You come to the program with your own dog that has the appropriate temperament, or we can help you find a dog with the right temperament to train as a Service Dog. We accept dogs into the program up to 3 years of age.

We meet weekly via Zoom and in person, when offered, to train. We start with the basics and work our way through to more advanced obedience and public access training. We make sure that your dog is gradually exposed to new experiences and increasing demands. We want both of you to succeed.

Common aspects of task training are taught to the whole cohort, such as target, blocking and retrieving. Specific task training is customized to each individual team's need.

It usually takes 18 months to complete the program, assuming you come in with a dog as a puppy or no obedience training.

As you move through the program benchmarks are used to mark your progress. We have each dog work to achieve all three levels of the American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen Title: CGC, CGC Advanced (CGCA) and CGC Urban (CGCU).

To graduate from our program each team must successfully pass the Public Access Test which provides a numerical evaluation of the team's performance on public transportation, appropriate

grocery store behavior, obedience, interaction with children and behaving appropriately in restaurants including ignoring dropped food.

We require that each team return and retake the test every two (2) years to verify that the standards are maintained.