The Service Dog School · Train your own, start today
Train your own service dog with the exact methodology behind 300+ placements — full video modules, task libraries built around your disability, and coaches when you want them. No 3-to-9-year waitlist. Start today.
No waitlist
Most programs quote three to five years. Some guide-dog waitlists run closer to nine. The Service Dog School is a one-time purchase that opens the moment you enroll. There’s no shortcut — but there is a proven system, built by trainers who’ve placed hundreds of service dogs.
What’s inside
Every core topic, filmed step by step — the same methodology we use in our own program.
Complete task training built around your specific disability, from alerts to deep pressure to mobility work.
Clear, step-by-step command training with the cues, timing, and shaping that actually stick.
How to build calm, reliable behavior in stores, restaurants, and crowds — the part owners struggle with most.
Dual-training paths so one dog can support more than one disability when you need it.
Add coaching, monthly live calls, and a 24/7 AI training assistant — eyes on your work whenever you need them.
Self-paced, never alone
Plan on 60–90 minutes a day for 12–18 months. You go at your pace — and with the Mentorship add-on, a specialist and our AI assistant are one message away whenever you get stuck.
Mentorship add-on: $189/mo or $1,800/yr. À la carte courses and task guides from $49.
One system, two parts
The Service Dog School and our Mentorship program are two halves of the same system — the course gives you the method, the Mentorship gives you the coaches. We bill them separately for tax reasons, but they were designed to be used together, and most families use both.
The course
Everything we teach, in your hands — self-paced, yours to keep.
The coaching
A real coach in your corner while you do the work.
Enroll in the course to start today — add Mentorship whenever you want a coach alongside you.
Never truly on your own
The School is self-paced, but you’re never stuck. Start with the modules, then layer on the support you need, à la carte — from a quick private lesson to a full board-and-train, or hand the toughest stretches to us entirely.
Coaching, monthly live calls, and a 24/7 AI training assistant. $189/mo or $1,800/yr.
One-on-one time with a trainer when a skill just won’t click.
Immersive weekend intensives — real-world proofing with our trainers.
Train alongside a few other teams, with built-in distractions and shared momentum.
Hand us a tough stretch — the dog stays with us for focused, intensive work.
A formal evaluation to confirm your team is ready for the real world.
Public access certification
Before any team works in public, the dog has to prove it’s safe and unobtrusive out in the world. That standard is the Public Access Test (PAT), built on recognized industry criteria — a calm, controlled team that’s welcome anywhere.
Our modules walk you through public-access training step by step and prepare you to take the Public Access Test when you’re ready — with PAT coaching available as an add-on.
Under the ADA there’s no legal certification required to have a service dog — but the PAT is the real-world bar we train every team to clear, because it’s what safe, confident public work actually looks like.
Where the School sits
Want us to do more of the work? Foundations gives you a professional base to finish; Premier hands you a fully trained dog. Same methodology, different amount of it on you.
| Compare the Paths | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Who finds the dog | We do — we source and select the right puppy or suitable adult dog for you. | We help you find one — a puppy or an older candidate from our breeder network and ISDA partners, temperament-, drive-, and health-tested. | We help you find one — a puppy, an older candidate, a dog you already have, or one from a rescue. |
| Who does the training | We fully train the dog from start to placement. Add bootcamps and support periods afterward if you like. | We build the foundation and basic skills up to the point your budget and experience are comfortable transitioning the dog to you. Private lessons, board-and-train, and bootcamps available à la carte. | Total do-it-yourself — you do the sourcing, training, and care with our curriculum and Mentorship support. À la carte options like private workshop weekends, bootcamps, and public-access testing are available. |
| Public-access work | Fully trained by us before placement across the common environments a working team faces. We can't prepare for every situation, but we give the dog a strong base to adapt from. | We start it — basic environmental exposure and generalizing the base skills to everyday situations, enough to get you started safely and confidently; you expand it in the Service Dog School. | You do all the training and environmental exposure, step by step, with our modules and guidance. |
| Your time investment | ~100–150 hrs of study, training meetings, and the optional bootcamp/PAT at placement — plus daily practice (30–45 min) after. | ~450–600 hrs over 8–10 months. | 1,000–1,200 hrs over 14–16 months. |
| Average timeline | Typically 12–16 months to placement-ready. | 4–6 months of foundation, then 8–10 months for your finishing. | 16–18 months at your pace, depending on the effort you put in. |
| Where it happens | Our home, facility, and the real world. Ideally your dog visits your home at stages (1–4 nights) to build the bond; then we come to you for a one-on-one bootcamp in your home, work, and therapeutic settings. | Same as Premier, minus the bootcamp — though the transition itself happens in your own home. | Your own home and real public settings wherever you go. The program and support are online unless you add services. |
| Cost range | Each dog is custom-selected and trained, so it varies. By consultation and proposal — typically $46,000–$50,000 base with all components, options, and equipment. | $12,000–$20,000, plus the puppy, travel, vet, and food costs. By consultation. | $699 + tax, plus the $1,800 Mentorship program (built to work together), plus any à la carte options. |
| Best for | Families without the bandwidth or experience to train, who value a customized approach, hands-on assistance, and individualized support. | Hands-on families on a budget who want a professional training base and the support to carry it across the finish line. | Self-directed trainers on a tighter budget, or those with dog-training experience who like learning new skills. |
Enroll and choose the disability track your dog will train for — or add dual-training to prepare for two. Prefer to talk it through first? We’re a phone call away.
