"Matching Dogs in Need with Humans in Need!"
About
Our program helps bring dogs in need, together with people in need thereby improving the lives of both our Service Dogs and their Handlers. We are very proud of the work we do and for all our amazing volunteers and animal trainees who make it possible!
The "Acclimators"
Our SDiT program trainers work on two different levels. Level 1 is “Acclimation”. One of the most important attributes of an effective Service Dog is to be comfortable in whatever surrounding their handler may find themselves in, and still be able to perform their function. Our Acclimators therefore have the duty of acting as a handler would and expose their trainee to their everyday lives by bringing their SDiT everywhere.
SDiT’s are recognized as Service Dogs and afforded the same rights as graduated service dogs in many states. Maximizing our SDiT program is pivotal in preparing our dogs for active duty. While in the Acclimation level, our dogs are also trained in basic commands and behavioral skills. They learn how to remain calm regardless of their environment or surroundings, sit, stay, heal on command, ignore any food, treats, or other distractions not specifically meant for them, and other high-level behavior skills.
Aptitude & Prep
Once our trainee graduates Level 1, they enter into our final level: “Aptitude and Prep”. In some cases, this means moving on to a new trainer, but in all cases, this is the level where we identify which type of service our trainees are best suited for and fine tune their training to make them ready for their specific tasks. We graduate Service Dogs capable of many types of On Duty Service Tasks: Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs) , Medical Alert (MADs), Severe Allergy Alert Dogs (AADs), Brace/Mobility Support Dogs (BMSDs), Visual Assistance Dogs, and Wheelchair Assistance Dogs. Once our trainees complete our program they are paired with a Handler and then they’re Best Friends Forever!