Service Dog Foundation Program

Preparing Qualified Dogs for Public Access & Disability-Related Task Work

At All Pets Sitting, our Service Dog Foundation Program is designed for dogs with the temperament, confidence, and potential to become reliable service dogs. Through structured training, real-world exposure, and individualized coaching, we help create confident teams prepared for the next stage of their service dog journey.

Important: We do not certify or register service dogs. There is no government-recognized certification or registration for service dogs in the United States. Our program prepares dogs by developing the obedience, confidence, public access skills, and task foundations expected of a working service dog.

Program Highlights

✔ Advanced Obedience

✔ Public Access Preparation

✔ Confidence Building

✔ Customized Task Foundations

✔ Off-Leash Reliability

✔ Handler Education

✔ Real-World Public Training

✔ Graduation Evaluation

✔ Lifetime Support

Is Your Dog a Good Candidate?

Before enrollment, every dog completes a consultation and temperament evaluation.

Ideal candidates are:

• Confident and social

• Food or toy motivated

• Comfortable in new environments

• Able to recover quickly from stress

• Friendly toward people

• Low to moderate reactivity

• No history of aggression

• Physically healthy enough for service work

Not every dog is suited for service work. If we believe another training path would better serve your dog, we’ll always be honest with you.

Foundation Skills

Your dog will build reliable obedience and self-control through daily structured training.

Skills include:

• Sit

• Down

• Stay

• Place

• Reliable Recall

• Off-Leash Obedience

• Focused Heel

• Loose-Leash Walking

• Door Manners

• Waiting at Thresholds

• Greeting Manners

• Settle Under Tables

• Ignoring Food Distractions

• Calm Behavior Around Dogs & People

• Confidence in New Environments

Public Access Preparation

Our goal is to create calm, confident dogs that can work politely in public.

Training may include visits to:

• Home improvement stores

• Pet-friendly retail stores

• Outdoor shopping centers

• Parks

• Restaurant patios

• Elevators

• Automatic doors

• Busy sidewalks

• Parking lots

• Crowded public spaces

Dogs learn to remain focused on their handler despite everyday distractions.

Customized Task Foundations

Task work is personalized based on the handler’s needs and the dog’s abilities.

Examples include:

• Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT)

• Anxiety interruption

• Panic response interruption

• Medication reminders

• Retrieving dropped items

• Bringing a phone

• Retrieving emergency supplies

• Opening or closing doors

• Light switch targeting

• Finding exits

• Nightmare interruption

• Light mobility assistance (when appropriate)

Additional task training may require an extended program depending on the dog’s progress.

Handler Education

Training doesn’t end at pickup.

We’ll teach you how to:

• Maintain your dog’s training

• Understand ADA service dog guidelines

• Build confidence in public

• Read your dog’s body language

• Continue task training

• Set realistic expectations for long-term success

Graduation

Each team completes a final public access evaluation before graduation.

You’ll receive:

• Graduation Certificate

• Detailed Report Card

• Go-Home Lesson

• Personalized Maintenance Plan

• Lifetime Phone & Text Support

Completion of this program does not constitute legal certification or registration as a service dog.

Program Options

Foundation Program (4 Weeks)

$2,600

Designed for dogs beginning their service work journey.

Includes:

• Advanced obedience

• Confidence building

• Public manners

• Foundation public access training

• Weekly progress updates

• Go-home lesson

• Graduation certificate

Public Access Program (6 Weeks)

$4,000

Everything in the Foundation Program plus:

• Extensive public access outings

• Advanced distraction training

• Reliable off-leash obedience (when appropriate)

• Introduction to disability-related task work

• Handler education

• Public access evaluation

• Personalized maintenance plan

Comprehensive Service Dog Foundation Program (8 Weeks)

$5,500

Our most comprehensive service dog preparation program.

Includes:

• Advanced obedience

• Reliable public access behaviors

• Off-leash reliability

• Customized task foundation training

• Multiple weekly public training sessions

• Extensive confidence building

• Handler education

• Graduation evaluation

• Personalized maintenance plan

• Go-home lesson

• Lifetime support

Optional Services

• Service Dog Consultation & Temperament Evaluation — $150

  
  

  (Applied toward tuition if enrolled within 30 days.)

• Additional Task Training — $125/hour

• Private Follow-Up Lessons — $100/hour

• Public Access Tune-Up Session — $125/session

• Annual Public Access Evaluation — $200

Enrollment Process

1. Schedule a consultation and temperament evaluation.

2. Review your goals and determine whether your dog is a suitable candidate.

3. Choose the program that best fits your needs.

4. Reserve your training dates with a 50% non-refundable deposit.

5. Begin your dog’s journey toward becoming a confident, reliable working partner.

Why Choose All Pets Sitting?

Our training is built around structure, consistency, and real-world experience not shortcuts. Every dog receives individualized coaching based on their temperament, learning style, and future goals. We believe successful service dog teams are created through strong communication, confidence, and ongoing support long after graduation.

Service Dog Registration & ADA Information

At All Pets Sitting, our goal is to prepare qualified dogs and their handlers for the responsibilities of service work through professional training, public access preparation, and ongoing education.

Upon graduation, clients may choose to purchase optional identification items such as a vest, ID card, or registration from a third-party provider if they would like additional documentation for personal organization or convenience.

Please note: These products are completely optional and are not required under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Purchasing an ID card, certificate, or online registration does not legally make a dog a service animal. Likewise, there is no federal or state government registry or certification for service dogs in the United States.

Understanding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal civil rights law that protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination and provides legal access rights for trained service dogs.

Under the ADA:

• A service dog is a dog that has been individually trained to perform specific tasks directly related to a person’s disability.

• Emotional Support Animals (ESAs), therapy dogs, and companion animals are not considered service animals under the ADA and do not have the same public access rights.

• Businesses are not permitted to require proof of certification, registration, identification cards, or special licenses before allowing a service dog to enter.

• Staff may ask only two questions when it is not obvious that a dog is a service animal:

  1. Is the dog required because of a disability?

  2. What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?

• Staff may not ask about the person’s disability, require the dog to demonstrate its task, or request medical documentation.

To remain protected under the ADA, a service dog must:

• Be under the handler’s control at all times.

• Be house-trained.

• Behave appropriately in public.

• Not pose a direct threat to the health or safety of others.

A dog that is aggressive, repeatedly disruptive, or not under control may legally be asked to leave a business, even if it is a service dog.

Our Commitment

Our Service Dog Foundation Program is designed to build the obedience, confidence, public manners, and task foundations expected of a working service dog. While we cannot certify or register service dogs, we provide comprehensive training to help qualified dogs and their handlers become successful teams.

Graduates receive:

• Professional Graduation Certificate

• Public Access Evaluation

• Training Report Card

• Personalized Go-Home Plan

• Lifetime Training Support

Our focus is not on selling paperwork—it’s on building reliable, well-trained dogs that are prepared for the real-world responsibilities of service work.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

What Is an Emotional Support Animal?

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) provides comfort and emotional support to an individual with a qualifying mental or emotional disability. Unlike service dogs, ESAs are not required to perform specific trained tasks related to a disability.

While specialized training is not legally required, a well-trained ESA is more enjoyable to live with and easier to manage in everyday life.

How Does a Dog Become an ESA?

A dog does not become an ESA through registration, certification, or specialized training.

Instead, ESA status is based on the owner’s need. A licensed healthcare or mental health professional may determine that an emotional support animal is part of a person’s treatment plan and provide appropriate documentation when needed.

There is no official federal registry or certification for Emotional Support Animals.

ESA Rights

Under current federal law:

Housing

Many housing providers must make reasonable accommodations for qualified Emotional Support Animals under the Fair Housing Act, although exceptions may apply.

Public Access

Emotional Support Animals do not have public access rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Restaurants, grocery stores, shopping centers, hotels, and other businesses are generally not required to allow ESAs.

Air Travel

Federal law no longer requires airlines to recognize Emotional Support Animals as service animals. Most airlines now treat ESAs as pets and require them to comply with the airline’s pet travel policies.

Our ESA Readiness Program

Although training is not legally required for an ESA, we believe every emotional support dog should be calm, confident, and well-mannered.

Our ESA Readiness Program focuses on:

• Basic obedience

• Loose-leash walking

• Calm behavior in public pet-friendly locations

• Confidence building

• Settling quietly

• Proper greetings

• Household manners

• Crate training (if desired)

• Building a stronger bond between dog and owner

Our goal is to help your emotional support dog become a reliable companion you can confidently enjoy in everyday life.

Flying with Your Dog

Traveling with your dog can be a smooth experience when you’re prepared. Airline policies vary, so we always recommend checking with your airline before your trip.

Flying with a Pet

Most airlines allow small dogs to travel in the cabin if they:

• Fit comfortably in an airline-approved carrier

• Remain inside the carrier during the flight

• Meet the airline’s size and weight requirements

• Have current vaccinations if required by the destination

Larger dogs may travel in cargo depending on the airline and destination.

Pet fees and travel requirements vary by airline.

Flying with an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)

As of current federal regulations, airlines are not required to recognize Emotional Support Animals as service animals.

Most airlines now transport ESAs under their standard pet policies, which may include:

• Pet fees

• Carrier requirements

• Size and weight restrictions

• Breed restrictions on some airlines

Flying with a Service Dog

A trained service dog may accompany its handler in the aircraft cabin when it meets applicable federal requirements.

Service dogs should:

• Be individually trained to perform disability-related tasks

• Remain under control at all times

• Be house-trained

• Behave appropriately in busy public environments

Many airlines require passengers traveling with a service dog to complete the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Service Animal Air Transportation Form before travel.

Preparing Your Dog for Air Travel

Whether traveling as a pet or a service dog, we recommend teaching your dog to:

• Settle quietly for extended periods

• Ignore distractions

• Walk politely through crowded environments

• Remain calm around luggage, carts, and loud noises

• Enter and exit carriers comfortably (for pets)

• Stay relaxed in unfamiliar environments

Our travel preparation sessions can help build the confidence and manners needed for a safer and less stressful travel experience for both you and your dog.

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