (Diabetic, Seizure, and more)

• Autism Assistance Dogs

• Seizure Response Dogs

• Facility Service Dogs

• Seizure Response Dogs

 

Our Service Dog Training begins by building on our signature Day Camp program for both Level 1 and Level 2, with adjustment to service dog specific requirements. Suitable dogs will then continue on to the next phase, which includes public access and task training for your dog . Lastly, we move onto Teamwork where we teach you and your dog to work together.  While we offer an approximate timeline for your dog to graduate each level, your dog will not move on until he or she can demonstrate all skills for that level.

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Payments are made monthly as your dog progresses through the program. You can choose to pay in full or take advantage of one of our financing options. We monitor your dog's progress, provide weekly reports, and videos, and a temperament evaluation administered every 3 months. You are free to withdraw your dog from the program with no penalty at any time if you're not satisfied with our training.

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R+K9's service dog program follows a day training format. You drop your dog off at our Winchester facility on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays. Your dog will train from 9am - 11:30am.​​​​

 

Our service dog instructor ​is both experienced and educated in service dogs. In addition to standard dog training and behavior education, she has completed a rigorous year-long program covering service dog evaluations, temperament testing, training task skills, public access, and understanding disabilities. 

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Pricing varies depending on your dog's previous training experience. We are also happy to help guide you through fundraising options.