Service Dog Training in Atlanta

In 2024, our Atlanta dog trainer and owner, Christina Dore, went off to learn how to be a service dog trainer! There are many different types of service dogs and we want to make sure we are clear on what kind of service dog training that we are now offering here in Atlanta and beyond! 

When it comes to pheromone-based detection and/or for conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy, we are unfortunately not equipped to train this type of service dog. Nor can we train a dog to assist with total blindness. We also want to be clear that the service dog training we offer is NOT therapy dog training (ie: dog visiting hospitals or nursing homes) or Emotional Support Animal (ESA) training. However, we can train service dogs for those humans needing a canine assistant for psychological disorders and anxiety disorders.  

So what does this mean and what kind of services or tasks can we train a dog with? Thankfully quite a few! Here’s a short list that includes (but is not limited to) the tasks we can train a service dog:

• Deep pressure therapy
• Medication reminders/alerts
• Medication/item retrieval
• Behavior interruption
• Crowd control
• Mobility guidance
• Finding a person for help

Service dog training can be life-changing, and we decided to pursue this because we want to ensure this can be available to those who need it, improving the quality of life for both humans and dogs! Service dog training is something that can be taught but it is NOT for every dog. While there are no set breed requirements for a service dog, we do seek certain personality traits that will be fitting for a service dog, such as tolerant, stable, handler-oriented, motivated, not noise sensitive, and more. This is why before we begin any training, we have an initial consultation for service dog training to ensure your dog is a good fit, and that you as the human are ready to take on the training work required. Service dog training can also take a lot of time, depending on the dog’s progress and the owner’s consistency, but when the commitment is there all around, we have seen and created remarkable results! 

We know seeking a service dog can be exciting but also a little anxiety-inducing since someone is reaching out for help and revealing their vulnerabilities. We understand this and will approach this journey with sensitivity and compassion for both the human and dog. We will focus on positive training to teach the necessary tasks and behaviors for your dog. When your trainer feels your dog is service-dog-ready, then we will help you get the necessary paperwork with the State of Georgia so your dog can be an official service dog! Our service dog training is in-home training (though of course, we test your dog out in the real world when they make enough progress), and like all our Atlanta in-home dog training programs, our service dog training is commitment-based where we will work with you until the job is done!