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"Can I train my dog to work as my Service Dog?"

   Many people interested in acquiring a service dog are also interested in the possibilities of training their own dog to a level which they can together achieve Service Dog Team status.  Although the majority of service dog training programs available are not structured for Handler/ owner involvement, the SPECTRUM Service Dogs Team Development Program (TDP) has been tailored specifically with owner participation in mind.  While participating in the TDP, the Handler is involved with and guided through the facets of evaluation/ selection, training, conditioning, environmental exposures, skill set development, and, ultimately, preparation for achieving a successful PASS of the SPECTRUM Service Dogs Public Access Test (PAT).  With this structure, you are typically able to enter into a service dog program much sooner, and by being involved throughout the process, you develop a greater understanding of the dog's conditioning.  To be clear - this is not a watered-down "pet" program, but one that results in a highly-skilled Service Dog Team, at a fraction of the typical monetary investment associated with acquiring a service dog.

  SPECTRUM Service Dogs breaks the mold with our exclusive Team Development Program.

  Simply stated, we believe the most successful Service Dog Teams are those in which both the Handler and dog experience the same conditioning processes and training evolutions together.  Through the Team Development Program, the Handler is involved in the dog's conditioning from the beginning, and all training evolutions are structured specifically towards achieving your goals.  This means the dog is trained once, for you, and under your direction.  By doing so, we instill the foundations of the positive working relationship that is essential for the Team's ultimate success.  YOU are training your partner.

  Already have a dog that you're interested in training as a service dog? Great! If your dog passes evaluation, then we get started with your program.  If your current dog does not pass the evaluation, inmost cases we can assist you in the location/ evaluation of a suitable candidate.

  What makes this program work? You, the Handler, begin learning about the dog from day one.  We teach you how the dog sees their world, gaining a better understanding how they may act/ react within it.  We teach you proper communication skills, canine psychology, and responsibilities of both the pack member, as well as those of a leader.  All of these skill sets are then employed during your conditioning program, both during our scheduled training, as well as when the Team is at home at home or on their own training time. 

  All of our programs are structured around the three (3) core essentials of Communication, Trust, and Respect.  As with the creation and success of any team, these essentials must be present in our handler & dog relationship.  Since we are focused on building the positive working relationship, you learn how to instruct, guide, support, and correct your partner without the use of force & compulsion, nor with choke chains, pinch collars or electricity.

    We guide you through establishing yourself as a positive leader along with the establishment of basic obedience and public behavioral requirements.  We set realistic and achievable goals and introduce skill sets particular to your needs for a service dog.  We put these together, training in public environments, with real-world distractions at hand.  Over time, we increase these exposures to differing environments and stimuli, building confidence in both handler & dog, increasing and polishing skill sets, while constantly strengthening the positive working relationship of the Team.

  As the Team progresses in their skill sets and working in public to such level they believe they can operate safely in public without creating undue distraction, they have an opportunity to challenge our Public Access Test (PAT).  Successful passing of our PAT changes the Team's designation from "In Training" to "Service Dog Status", meaning this Team has exhibited themselves as prepared to work in public.  A successful PASS of the PAT doesn't mean the Team's growth has to plateau; participants in the Team Development Program have on-going training and continued-education opportunities available for the service life of the dog.  This means training, proofing, or polishing, is always available to foster the Team's life-long success.

  Just a note: The Team Development Program is straight-forward in approach in the conditioning of a successful Service Dog Team, but can be a bit of an undertaking.  A great part of the exclusivity of this program is the requirement of quite an investment in time and effort.  As stated above, you are training your working partner, and in that light should exist a level of commitment to the consistencies necessary in order to achieve your goals in a timely, successful manner.  Those who are able to make the commitment, however, experience the opportunity to develop a true life-long partnership with their dog.

  To learn more, or to discuss structuring a program for you or someone you know, we'd like to welcome you to contact us via either phone or email.

SPECTRUM Service Dogs Team Development Program (TDP) - "TDP" pricing typically runs $8,500.00 (depending on the particular requirements to be met), includes continuing education opportunities for the service life of the dog, and is eligible for our in-house financing.

 

The result is the SPECTRUM TTASD: an on-site, constantly available provider of both friendship and specialized, focused therapies.