If you are considering collaborating with a dog trainer for a service dog, there is no better than Sarah Gill. For years, I have had the goal of getting a service dog to assist me with medical alerts and mobility assistance. Due to my hectic college and work schedule, owner-training was not an option. I needed an expert. Training programs with pre-trained service dogs didn’t sound appealing either. After all, I am unique and so are my needs. I need a dog trained to fit my specific needs. After months of researching service dog trainers (a specific specialty that not many dog trainers are capable of), a dog trainer friend of mine recommended Sarah Gill. As a person who has had her share of health issues, Sarah understood what my needs were. Together, we traveled hundreds of miles to find the perfect dog, Cinder. Through the process, she was always available for any questions I had. During about a year of training, she visited my office, and my school, and met my other dog children to help see the specific environments in that Cinder would be working in most often. She loves my baby like her own, and she trains dogs like she would train her own service dog- with patience, love, and strength. I cannot say enough good things. Sarah also is not shy about advocating for my needs even when I am scared to! Having a service dog means navigating other human’s ignorance with the right attitude. Through her tireless work and our public outings, we worked together to get both Cinder AND myself ready for being a service dog/handler team. Any questions on how great Sarah is? Text me. Please. I cannot say enough good things.
Ashley Guidry, Master's Student, Communication Studies