Achieve Obedience Academy
Life is better with a well trained dog
Achieve Independence
Evaluations and Training for Service Dogs
Achieve Independence
Evaluations and Training for Service Dogs
For those looking for assistance in choosing and task training their own service dog or purchasing a trained program service dog, we offer multiple packages from our experienced service dog trainer and handler.
Introduction to Service Dogs
This is a required seminar for all applicants interested in training a service dog, but is also open to the public. It is a one day seminar covering access laws, handler rights, business owner rights, handler ethics, training requirements, task work, and our programs. Seminars will be held every other month and will be placed on the calendar at least one month in advance. Businesses interested in sending their employees to the lecture will receive a special group rate. Following each lecture there will be a period allotted for questions from the participants, as well as demonstrations by working service animals.
Whiskey, medical alert service dog
Service Dog Candidate Evaluation
Are you a disabled individual looking to train an assistance dog for yourself, or for a disabled family member? The first step is choosing an appropriate candidate. Service Dogs require rigorous and very lengthy training, and not every dog is cut out for the job. A Candidate Evaluation by our experienced trainer is the first step towards helping you locate and acquire a proper candidate for training. Are you interested in training a dog you already own? Please contact us for a private consultation and evaluation. Evaluations within our service area are $75.
Service Dog Public Access Training
Believe it or not, the hardest part about training a reliable, functional and ethical service dog is the Public Access Training. This training consists of 12-18 months of consistent training to adequately prepare your dog for a lifetime of working in even the most unusual circumstances. Public Access Training is only available to dogs over 6 months of age that have passed our Service Dog Candidate Evaluation and have a strong foundation in obedience and/or have passed the CGC test. During Public Access Training your dog will master:
-Unloading and loading into vehicles of various sizes and locations on command
-Navigating through crowds and distractions
-Strong impulse control/Extended settles
-Navigating various surfaces, elevators, stairs and ramps
-Tucking out of sight
-Riding public transportation
-Dining in restaurants
-Proofing task work during distractions
This course also includes a Public Access Test at graduation.
Service Dogs Lucas the rough collie and Watson the standard poodle
Whiskey, medical alert service dog, brings his handler her medication
Service Dog Task Training
Task Training is started after a dog has shown strong aptitude for Public Access Work. At Achieve, we offer task work for the following types of service dogs:
-Mobility Assistance- Those who need assistance walking due to neurological or similar disabilities such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Traumatic Brain Injuries or other physical handicaps. May also include some Life Assistance tasks.
-Life Assistance- Those who need assistance with those small daily chores we all take for granted- Turning on and off lights, opening cabinets, retrieving objects, opening and closing doors, loading and unloading the washing machine, even taking off socks.
-Diabetic Alert Dogs- (Please note that we do not train DADs for children under the age of 10) Diabetic Alert dogs are scent imprinted and trained to alert to an absence of a base level of glucose and an excess of a base level of glucose (so will alert to both highs and lows) for Type 1 Diabetics. Used in conjunction with insulin, regular blood sugar monitoring and proper medical care, DADs can be extremely helpful in alerting to a sudden and unexpected drop or spike in blood sugar.
-Psychiatric/PTSD service dogs- For those who are in need of tasks related to psychiatric disabilities, we are here. Dogs can be trained to alert to high blood pressure and anxiety, lead their handlers to a safe place, perform deep pressure therapy, bring medication, body block, interrupt repetitive or dangerous behaviors, awaken/disrupt a PTSD nightmare or flashback, and more. Please note that for legal purposes we do NOT train personal protection based tasks that are in direct conflict with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
-Seizure Response service dogs- While it is true that a true seizure alert can not be trained, we can help shape a response to seizure pre-indicators as well as train reaction behavior such as seeking help, calling 911, bringing medication, and holding in position.
We are not a cooker cutter type of service dog program- each dog that we train undergoes a program designed specifically for that dog and handler. We also understand that your disabilities may not fall into one category, and we do cross-train tasks for those with multiple disabilities.
This program usually takes about 6-12 months and we have very limited slots due to the level of attention this program requires. The cost of this package can also vary greatly depending upon the individual needs of the handler.
Public Access Test- for Service Dogs
Ready to take the Public Access Test and see if your Service Dog in Training is ready to graduate? We are happy to help administer our version of the PAT. (Please note: This is not a certification, this is a self-analytical test to gauge your dog's readiness for real-world work) The cost of a trainer evaluated PAT is $100.
We offer four very different packages available for comprehensive service dog training. Please contact us for more information on each package. Some basic details are as follows:
Owner Trainer Support package A:
-Puppy Candidate locating and testing
-Unlimited access to all group classes
-Private weekly lessons for 6-8 months for basic obedience
-Private twice monthly lessons for 8-12 months for public access
-Private twice monthly lessons for 6-8 months for task training
-All testing
-Vests, leashes and non specialty gear
-Access to online logs
-Unlimited text, email and phone support
-Access to service dog education library
-Classes on ADA law, handler rights and service dog education
-2 weeks board and train
-4 hours yearly training support post graduation
-Re-tests every two years
Program lasts 18-24 months and costs approximately $6,000. Payment plans are available.
Owner Trainer Support Package B:
-Puppy Candidate locating and testing
-Expert puppy socialization and early stepping stones program (Board and train where our professional trainer handles the socialization window and fear periods and does all socialization and basic puppy obedience)
-Unlimited access to all group classes
-Private weekly lessons for 6-8 months for basic obedience
-Private twice monthly lessons for 8-12 months for public access
-Private twice monthly lessons for 6-8 months for task training
-All testing
-Vests, leashes and non specialty gear
-Access to online logs
-Unlimited text, email and phone support
-Access to service dog education library
-Classes on ADA law, handler rights and service dog education
-4 weeks board and train
-4 hours yearly training support post graduation
-Re-tests every two years
Program lasts 18-24 months and costs approximately $8,000. Payment plans are available.
Owner Trainer Support Package C:
-Puppy Candidate locating and testing
-Expert puppy socialization and early stepping stones program (Board and train where our professional trainer handles the socialization window and fear periods and does all socialization and basic puppy obedience)
-6 months of board and train until your candidate is housetrained and can pass a CGC test
-Unlimited access to all group classes
-Private weekly lessons for 6-8 months for basic obedience
-Private twice monthly lessons for 8-12 months for public access
-Private twice monthly lessons for 6-8 months for task training
-All testing
-Vests, leashes and non specialty gear
-Access to online logs
-Unlimited text, email and phone support
-Access to service dog education library
-Classes on ADA law, handler rights and service dog education
-6 weeks board and train used at your discretion
-4 hours yearly training support post graduation
-Re-tests every two years
Program lasts 18-24 months and costs approximately $10,000. Payment plans are available.
Our last package is a full service program. Please contact us for more information on this package. Slots for this are extremely limited as we do only one dog at a time.
Lucas the collie begins his PAT at 8 months