How do I make my dog a Service Dog?

This is a question we get a lot.

Good thing is, Jennifer Gollinger, LCSW, has her Doctorate degree in Education Learning Science and is a Certified Service Dog Trainer who also has her own Service Dog.

The dog must have a few mandatory qualities before even thinking about starting the Service Dog Process:

  • Can not be aggressive to people or other pets

  • You must have a disability. Not all disabilities can be seen. This can be a physical limitation or a psychiatric disability such as anxiety disorder, Trichotillomania hair pulling disorder or PTSD.

  • If you have a puppy you need to be actively potty training to not use the bathroom in public areas indoors. A fully trained Service Dog will not use the restroom indoors and can be trained to go on command, this will be your goal.

  • You can commit to at least 4 months of weekly commitment to start you can self-train after as the process can take several months. The 4-month commitment will be required to be paid upfront, to ensure the 4-month commitment is consistent, and a letter of completion will not be provided before the 4-month period. The training will cost approximately $1,280.00 for the 4 months.

  • Insurance does not cover Service dog training

Our Approach on the Service Dog Area is-

If you live in South Florida and want in person group service dog training, you can sign up for our weekly Task service dog training which also includes information on coping with Service Dog discrimination and how to manage that when you experience it. Our in-person trainings are held every Friday at 5:30pm-6pm, this group does not provide mental health care, this is a Service Dog Training Group. The cost is $80.00 a week.

We do not provide Service Dog Certification Letters, because there is no such thing as a Certified Service Dog. That is a fake document. We provide a proof of Task Training with a professional proof of training Letter and a copy of a public access exam that we administer, which is earned and authentic but is not required by law to have a Service Dog, however it can improve the handler bond and can possibly assist in credibility.

The Public Access test we will provide at the beginning of training, and you will gradually train your dog every item on it. A sample of a psychiatric public access test can be found by clicking here. We also train for physical disabilities too. We recommend you work on the side to train and practice with your dog between every group session.

An Authentic Service Dog takes a few years to train, and a puppy cannot be a full-blown Service Dog will be a Service Dog in Training through puppyhood. You will have to self-train after our training and continue to conduct refresher training on your own by practicing a little here and there.

If you meet someone with a Puppy and they say it is a Service Dog fully trained then, it is not a real Service Dog, it should be addressed as a Service Dog in Training. IDs with Registration or License Numbers are also fake and IDs are not required. Carrying a photo of your service dog from an ID badge with no license or registration number that says Service Dog is a great identification. Not required by law but sometimes easier than having to do the back and forth at a location.

We do role play of various scenarios where challenges arise.

Please fill out the form below and indicate in the Subject Line: Service Dog Training in person or virtual, to let us know if you are interested or need more information. Thank you

Our Virtual meeting is also held once a week, for anyone in the United States. This training does not provide mental health care. Jennifer provides task training for clients wanting to make their dog a service dog. Please contact us for more information to be places in a group. Our Virtual Meeting Training is $80.00