This page contains all Service Dog FAQs on one page for easy search. For a more formatted view, visit the page ‘Service Dog Questions and Answers’ instead. Further, for questions on the law, please review the ADA Regulations for Service Dogs by the DOJ.
Potential clients often wonder how our company stands out. That is a fair question. Here are some really good reasons why Total K9 Focus offers the best service dog training.
Our puppy guarantee is unique in the service dog industry. The service dog industry has an average wash-out rate of over 50%; ours is much lower. If the dog were to wash out during training, we would have to start over. If you purchase a puppy directly from us, you are only responsible for the costs of a new dog. We will repeat the training free of charge and find the other pup a great pet home.
The timeline for delivery will extend, but there will be no additional training fees. You pay for a new dog and continue making payments as originally agreed upon, and we will prepare a replacement dog. We are not aware of any other service dog company offering this guarantee. If you purchase or provide the dog, this guarantee does not apply. This puppy guarantee is one of the reasons we offer the best service dog training.
Service dogs trained by Total K9 Focus can grow with you. Should your tasking needs evolve during or after the initial training, we can always add more tasks later. Whenever additional needs arise, you contact us, and we discuss the additional task(s) as we did initially, give you a price, and move forward from there. On finished dogs, additional tasks can usually be added in between 1-3 months. There are also rarely wait times to get started. If other tasks are added while your dog is still in training, the overall duration may not change at all. The best service dog training should offer you options.
You can obviously make a full payment, but we offer several flexible options if you can’t. First, we offer phase-based payments for which tasks are grouped into phases. You pay for each phase at phase start. The first phase usually includes the price for the dog and the public access foundation. Second, we offer monthly payment plans. Those start with a down payment followed by monthly installments over 12-24 months, depending on tasking. Monthly payments usually vary between $1,500 and $2,900, again, based on tasking and total costs of the program. The best service dog training should be affordable.
What many would view as a limitation, we use as a strength. Due to Sarah’s disabilities, the service dogs we train are exposed to several disabilities during training. This also includes accompanying us to doctor and hospital visits and working alongside Sarah’s personal service dogs. All of this increases our dog’s reliability from the start. They get used to a variety of disabilities upfront. This is another reason our washout rate is lower. The best service dog training creates reliable dogs.
A dog trained for your specific needs will be more bonded to you and way better at its job than a program dog. Each task is fine-tuned to you and where it applies your bio-signals. Your dog begins to understand you as we move through the training process. Further, our program gives you more and more time with your dog as we progress. Regular home visits are built into the program and are essential to making you the best team possible. Home visits allow you to give us feedback on every aspect of your dog’s behavior so we can fine-tune everything as we progress. The best service dog training puts you at the center.
Our washout rate is around 10% with the puppies we provide, while the industry average is 50%-60%. This reduces your risk and costs due to our puppy guarantee. This has a lot to do with the types of dogs we select. Because we have a working dog background, we can work with dogs bred for hunting or sport. This requires a higher level of training skill than with dogs usually bred for service dog work. But these dogs are mentally stronger. They can handle your disabilities better and are less rattled by fainting, seizures, passing out, etc. Once the high drive is channeled into the work, your dog thrives and will make you proud.
We provide lifetime support for the service dogs we train. Whenever you have a problem of any kind, you contact us and we will help you. This support does not cost extra and lasts for as long as your service dog lives. The best service dog training supports you all the way.
Once we start working with you, we usually find a dog in between one week and three months and complete training in between 1 and 2 years, depending on the tasks you need. Your dog will spend approximately 2-3 months with you during the training duration. Home visits usually start after six months, are typically 2-3 weeks long, and occur every 2-3 months. We work with your schedule for these visits. This adds a bit to the training duration but has many benefits. If you are outside California, home visits are replaced with in-person visits. You can read more about how that works in our FAQ: Do You Train Out-of-State Dogs?
Public access training focuses on making your service dog a dog that is welcome anywhere. This process includes several aspects:
The public access training process begins with intensive obedience training with us and expands with increasing public practice as we progress. We only go in public once the core aspects of the foundation are solid without distractions.
Too many trainers start the public component too early. Taking a dog in public is unproductive if it doesn’t have the tools to handle that well. We take it step-by-step and go by each dog’s needs.
Our public access training command repertoire includes the following markers and commands:
Markers are used to communicate with your dog and give clear guidance.
Okay: signals a release to liberty. The dog is allowed to do what it wants.
Good: a continuation or keep-going signal. It tells the dog it is on the right track. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Yes: signals the end of a command but not the end of the session. It marks a successful repetition and starts the reward event.
Uh-Uh: a non-reinforcement marker. It tells the dog it made a mistake and should try something else.
No: the penalty marker for unacceptable behaviors. It is only used when something can not be allowed.
Commands are orders to perform a specific, trained behavior.
Out: drop whatever is in your mouth.
Off: get off that surface, person, sofa, etc.
Come: come to me.
Kennel: go into your crate.
Down: lie down and stay there.
Sit: sit and stay there
Leave It: don’t touch that..
Heel: come to my side and walk next to me as I move.
Empty: go potty.
Load Up: jump up into the car, etc.
Wait: stop, don’t move.
Exit: leave the area, get out of my way.
We do a few things differently regarding obedience for public access training than you may see elsewhere. Here are a few examples of what we mean by that.
Our ‘down’ and ‘sit’ commands have implied stays. That means, instead of always saying ‘down, stay’ or ‘sit, stay,’ we skip the ‘stay.’ We can’t think of a single scenario where one would want their dog to lay down or sit and not stay there. Can you? No need for additional words.
Our ‘down’ command also works at a distance as an emergency measure should you ever need to secure your dog in place for any reason, even if it is away from you.
We don’t teach ‘under.’ ‘Under’ is often used to put dogs under tables and seats. But why do we need a separate command for what is essentially a down-stay? We don’t. Our dogs move fluently with their leashes, go down when told, and stay there. We can place them where needed and that is all that matters for public access training.
‘Place’ is another command we removed. It’s another down-stay with a send-away. Why would you send your service dog away from you unless it’s related to a service task? Again, our ‘down’ command has this covered.
The ’empty’ command is used to offer the dog elimination before we enter offices, restaurants, or stores. Offering elimination beforehand helps avoid accidents, allowing people to ask you to remove your service dog from the premises. We want to prevent that. As a result, we make it a habit to offer elimination before and after any building entry and exit. Elimination is always offered without service dog gear. If your dog can go to the bathroom depends on when it last eliminated, ate, drank, etc. The point is not if it goes. The point is to offer it and for the dog to understand it. If it has something to eliminate, it will do so; if not, we move on.
We hope this outline provides a good overview on how we approach ro obedience for public access training. More about working with us.
Yes, you can enjoy some puppy service dog time before we start training, if you are able to.
First, we find a puppy to raise and train as a service dog for you. Once your dog arrives you can spend time with your puppy in your home before we start training. Most people enjoy 3-4 weeks of puppy time when they are little.
But know that your puppy service dog will not be housebroken at first. Puppy time includes multiple clean-ups each day and getting up at night. Frequent potty breaks are all part of having a puppy in your home.
If you choose to have the puppy with you first, we will guide you during this time. You can also see our list of recommended puppy service dog supplies in our Amazon store.
We will be there with you, answer any questions and teach you how to interact with your puppy best during this time. Our lessons include playing with your puppy and the best use of treats—bonding but with purpose and direction.
This puppy service dog time is excellent for bonding, but it is not mandatory. Many people with disabilities can’t handle puppy chores independently, and if you can’t, it’s not a problem. We have extensive experience creating strong bonds with dogs and transferring them to their owners. A significant amount of time in the training program is dedicated to making you and your service dog a well-functioning team. We can help you develop a strong bond with your dog at any stage during training.
We generally expect to send your dog on its first home visit with you within the first 4-6 months after training begins. If you can’t handle a little puppy, this will be an excellent first bonding experience. Get started with your service dog puppy.
These are the steps you can expect when working with the service dog trainers from Total K9 Focus:
The service dog industry has an average wash-out rate of over 50%; ours is much lower. If you purchased the puppy from us directly, and the dog was to wash out during training, we have to start over. In that case, you are only responsible for the price of a new dog. The service dog trainers from Total K9 Focus will repeat the training free of charge and find the other pup a great pet home. The timeline for delivery will extend, but there will be no additional training fees. You pay for a new dog and continue making your monthly payments or phase payments as originally agreed upon, and we will prepare a replacement dog. We are not aware of any other service dog company offering this guarantee. If you purchase or provide the dog, this guarantee does not apply.
“Do I qualify for a service dog from your company?” is one of the common questions potential clients ask us. There are many dog training companies out there that will take money from anyone who walks through the door and is willing to pay. That is different with us. We have a reputation for highly reliable service dogs, long working years (for the dog), and a wash-out rate far under the 50% industry standard.
We are happy to help anyone who qualifies but we care about the longevity of our service dog teams and only accept clients who will actually benefit from a fully-trained, custom service dog.
The dogs we train must be suitable to be service dogs in our assessment. As mentioned above, our service dogs work longer and are less likely to wash out for a reason. This is the case for all dogs we select and train from puppyhood. If you already have a dog, we are happy to schedule it for an evaluation week to test and determine suitability. We have different standards for what constitutes a good service dog than other companies. Many dogs from so-called service dog breeders are not necessarily suitable from our perspective. Please read our article “What Dog Breeds Make Good Service Dogs?” to understand what we are looking for.
During a test week, we generally evaluate focus, commitment, recovery rate (after being startled), scent processing, visual processing, auditory processing, dog focus, people focus, environmental focus, search pattern, intelligence, and drive. If you want to use a dog you have, expect to start with an evaluation week, regardless of the dog’s age. Evaluation weeks currently cost $750 and last from Monday through Friday.
You will find a wide range of opinions on what dogs are good service dog breeds online, but unfortunately, the dog training industry is the wild west, and people who have plenty of time to use social media tend to not know too much about dogs and dog training.
Here are our thoughts. We are professional dog trainers, with dozens of service dogs personally trained and deployed for over 140 different tasks. In other words, we have the background and experience to back our opinions up.
Most service dog trainers hate high drive dogs for service work because they can’t channel said drive. We love high-drive dogs. They make some of the best service dogs if you have the experience to shape them. We prefer high-drive hunting breeds like retriever and herding breeds most.
Service dogs have stressful jobs. Helping a person with disabilities puts a lot of stress on anyone, including dogs. One of the biggest challenges with selecting the right service dog is reducing the risk of wash-out (meaning the dog can’t handle the stress). What good is a trained task if a dog can’t execute it when its handler has a seizure? Service dogs must be able to power through, which comes down to their genetics (i.e., the breeding). Dogs with strong genetics are good service dog breeds. Dog breeds, which pet dog breeders predominantly breed, tend to have far poorer physical and mental health than dogs bred by sport dog and working dog breeders. The latter breeder group breeds for health and breed attributes and not for looks.
For this reason, a well-bred working-dog usually has a more sound and stable mind than a dog from a pet dog breeder. That directly increases the odds for long, successful service work over its working life and reduces wash-out rates. Even the so-called runts from a great working dog litter still beat most pet dog breeding hands down. Genetics matter! Good service dog breeds have good genetics.
Further, herding and hunting breeds have above-level intelligence, which also makes a big difference.
But, these are generalities. What ultimately a good service dog breed is, depends very much on the person and is very individual. So, selecting the right genetics is a crucial first step, but it’s just the beginning. Here are some other important considerations.
Personal Preference: You must like the dog breed for you to become a successful team. If you don’t like your service dog’s breed, it will come through in your interactions, and it will affect your relationship.
Size/Height/Weight: Your dog must have the right size for the tasks as well as your living circumstances. These may be mutually exclusive, and then it gets tricky. For example, if you need a large dog for mobility reasons but live in a smaller apartment for the same reason. It narrows your options when selecting a good service dog breed.
Color: People are afraid of black dogs. Even black Labradors scare people. If you want your dog to help make new friends, a black dog can be a problem no matter how sweet it is.
Breed-Bias: Certain breeds will cause complications for you regardless of what the law says. For example, if you choose a pit bull as a good service dog breed for you, no breed restrictions in apartments or stores will apply to you. But it will make your life more complicated, and certain places, like airlines, may still prevent you from flying until someone sues them for it and wins a large settlement.
Hair/Fur: Dogs with thick coats that shed a lot are more work to groom and will leave their fur all over your home. You must be okay with and be able to deal with it if you choose such a dog. Allergies from dog fur can also be an issue. Grooming needs are an important consideration when picking a good service dog breed.
Health: Getting a healthy dog goes back to genetics. However, some breeds are prone to certain conditions even if DNA tests show no risk factors. Health impacts the dog’s working life and potential care needs in older age. It is essential to understand all possible ramifications.
Biological Life Expectancy and Working Life Expectancy: Understand how long your dog will most likely be of service, when you need a new one, and how you can save up for it. Long-term planning is viral. Also, old dogs will have care needs of their own. Have a plan to manage that and possibly a family member that can help and give him/her a good pet life in retirement.
Based on the individual circumstances, the criteria can be even further complicated. Picking the right dog from a good service dog breed is essential for long-term success.
We prefer being involved in the dog selection process for all the stated reasons. However, we do work with other dogs after we outline the risks and challenges and an owner wants to move forward regardless. We would not accept an existing dog when the work would negatively impact the dog’s health.
The service dogs we train come from many different places. Some come from shelters, and some are pets people had, but most service dogs we train come from working dog breeders.
Training a working dog for high-level performance takes a lot of time and effort. Service dogs must be able to handle high levels of psychological stress and, for some tasks also, physical strain. Only dogs with the right genetics can truly succeed in this line of work. The dog must be suitable for the tasking. It is also unfair to a dog to expect service work when the animal is not cut out.
This limitation indicates nothing negative about dogs unfit for service dog work. They are usually wonderful pets. Service work is just not a good fit for many. Nobody is a good fit for everything.
In addition, specific tasks place further physical requirements on a service dog. For example, all mobility and stability service dogs must have healthy joints and no predispositions for hip or elbow dysplasia, Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), etc. High-strain activities like mobility and stability often also shorten the possible working life of a service dog. The dog’s job will be to help a person with disabilities but we can’t cause the dog to get injured or disabled by performing the work. The height and weight ranges of the person further narrow down breed and dog options in these cases.
A dog with the right genetics and training can often work for ten productive years before it needs to retire. Given the time, money, and effort it takes to prepare a service dog fully, you want to stack the deck in your favor. You want to get as many working years from your service dog as safely possible. Likely, you want a good return on your investment too.
Selecting the best dog for the job is the most crucial decision affecting washout risk, working life, and dog health. The second major factor is choosing the right kind of training that creates the required relationship between dog and handler.
Dogs from shelters often come with their own set of issues. Trying to resolve them before embarking on a service dog journey adds more washout risk, costs, time, and effort. We don’t recommend that unless you can afford to end up with an additional pet and perform all of the training yourself. Of course, you can find those ‘unicorn dogs’ in shelters that are fantastic service dogs. We have two. But the chances your random rescue fits that bill are slim. It’s a big gamble.
Dogs from pet dog breeders are also not a great choice. Their psychological makeup is often that of friendly, mild-tempered, cooperative, easy-to-train dogs. That makes for a great pet but not necessarily for a great service dog.
Lastly, are dogs supposedly bred for service work. What does it say about those breeding programs when they result in a 50%-60% washout rate? Dogs specifically bred for this work should not fail that frequently. It’s basically a 50/50 gamble with a significant investment. Pretty much the same as going gambling in Las Vegas.
This is why we advocate letting us pick the breeder and puppy. The Total K9 Focus Puppy Guarantee reduces your washout risk exposure to the price of a new dog. We cover all re-training risks. We have a washout rate of below 10%. Why is that? Because of the dogs we select. Working line puppies are little menaces for the first 12 months of their life. But once their high drive is channeled into the work, they excel. Due to their harder temperament, they are far less likely to crack under the mental pressure of service work. And due to the working breeder’s focus on health and longevity, a ten-year working period is far more realistic.
You can start with a free service dog consultation if you want to discuss more details.
This is another unique service we offer; we can test any dog for task aptitude. If your dog is well-suited for the job, we can train it for you.
The first step is meeting with us in public and person. This allows us to assess your dog and the relationship between you. In-person assessments take about one hour and are usually conducted in the outside seating area of a local (local to us) restaurant (e.g., Panera Bread). The price of this initial assessment is $150.
The outcome of this meeting can be threefold. One, your dog is a clear service dog candidate, and we can move forward. Two, we need more time with it and would need an evaluation week to make a determination. Three, your dog is not suitable for service dog work in our estimate.
If we don’t consider your dog a good service dog candidate, other trainers may see it differently. No one is the ultimate authority on what a dog can and can not accomplish. We use our experience, background, and knowledge when judging. We gauge temperament, focus, engagement, motivation, psychological soundness, washout risk, and other factors. If we don’t think a dog can perform the tasks well, may get injured by the tasks or will likely wash out, or would not be able to work for at least 3-5 years post-training, we won’t admit your dog into our program.
How we train is very different from what most people are familiar with from attending or observing public obedience classes. Training a service dog is more comparable to coaching a high-level athlete than training a pet.
Read more about testing.
Yes, you can have other dogs (or pets) with a service dog. Allowing other pets in the home is another major difference between Total K9 Focus and other service dog training companies. The reason many companies don’t permit this is, they don’t know how to make it work. We do. It’s not even complicated but elusive for trainers stuck in a 1950s behaviorist mindset.
Having other pets in the home requires a different transition approach. With our program, you have multiple home visits for your dog, each with a different focus. During the initial visits, we will ask you not to let your other pets interact with your service dog in training. However, that will ease as we move through the process, and all animals live together in harmony. Your service dog will be bonded to you instead of your other pets.
Other pets only change HOW the transfer of the service dog into your home is structured. That’s the only difference.
Your dog and you have to become a harmonious team. You have to form the right kind of relationship. Once the connection is where it needs to be, your dog will not seek out other pets over its person. That doesn’t mean your service dog can’t or won’t be able to play with other dogs. At the right time, they absolutely can. It’s just about doing it the correct way. That makes all the difference and allows for it.
The risk is your dog could bond more with other pets than you, when the process is not structured correctly. But with the correct approach, it’s not a problem. Most things don’t work well if you do them incorrectly.
Relationships between animals and people are not different from inter-human relationships. Once you have developed a great relationship with someone, other relationships you may have with other people don’t take away from that. The friends you enjoy playing with the most don’t lose their status just because you also have other friends you do other things with. This is the same here. Once you and your service dog have formed the right kind of relationship, playing with another dog in the home here and there is not a problem. In fact, it is actually helpful to have this outlet. It makes it even easier for your dog to ignore other animals when it is at work.
The service dogs we train come from many different places. Some come from shelters, and some are pets people had, but most service dogs we train come from working dog breeders. In the case of puppies, we provide the dog and the cost of the dog is included in the total price of the service dog training program.
Training a working dog for high-level performance takes a lot of time and effort. Service dogs must be able to handle high levels of psychological stress and, for some tasks also, physical strain. Only dogs with the right genetics can truly succeed in this line of work. The dog must be suitable for the tasking. It is also unfair to a dog to expect service work when the animal is not cut out.
This limitation indicates nothing negative about dogs unfit for service dog work. They are usually wonderful pets. Service work is just not a good fit for many. Nobody is a good fit for everything.
In addition, specific tasks place further physical requirements on a service dog. For example, all mobility and stability service dogs must have healthy joints and no predispositions for hip or elbow dysplasia, Intervertebral disc disease (IVDD), Degenerative Myelopathy (DM), etc. High-strain activities like mobility and stability often also shorten the possible working life of a service dog. The dog’s job will be to help a person with disabilities but we can’t cause the dog to get injured or disabled by performing the work. The height and weight ranges of the person further narrow down breed and dog options in these cases.
A dog with the right genetics and training can often work for ten productive years before it needs to retire. Given the time, money, and effort it takes to prepare a service dog fully, you want to stack the deck in your favor. You want to get as many working years from your service dog as safely possible. Likely, you want a good return on your investment too.
Selecting the best dog for the job is the most crucial decision affecting washout risk, working life, and dog health. The second major factor is choosing the right kind of training that creates the required relationship between dog and handler.
Dogs from shelters often come with their own set of issues. Trying to resolve them before embarking on a service dog journey adds more washout risk, costs, time, and effort. We don’t recommend that unless you can afford to end up with an additional pet and perform all of the training yourself. Of course, you can find those ‘unicorn dogs’ in shelters that are fantastic service dogs. We have two. But the chances your random rescue fits that bill are slim. It’s a big gamble.
Dogs from pet dog breeders are also not a great choice. Their psychological makeup is often that of friendly, mild-tempered, cooperative, easy-to-train dogs. That makes for a great pet but not necessarily for a great service dog.
Lastly, are dogs supposedly bred for service work. What does it say about those breeding programs when they result in a 50%-60% washout rate? Dogs specifically bred for this work should not fail that frequently. It’s basically a 50/50 gamble with a significant investment. Pretty much the same as going gambling in Las Vegas.
This is why we pick the breeder and the puppy. The Total K9 Focus Puppy Guarantee reduces your washout risk exposure to the price of a new dog. We cover all re-training risks. We have a washout rate of below 10%. Why is that? Because of the dogs we select. Working line puppies are little menaces for the first 12 months of their life. But once their high drive is channeled into the work, they excel. Due to their harder temperament, they are far less likely to crack under the mental pressure of service work. And due to the working breeder’s focus on health and longevity, a ten-year working period is far more realistic.
You can start with a free service dog consultation if you want to discuss more details.
Yes, we train out-of-state dogs quite regularly. Total K9 Focus works with service dog owners in all parts of the country. We haven’t had an international service dog yet, but we could do that too. We can deliver many of our programs worldwide. Non-local dogs are usually in our Board and Train Puppy Service Dog program.
We can adjust our service dog training programs to fit most situations. If you don’t live in California, plan to visit us for hands-on, in-person sessions throughout the process. In such a scenario, plan for a 3-4 day stays at a local hotel at the training’s 6-month, 9-month, 12-month, and 15-month mark. Pet-friendly hotels are close by. Your dog is not considered a service dog during training, so pet-friendly places are important during this time. These visits are your opportunity to train your service dog with us. It is important for making you a successful team.
You get to spend a lot of time with your dog during each visit. It will be with you during your entire stay. We will meet 1-2 times daily for 1-3 hours each. This allows you to become familiar and comfortable and practice public access and tasking by yourself and with our guidance. This is your chance to participate in training your service dog.
This schedule is not rigid; we are flexible. These visits need to happen around those timeframes, but a few weeks sooner or later is never a problem.
If you are local, these visits change to home visits for 2-3 weeks each time. If you’re remote, these are the minimum requirements. However, if you are able and willing to come out more often or for longer, even better. We are trying to keep it manageable for our out-of-state clients but welcome additional participation while training your dog.
If you are interested in exploring more details, you can start here.
Professionally, custom-trained service dogs take between 1-2 years to train and cost anywhere between $20,000 and $75,000. The duration and the price are dependent on the tasking.
Generally, the more tasks, the longer the training time and the higher the costs. The same goes for task complexity. Standard tasks like picking up items or responding to commands are cheaper. Task with multiple signals or responses take longer and cost more. Task based on bio alerts, like blood pressure, heart rate, seizures, blood sugar, etc. cost more as they are more complicated to train. The same goes for environmental alerts and responses.
As part of our proposals, we provide several financing options directly through us to help with the service dog costs. Typically, proposals include the following options:
Full Payment: With this option you either have the money ready or secured financing in other ways. Full up-front payment allows for the fastest training times as everything that can be done in parallel will.
Phase Payments: As part of our proposals we break the training process in multiple phases. You pay for each phase in full at the beginning of each phase. For example, the first phase often includes finding and buying a puppy and training the public access obedience. This phase typically takes six months from the time the puppy arrives with us.
Monthly Payment Plan: With this option, you have a $10,000 to $15,000 down payment at the beginning and then monthly payments for 12-24 months. This option includes a 10% payment plan fee.
Review our financing options for service dog costs.
There really is no typical service dog training duration. It all depends on the tasking you are looking for. Program duration can be anywhere between 1-3 years. The more tasks you need, the longer it takes. There are several duration factors to keep in mind:
Finding a Dog: Locating and testing a great service dog puppy can take anywhere from 2 weeks tp 4 months. If the desired or required dog breed is more narrow, it can take longer. We had a case, where it came down to one breed only and we had to wait until the next litter was ready from the only breeder we could use.
Maturity: If we are starting training with a puppy, it needs to mature. Most dogs won’t be ready to start working as service dogs until 18 months of age for this reason also.
Health: Mobility and stability service dogs must be of the appropriate height and weight in relationship to their person. Also, their growth plates must close (confirmed with x-rays) before they can have pressure put on their skeleton for such tasks. While the foundational training for mobility and stability tasks can start earlier, the final task training can only start once the growth plates are closed. For this reason mobility and stability service dogs take about 24 months to completion.
Washout Risk: The industry washout rate is about 50%. Our own washout rate is only 10%. But when it happens, we have to start over, extending the duration. Our clients are covered by the Total K9 Focus Puppy Guarantee, significantly reducing your financial risk but we would obviously have to start over. No one ever expects this tpo be the case with their dog but it does happen and we should never lose sight of that.
If you are interested in exploring more details, you can start here.
This page contains all Service Dog FAQs on one page for easy search. For a more formatted view, visit the page 'Service Dog Questions and Answers' instead. Further, for questions on the law, please review the ADA Regulations for Service Dogs by the DOJ.
We are located in Southern California and train service dogs nationwide. Hence, Total K9 Focus currently offers local service dog training in several areas. Riverside County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Los Angeles County, and San Diego County. In addition, we offer our service dog board and train program and all virtual training services nationwide.
Are you looking to get your own service dog? You came to the right place! We are experienced service dog trainers. Consequently, we can help you with any service dog request. For many of our clients, we train a service dog from puppyhood. However, we also evaluate the service dog potential of existing pets or rescue dogs. Our flagship product is our board and train program. In addition, we offer owner-trained service dog support. Further, provide virtual service dog training worldwide.
Further, we can add tasks to an existing service dog you already have. Or help you solve a tasking, training, or behavioral challenge you may face with your current service dog. We offer several service dog financing options to make it possible for you. We recommend you start by reading our article on what makes a good service dog. Next, review the Service Dog Consultation page to understand the high-level process. Finally, once you're ready to move forward, please use our service dog contact form to schedule your free consultation.