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Working Dogs, Medical Alert Assistance Dogs & Therapy Dogs
We train Medical Alert Assistance Dogs, Therapy Dogs, and Tracking (SAR) Dogs. Our working dog program is different than most other programs. We want you to be involved in the training and handling of your working dog. Our hybrid program gives you the ability to be involved in the training, yet allow the trainers to work their magic with your dog. Working alongside our Master Trainers, you will gain handling skills and understanding about your dog and his/her behavior. All of our working dog programs require an application and vetting process. Having a working dog is not a decision to take lightly. It's A LOT of time and dedication to your dog and to the program. You will have homework everyday for you and your dog. If this sounds like a program for you, give us a call so we can discuss the specific details about the working dog you need. Our office number is 575-769-0231.
Medical Alert Assistance Dogs (Service Dogs) We Train:
PTSD
Extreme Anxiety
Seizure Alert
Mobility
A letter from a licensed medical provider will be required before you can apply for our Medical Alert Assistance Dog program.
Therapy Dog Program
Our Mission is to be a help to the community by providing Therapy dogs for schools, hospitals, nursing homes, military bases, Childrens homes, and more! Therapy dogs are different than service dogs. Therapy dogs work in group settings and must be invited into a facility, whereas a service dog is legally protected by law to enter a public building with the handler whether there is an invitation or not. Service dogs are considered medical devices and therapy dogs are not.
Please note ** We do not train Emotional Support Animals because our belief is every dog is an emotional support animal!! The difference is, Medical Assistance Dogs are TRAINED . ESA's do not require training because they are not protected by law under the American's With Disabilities Act. If you see an internet site offering to "register" your dog as an ESA, it's a scam!! They just want your money. You have no legal protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act for an Emotional Support Animal.
Please be very very diligent and aware of Internet Scams that say you can pay $$$ and they'll send you a certificate that your dog is now a certified service dog! It's a scam people!! There's no such thing, and a true service dog must have TRAINING to be considered a medical alert assistance dog. You are throwing away your money if you engage with those Internet Scam artists who say they'll certify your dog. Buyer Beware!!
EFFECTIVE March 1, 2019: If you are training your own dog with us to become your medical alert service dog, we have a specific set of criteria your dog must perform in order for us to certify the dog's training as aligned with the ADA so that it is federally protected under the law. We do not certify the dog as a service dog.... we do, however, certify the training hours your dog has attended with us and we will test your dog to see how he or she performs when complying with ADA guidelines. Our training program contains a lot of public access training beyond the basic and advance obedience training. Each training session is $60 per session (not per hour), the test is $60 and a certificate of training completion is $50. Once your dog passes the test, we will certify the training each month for 6 months as long as the dog and handler attend at least one training per month so that we can make sure the dog is not regressing in its training and medical alert. After 6 months of successful completion, we will issue a 6 month certificate and dog and handler must attend at least one training toward the end of that 6 month period so we can make sure there's still no regression. If the dog maintains its full training and alert with no issues, we will then certify training for 12 months and yearly thereafter as long as we can see the dog continue to perform and the dog can continue to pass the test yearly. There is no charge to re-certify the dog's training unless there is regression and we have to re-train the dog. At that point you would need to pay $60 per session to attend training until the dog can perform 100% on the test. If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to call us at 575-769-0231. In certain situations, we may offer a flat rate charge to train your service dog for you instead of paying per session, especially if your dog has received previous obedience training. Please feel free to discuss your specific situation with us to determine the best course of action for getting your dog trained as your service dog.
EFFECTIVE January 1, 2021: Service Dog training will be by application only. We will begin taking new applications for service dog training February 1, 2021, for the summer training season. Please be advised, we will not train every dog as a service dog that comes to us for training. You must have a qualifying disability as stipulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act through the US Department of Justice. As part of the application process, you will need a letter prescribing a service dog for you from your medical provider, as well as demonstrate an ability to train your dog at home on tasks we assign. We will select applications who show medical need, has a dog who has been pre-tested by our training team for service dog work, and who can demonstrate to us he/she will be dedicated to fullfiling the entire service dog program requirements. All applications require a $150 refundable application fee. A refund will only be given to applicants who do not get selected for the service dog program.
Our training program is different, in that we show you how to train your own service dog. We don't just do it for you. This process takes a lot of time, effort and dedication to your dog. It is, however, the most cost-effective way to obtain a medical alert service dog. We show you how your dog should act in public, how to train the alert, and how to make sure your dog qualifies as a medical alert service dog under the ADA. Service dogs are considered medical equipment under the law (just like having an oxygen machine) and must be in compliance with ADA standards at all times while in public. Because we work in teams, we can only accept a certain number of applications for service dog training per year. Once we graduate a service dog from our program, we will accept another service dog team from our waiting list and begin training. To be placed on our waiting list, you must have a completed application on file with us. Applications will always be selected from our waiting list on a first come first serve basis. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 575-769-0231.
If you do not have your own dog, and you are interested in purchasing a dog, please let us know. We have young dogs that are constantly in training at our facility to become a service dog. These are usually dogs donated to us, or rescued from the local shelter or rescue group that we train and re-home with the right person. There is generally no charge, or very low charge for these dogs depending on how they were acquired. We charge only for the training the dog has received up to the point of going to a forever handler and for training the medical alert. Prices will usually range between $4,500 and $8,000 depending on the type of training required for the medical alert. Our training fees are very affordable and we can make payment arrangements with at least half of your total price as a down payment. Please call us for more details.
