Service dog training program
Participation in the K9 training program is made up of a 7-stage process
Stage 1
Consultation with a Health Care Professional regarding receiving a note to support need for Service Dog. This is done before putting in application to receive training. This note must say your medical condition would benefit from the use of a Service Dog. This note may also say your specific medical condition as well as details about your Doctor (ie. license number). If you intend to travel Air Canada specifically states :
- You have a mental or emotional disability recognized by the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders);
- You need your dog for emotional or psychiatric support during travel and/or at destination;
- The person who prepared the document is a licensed mental health professional;
- You are currently under the care of the licensed mental health professional who prepared the document.
Stage 2
Completion of program administrative requirements alongside the program application form. You will be contacted about your dog (Watch K9 does not provide dogs, we do not have a kenneling or breeding program) We will then arrange an assessment day / evening to meet with you and your pup to see if your «team» would match with our program
Stage 3
Consultation/Assessment with an K9 trainer to discuss pairing with a Service Dog — topics include:
- Costs that are covered by the program;
- Canine care and the responsibility of the handler in the program;
- Training , certification and recertification;
- Criteria for a dog that a handler may bring into the program;
- Insurance, both liability and pet health;
- Media and public relations(if agreeable);
- Difficulties encountered in training;
- What users can do if they are denied access to training or full certification,.
Consultation/Assessment with an K9 trainer to discuss pairing with a Service Dog — topics include:
**Note Puppies under 6 months at time of assessment may not be put right into Stage 4. We may recommend a basic puppy obedience course so they can learn social skills and other important things puppies need during their key developmental time. Each pup under 6 months will be looked at differently as some pups mature quite earlier than others to may be fine to start with the 6 week Intro to Service Dog Course
Stage 4
Teams are entered into a 6 week «Introduction to Service Dog Training Program» . In this time trainer want to see that teams are taking selection seriously. They must attend 75%+ of classes in order to go forward as well as trainers must see homework is being done. In 6 weeks if homework is done daily it will be visible in the dog. The cost to this program is $150 as it is a very structured obedience course and not all dogs go forward.
Note Puppies who enter Intro to Service Dog who are under 6 months will not receive their vest until after they mature and we can 100% feel confidence in their ability to work in public.
Stage 5
Users are part of a 52-week Service Dog progression period mentored by K9 trainers. (psychiatric average completion is 52 weeks, mobility is 104. This part of our
program is FREE thanks to our amazing Volunteers, we just ask that families help out when they can with some of our fundraisers. The only cost during this time is the
use of the K0 working dog WEST, this is $400 and marks your official welcome into the program. This Vest you wear your entire time in our program , even when you
graduate. Its part of being in an organization, this is not new, many organizations across Canada have a uniform vest so everyone knows where the dog trains or where
they come from
Stage 6
End-users are certified for a lifetime period. “K9 working dog” follows the set standards for Certification from the Canadian Service Dog Trainers Association . The initial
exam is $100 and comes with a ID card upon completion.
make an appointment
If you are interested to schedule your training class or consultation please contact us