Training a service dog is not an easy feat, but the great news is you’ll start doing it from the comfort of your house. In broad terms, a service dog is trained to help someone who features a disability. they will do a good array of things, but service dogs are typically trained during a specific area and may alert for everything from diabetes to seizures, help guide humans with low vision or autism, and ease anxiety.
The ADA doesn’t require that your service dog be certified, but getting them the proper training will make sure that they learn exactly what to try to do and the way to help when needed. to urge started, here are our favorite online service dog programs.
Click here for the best dog training online
Service Dog Academy: Best Overall
Our pick for the simplest overall online service dog educational program, Service Dog Academy, has trained medical alert dogs around the world for disabilities including diabetes, narcolepsy, hypoglycemia, and various other conditions.
While the Illinois-based school does provide in-person training, its online offerings are especially robust, with options for both group training classes and one-on-one appointments. In both cases, training is conducted via a video conferencing platform (such as Zoom), with most group courses lasting around five weeks. There are a variety of courses to settle on, including Basic Medical Alert Dog Obedience, Service Dog Public Access, and even an option for puppies.
Group classes with Service Dog Academy are roughly $250, while individual appointments begin at about $100 for a 30-minute session. the varsity also offers a more extensive eight-week program covering topics like alerting to low blood sugars and (no joke) dialing 911 on a dog phone.
Compass Key: Best Personalized
While Compass Key primarily conducts its service dog training courses in-person, it also makes an attempt to figure with clients who might not live near one among its physical branches (it has several across the country).
You may get to work with one among the company’s trainers one-on-one to start the program, but from there the varsity will continue your training over Skype or Facetime—it has several international clients who have done exactly that.
Currently, the choice to participate in training online applies to the school’s basic and advanced obedience courses. Just bear in mind that you’ll get to get in-tuned to debate the simplest option and approach for you and your dog since Compass key’s not specifically designed as a web educational program.
Working with Compass Key requires a roughly two-hour evaluation session before beginning coursework, which costs about $300 and should be conducted virtually. Online lessons are often purchased individually for around $135, or as a five-lesson package for about $650. there’s also an option for personal lessons, which are one hour long and are roughly $185 for one appointment or about $850 for a group of 5.
E-Training for Dogs: Best for Beginners
If you’re new to the service dog world, try E-Training for Dogs, which offers pre-recorded lectures specifically designed for beginner service dog owner-trainers.
These “tier three” options cover topics including dog candidate selection, socialization, public access, and task training, and don’t require any homework or training challenges.
While one-on-one time with the trainer to ask questions isn’t included at this level (although it is often added on a pay-per-hour basis), there are many included articles and online resources for self-study. There also are no prerequisites for taking courses at this beginner level.
Beginner training lessons with E-Training for Dogs cost between roughly $25 and $90, counting on the category, and may be purchased on an a la carte basis. the worth is decided by the number of recorded lectures included within the lesson, alongside the quantity of reading that goes with it.
Doggy U: Best Consulting
If you’re trying to find one-on-one help with a selected issue, Doggy U offers stellar consulting services. This online service dog educational program can assist you to train your dog to help with mobility, visual defect, balance, PTSD, anxiety disorders, and hearing.
Its trainers will work closely with you to create confidence in your dog while helping you overcome any specific training challenges you’ll have already run into. additionally, to one-on-one consulting, Doggy U also features a great Service Dog 101 training session and a more in-depth monthly educational program.
Consulting appointments with Doggy U cost about $60, and you’ll work with an experienced, certified trainer to deal with any hurdles in your dog’s training. Outside of Doggy U’s service, the Service Dog 101 class is about $50 and provides a 45-minute point of entry for your training. A monthly training class costs around $400 and is ongoing, with multiple consulting sessions monthly.
Animal Behavior Institute: Best for Trainers
Most of the choices we’ve included here are designed for owner-trainers hoping to figure out their own service dogs. But if you’re hoping to become a trainer of service dogs for others, Animal Behavior Institute may be an excellent spot to start out your journey.
This online school’s Service & Therapy Dog educational program will assist you to create your own training plan, put canine behaviors on cue, work one-on-one with disabled clients, and choose and assess dogs to be used in commission training (among numerous other skills). Altogether, the program consists of 5 individual courses, and after graduating, you’ll use the designation CSTDTP, or Certified Service & Therapy Dog Training Professional.
Each individual service dog training course with the Animal Behavior Institute costs about $1,185, and therefore the full program is roughly $5,925 (textbooks aren’t included.) While it’s a steeper investment than most classes designed for owner-trainers, the difference is that this is often a real certification program intended for future training professionals.
Click here for the best online dog training