Service Dog Training -- Train Your Own
If you have a disability, we can help you train your own service dog or have it professionally trained by us (or a combination of both!) We work with a variety of disabilities for both children and adults. K-9 Prodigy's service dog training program consists of three main components:
Public Access Training: Your dog will learn to behave calmly, quietly and under control in any scenario. Public access training begins with basic obedience in a quiet, non-distracting environment and moves out to real-world practice in a variety of situations and locations.
Task Training: Your dog will learn tasks which will help you in day to day life. Which tasks we train your dog will depend on your specific disability. Do you need your dog to pick up dropped objects? Bring needed medications if you are unable to get them?
Handler Training: What are your rights as a service dog handler? What are your responsibilities? will teach you how to legally use your service dog and how to avoid problems or deal with them if needed.
Please Note: Service work is extremely strenuous for dogs, and not all dogs have an appropriate temperament for it.The trainer reserves the right to discontinue service training at any time if the dog shows undue stress or is deemed unsuitable for service work due to temperament issues. We comply with all ADA laws and guidelines and require that you and your dog meet or exceed minimum training standards before representing your dog as a K-9 Prodigy-trained service dog in public.
Please Note: The challenge of training your own service dog is an immense one. It requires long-term commitment to working and practicing with your dog, ideally several times per day, every single day. Candidates who are best suited for training their own dog have owned dogs in the past and are already experienced with raising and training puppies as well as preventing or solving behavior issues. Successful candidates will have enough time resources to make training a priority. It is very difficult to have the time to do this if you are also managing a full-time job and a household. It is not something to do "on the side" or "when you have time." Be realistic about your current time commitments before making the plunge.
Request a Service Dog -- Trained
***Currently the Fully-Trained dog option is not available. The train-your-own option is still available.***
We can provide trained service dogs to people with a verifiable disability. Dogs meet or exceed the minimum training standards set forth by the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners and have passed medical screening including hip and elbow x-rays, eye exam, spay/neuter, and general health check. You will receive ten hours of instruction on how to use and work with your new service dog, as well as all the equipment you will need and a yearly follow-up session for the life of your dog.
There is generally a wait time of 1-2 years before receiving your service dog. The cost is $6,000 with a required application, home visit and $500 refundable deposit. Please contact the trainer at (503) 839-0493 to receive an application and a complimentary consultation about your needs.
Get help with your Service Dog
If you already have a service dog but are struggling with public access challenges or need to upgrade taskwork, we can help you through any tricky spots and get your team going strong again.
Not local? Online Coaching Now Available
If there are no trainers in your area, our online service dog training program will help you make the most of your training time, ensure that you adequately prepare yourself and your dog for service work, hold you accountable for practicing, monitor your progress, and teach you how to work through obedience, public access and task training.
Online coaching is email and video-based and can start at any time and is available for you to work on 24 hours a day.