Welcome, fellow dog lovers!
My name is Leslie
Lucky is more than my dog - he’s my best friend, my co-pilot, and my buddy on every adventure life throws my way. I know how much support and comfort he brings me, and I want to help others find that same happiness. I’ve taken a close look at the most popular Service Animal sites and narrowed them down to the very best options!
Best Service Dog Training Programs 2023
One of the best decisions I’ve made so far was deciding to train my own service dog with an online program. But I very quickly discovered how difficult it can be to find a trustworthy service dog training program. Unfortunately, many offer unhelpful training, wrong information, or are no better than scams. However, the right program can be absolutely life-changing - and has been for me!
Several of my friends with disabilities saw how much my life improved once my dog was trained to be a service animal. They asked me for help guiding them through the process and recommending service dog training programs - and I immediately realized how helpful this info could be to others as well! So I’ve gathered together my thoughts on the most popular online service dog training programs so you can find the right one for you - and stay away from any that will do more harm than good.
In a Hurry? Check Out My Top Pick
★ Most Trustworthy ★
U.S. Service Animals
Get Service Dog Training
US Service Animals' online service dog training program meets all airline & housing requirements.
What I liked
Discounted pricing on premier service dog training schools Courses designed by dog trainers with decades of experience Site was established by lawyers Impressive legal support Helpful customer support Great value A+ BBB rating Sells service dog accessories
What could be better
Sends out multiple promotional mailers post-registrationMy Favorite Service Animal Services
★ Winner ★
Runner Up
What I Learned About Service Dog Training Programs
While the best service dog training programs are very helpful, there are others that are inadequate or even dangerous.
The good ones offered a ton of information and support I could not be more grateful for: thorough but easy-to-follow courses, additional learning materials, access to dog trainers and experts to answer questions, and a reliable certificate to help avoid confrontations with landlords, airlines, and business owners.
However, the troublesome ones had confusing or overly basic courses, offered no help from experts, charged far more than warranted, made the entire process complicated, didn’t give out a certificate (or only offered one that wouldn’t help me), or directly tried to scam me.
My goal was to train my own dog to perform service dog tasks, so that they could assist me in my day-to-day life and help improve my general well-being, as well as allow my dog to go with me to public places - like airline cabins, grocery stores, or the office. This means I needed a service dog training program that could help me completely train my dog, understand service dog laws, and provide a legitimate certificate.
Below, in each review, I’ve covered what I found helpful about each service, as well as what I didn’t like. With this information, I hope you can confidently choose the best service dog training program for your needs - and be as happy with your service dog by your side as I am!
Why a Trustworthy Service Dog Training Program Is So Important
Like I mentioned above, it’s an unfortunate truth that some service dog training programs don’t intend to help you; instead, they want to take advantage of those with disabilities. To help avoid scams, you’ll want to pick only the most trustworthy programs (don’t worry; I cover this in detail in each review). Other reasons why you’ll want to choose a legitimate and honorable service dog training program are:
1. They’ll help you avoid future disputes, and will have your back if you do run into issues. While it’s not legally necessary to have your service dog registered, it is a legal requirement that you be diagnosed with a disability and that your service dog is trained to perform tasks that help with that disability. However, having a certificate that shows they’ve been trained can make a world of difference in settling any confrontations with airlines, business owners, or landlords. Plus, some service dog training schools also offer legal support, so if you do have an issue with someone doubting you or denying your service dog their rights, they’ll help support you. This has been a major help for me, especially since my anxiety makes any conflict particularly difficult.2. A trustworthy, knowledgeable service can help you avoid any fines. One of the most important things to me was finding a site that I could trust understood the ins and outs of my legal rights as a service dog owner - and what the repercussions could be for not acting in accordance with any laws. If you misrepresent your dog as a service dog when it’s not - including if it’s not properly trained to perform service dog tasks, or if you’ve not been diagnosed with a disability or disorder by a medical professional - you could face a hefty fine, depending on where you live. I breathe much easier now knowing I trusted a service that knew how to follow all relevant laws!
3. They’ll help you bring your dog into airline cabins with you. Previously, airlines had to treat emotional support animals (ESAs) as service dogs - which meant they were allowed to accompany their handler into the cabin of an airplane and fly with them for free. Unfortunately, as of January 2021, it’s now up to each airline’s themselves if they’ll allow ESAs to fly as service dogs, and nearly none of them do. Now, to fly with you, your dog must be a service dog who is trained to perform tasks to help your mental disorder. Training my dog, who was formerly my ESA, to perform psychiatric service dog tasks was one of the best decisions of my life; now, he’s still allowed to fly with me. He’s also granted public access in general, and still allowed to live with me regardless of my housing’s pet policy - and unlike an ESA, I don’t have to worry about an annual prescription-renewal to ensure he can keep living with me!
What to Look For in a Service Dog Training Program
Training my service dog, and making sure they were properly certified and registered so that I could more easily have them with me everywhere I go, was one of the most important things I’ve ever had to do. I wanted to be completely positive any service dog training program I worked with was entirely legitimate, and I wanted helpful customer service and dog trainers available to speak with in case I had any difficulties at all. While evaluating service dog training programs, these were some of the elements I considered:Fully Online Training. Initially, I was torn on whether I'd rather have my dog trained in-person or online, but after researching, I quickly realized online provided more benefits. First of all, it’s significantly less expensive - sometimes over 90% less expensive than in-person training. Plus, it’s vastly more flexible; since all the information is online, and nearly all the services offer pre-recorded videos, you can watch and train whenever it works for you! And it’s much more accessible since you can take an online course no matter where you live, or if your disability makes it difficult to attend training sessions in person. I found online to be significantly easier for me, as well as more attainable overall, and I couldn’t recommend it more strongly.
Accurate Information on the Website - Including in the Courses Themselves. As mentioned above, you can be fined if you misrepresent your dog as a service animal, even if you’re not meaning to misrepresent them and honestly think you’re following all laws. I only wanted to work with a training program that had accurate information about what was legally required from me, how to train my dog, and what rights my dog and I both had. Additionally, I wanted to make sure the training itself was accurate and thorough so that my dog could actually help me when I needed them to - otherwise, there was no point in training them anyway.
Courses Designed by Trained, Professional Dog Trainers. Again, there’s no point training a dog to be a service animal if you don’t do it well - otherwise, they may not know how to help you when you need it. I wanted to learn from a course designed by certified, professional dog trainers so that I could feel confident in their advice. I also wanted access to dog trainers, in case I had questions or ran into any issues while training my own dog.
A Helpful, Approachable Customer Service Team. Since all of these materials are available online, I wanted to also choose a service dog training program that had a solid, helpful customer service team I could easily reach out to when needed. If I couldn’t get a video to load, I had issues paying, or I wasn’t sure how to log in, I wanted to make sure I had someone available to assist me.
An Affordable Price. Unfortunately, an already-trained service dog can be a monumental expense; you can easily spend up to $40,000 or more obtaining one. While there are services that can offer lower-cost service dogs, they often have long waiting lists, and I needed support more quickly than that. Luckily, training a service dog yourself is a fraction of the price of getting a pre-trained service dog; however, some places will charge you more than necessary - and often these are the ones that offer less services or insufficient courses. You’ll want to find one that fits your budget and also offers you everything you need.
Thorough, Varied Lessons. It was incredibly important to me that my service dog know how to perform any task I need - from grounding me during a panic attack to retrieving my medication to calling for help if I need it. I also needed to be sure my dog had all the foundational training elements down, both so I could properly train them for more complex tasks, and also so that they’d be guaranteed public access (for instance, if a dog can’t hold their bladder for the length of a plane ride, they can be denied cabin access - and I absolutely need my service dog in the cabin with me!).
Valid Certificates and Documentation. Like I mentioned, I was very nervous about having major conflicts with airlines, landlords, or business owners about my service dog and their rights. I wanted to know I had valid, legitimate, clear documentation to prove that my dog is a trained service dog so that I can easily back up my claims. Also, a service dog training program that offers legal support can help offer even more peace of mind, in case the confrontation goes further. I also appreciated service dog training programs that allowed you to register your service dog online (though this isn’t legally required), so that airlines, businesses, and landlords could quickly look them up and see that they were trained!
Top 8 Service Animal Registration Services 2023
★ Most Trustworthy ★
U.S. Service Animals
Get Service Dog Training
US Service Animals' online service dog training program meets all airline & housing requirements.
What I liked
Discounted pricing on premier service dog training schools Courses designed by dog trainers with decades of experience Site was established by lawyers Impressive legal support Helpful customer support Great value A+ BBB rating Sells service dog accessories
What could be better
Sends out multiple promotional mailers post-registration
My Experience Using U.S. Service Animals
U.S. Service Animals did a wonderful job making me entirely secure, and they also were a fantastic one-stop-shop for any service animal needs. Probably the most reassuring thing to me was that this site itself was founded by lawyers, so I was totally confident that they met all legal requirements and knew the nuances of service animal laws in every state. They partner with two premier entirely online service animal training schools that feature thorough courses - and offer deep discounts on these courses because of their partnership!
Each course takes between 10 hours to 10 weeks to complete, depending on how many of the basics your dog knows already, and since it’s purely online, you can train at your leisure! And they were written by expert trainers who have more than 20 years of experience, so I felt very confident in their techniques and advice. I will admit to being a bit nervous before I started training my dog to be a service dog, but U.S. Service Animals did so much to alleviate my fear. Not only are their lessons easy to follow and clear, but they also offer trainer support, so if I have questions about how I’m training my dog, I know I can get help. And they’re even affordable - so you can get everything you need without breaking your budget.
What really made U.S. Service Animals stand out to me is how complete their offerings are. Not only could I train and register my dog as a service animal, but I could purchase accessories like service animals vests or collars, and even register any other animals as an emotional support animal! They also have an incredibly strong legal team (not surprising, consider who founded them), and a great customer support team, so I never felt like I was on my own. They even have a nationwide network of mental health professionals in every state, so that you can get an official diagnosis, if you need, no matter where you live. I also loved knowing that they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau - which helped me feel even more confident. They do send out a lot of mailers once you sign up, which I didn’t love, but the pros massively outweigh the cons here.
Wrapping Up
U.S. Service Animals is not only a great service dog training program, but they’re a fantastic overall service for any and all service and support animal needs. They made me feel safe, supported, and entirely confident - and all at an affordable price!
U.S. Service Animals did a wonderful job making me entirely secure, and they also were a fantastic one-stop-shop for any service animal needs. Probably the most reassuring thing to me was that this site itself was founded by lawyers, so I was totally confident that they met all legal requirements and knew the nuances of service animal laws in every state. They partner with two premier entirely online service animal training schools that feature thorough courses - and offer deep discounts on these courses because of their partnership!
Each course takes between 10 hours to 10 weeks to complete, depending on how many of the basics your dog knows already, and since it’s purely online, you can train at your leisure! And they were written by expert trainers who have more than 20 years of experience, so I felt very confident in their techniques and advice. I will admit to being a bit nervous before I started training my dog to be a service dog, but U.S. Service Animals did so much to alleviate my fear. Not only are their lessons easy to follow and clear, but they also offer trainer support, so if I have questions about how I’m training my dog, I know I can get help. And they’re even affordable - so you can get everything you need without breaking your budget.
What really made U.S. Service Animals stand out to me is how complete their offerings are. Not only could I train and register my dog as a service animal, but I could purchase accessories like service animals vests or collars, and even register any other animals as an emotional support animal! They also have an incredibly strong legal team (not surprising, consider who founded them), and a great customer support team, so I never felt like I was on my own. They even have a nationwide network of mental health professionals in every state, so that you can get an official diagnosis, if you need, no matter where you live. I also loved knowing that they have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau - which helped me feel even more confident. They do send out a lot of mailers once you sign up, which I didn’t love, but the pros massively outweigh the cons here.
Wrapping Up
U.S. Service Animals is not only a great service dog training program, but they’re a fantastic overall service for any and all service and support animal needs. They made me feel safe, supported, and entirely confident - and all at an affordable price!
Runner Up
What I liked
Extremely thorough courses All dog trainers are certified with the American Kennel Club
Offers courses on multiple topics, including basic training and puppy training Very affordably priced
Great customer service
Discounts for training multiple dogs
Additional helpful educational materials, like a glossary
Even advanced courses are easy to follow
Lessons include quizzes and videos
What could be better
Must enroll every dog you train separately My Experience Using DogAcademy
DogAcademy offered the most thorough and helpful courses I could find at any service dog training program, without a doubt. Not only do they have an intensive and thorough (but easy to follow!) psychiatric service dog training program, but they also offer several other courses that I found incredibly helpful - including basic obedience training, a course on separation anxiety, basic puppy training, and even lessons on how to train your dog to behave when coming to the office with you! (Which is really helpful if you, like me, want to bring your service dog along with you to work.)
All the courses are designed by dog trainers who have years of experience and are American Kennel Club certified! Working with trainers of this caliber in-person would cost a substantial amount - but Dog Academy offers their expertise while charging about 95% less than it would cost in-person. Their customer support team is also top-notch, so I knew if I had any issues at all, I would have someone to guide me to a solution.
Every dog who completes a course with them gets a printable certificate, so it’s easy to prove to airlines, businesses, or landlords that your service dog is well-trained and legitimate. If you have multiple dogs you want to train as service dogs, they will each have to register for a course separately - however, they do get a discount if you enroll multiple dogs, and each dog gets their own certificate! Their lessons include quizzes and videos, and they also offer additional helpful info on their site, like a glossary of service dog and dog training terms - I ended up feeling like an expert myself after going through everything they had to offer!
Wrapping Up
If you want to be entirely confident in how well you’re training your service dog, Dog Academy is a perfect fit! Their courses are detailed and thorough, and they cover a wide variety of topics, from basic training to complex psychiatric service dog tasks.
What I liked
Aids those with PTSD that aren’t veterans Streamlined, accessible lessons
Reasonably priced
What could be better
Offers unnecessary courses Courses can take up to a year to complete
Doesn’t offers supplies or accessories to purchase
My Experience Using Service Dog Training School International
One thing I liked about Service Dog Training School International was their commitment to being accessible to all of those with PTSD; they make it a point to work with those on social assistance who have PTSD, no matter the cause of their disorder, since so many organizations only help veterans with PTSD. They’re also reasonably priced, which is helpful. I also appreciated that their lessons were streamlined in order to be accessible by more people, including novice trainers.
However, there were a few things that made me love this service dog training program less than the others. For one, they also offer emotional support animal training and training for service dogs for autism; generally, autism should be covered in a psychiatric service dog training course already, and emotional support animals don’t require any specific training. It made me concerned they’re more worried about squeezing as much money out of people as they can than providing a helpful service. Their course can also take up to a year to get through; I personally would have had a hard time waiting so long before I was able to have my dog help with service dog tasks. You also can’t purchase any supplies, which while they aren’t legally necessary, can help make it easier to avoid confrontations with airlines or landlords.
Wrapping Up
While Service Dog Training School International offers good help to those with PTSD, their unnecessary courses made me feel like they saw me more as an opportunity to make money than someone to really help.
One thing I liked about Service Dog Training School International was their commitment to being accessible to all of those with PTSD; they make it a point to work with those on social assistance who have PTSD, no matter the cause of their disorder, since so many organizations only help veterans with PTSD. They’re also reasonably priced, which is helpful. I also appreciated that their lessons were streamlined in order to be accessible by more people, including novice trainers.
However, there were a few things that made me love this service dog training program less than the others. For one, they also offer emotional support animal training and training for service dogs for autism; generally, autism should be covered in a psychiatric service dog training course already, and emotional support animals don’t require any specific training. It made me concerned they’re more worried about squeezing as much money out of people as they can than providing a helpful service. Their course can also take up to a year to get through; I personally would have had a hard time waiting so long before I was able to have my dog help with service dog tasks. You also can’t purchase any supplies, which while they aren’t legally necessary, can help make it easier to avoid confrontations with airlines or landlords.
Wrapping Up
While Service Dog Training School International offers good help to those with PTSD, their unnecessary courses made me feel like they saw me more as an opportunity to make money than someone to really help.
What I liked
Offers a Service Dog Coach Certification Interesting information on service dog training
What could be better
Doesn’t offer actual service dog training Courses are expensive for what they are
Site is confusing and could be mistaken for offering training courses
My Experience Using Cooperative Paws Service Dog Education
At first glance, Cooperative Paws Service Dog Education seemed interesting. It has a fairly academic approach, and takes service dogs very seriously - which is a tone I appreciated. However, their site is fairly confusing and doesn’t make it terribly clear what they actually offer - which is courses about service dog training, and not actual service dog training. (And it would be easy to sign up and pay for one of these courses before you realized that; I very nearly did.)
If you are interested in simply learning more about service dogs, or if you’re a dog trainer who is wanting to educate yourself on service dog training (or get a Service Dog Coach Certification), then this can be a useful site for you. They offer some interesting information, like how learning theory applies to training service dogs and what tasks a service dog can perform. However, some of the courses are quite expensive, considering the lack of depth they offer. Basically, it’s just an educational resource for dog trainers, though it presents itself in a way that can easily confuse those who want to train their own service dog.
Wrapping Up
Cooperative Paws Service Dog Education could be useful for those who are already dog trainers and just want to learn more about service dog training, but it’s not helpful at all for those who want to train their own service dog.
At first glance, Cooperative Paws Service Dog Education seemed interesting. It has a fairly academic approach, and takes service dogs very seriously - which is a tone I appreciated. However, their site is fairly confusing and doesn’t make it terribly clear what they actually offer - which is courses about service dog training, and not actual service dog training. (And it would be easy to sign up and pay for one of these courses before you realized that; I very nearly did.)
If you are interested in simply learning more about service dogs, or if you’re a dog trainer who is wanting to educate yourself on service dog training (or get a Service Dog Coach Certification), then this can be a useful site for you. They offer some interesting information, like how learning theory applies to training service dogs and what tasks a service dog can perform. However, some of the courses are quite expensive, considering the lack of depth they offer. Basically, it’s just an educational resource for dog trainers, though it presents itself in a way that can easily confuse those who want to train their own service dog.
Wrapping Up
Cooperative Paws Service Dog Education could be useful for those who are already dog trainers and just want to learn more about service dog training, but it’s not helpful at all for those who want to train their own service dog.
What I liked
Thorough courses that include training logs and plans
Clearly takes service dog training seriously
What could be better
Course takes over a year to finish Requires an expensive assessment before you can take the course
Have to travel to Indianapolis, IN to finish the course
My Experience Using Medical Mutts
At Medical Mutts, I was happy to see how thorough their courses are. Their full package, for instance, includes 35 hours that covers up to 30 different commands, as well as training plans, training logs, and coaching videos. They also offer you the chance to take the Public Access Test and the Canine Good Citizen tests after you’re done with the course - though you have to travel to Indianapolis, Indiana to do this, and you only get the certificate if you do pass the Public Access Test.
They also take their training very seriously - in fact, they require that you have your dog evaluated for its temperament before you can sign up for their service dog training program. However, even if you pass the evaluation, they don’t guarantee your dog can make it through the program - and just the evaluation itself costs $90, so it’s not exactly budget-friendly. And while their courses are very thorough, they take over a year to complete, which is difficult if you’re in a hurry for help from your service dog.
Wrapping Up
While Medical Mutts offers thorough, helpful service dog training courses, they also demand an expensive dog assessment first, and they also make you come visit Indianapolis, Indiana to pass an in-person exam to get your certificate.
At Medical Mutts, I was happy to see how thorough their courses are. Their full package, for instance, includes 35 hours that covers up to 30 different commands, as well as training plans, training logs, and coaching videos. They also offer you the chance to take the Public Access Test and the Canine Good Citizen tests after you’re done with the course - though you have to travel to Indianapolis, Indiana to do this, and you only get the certificate if you do pass the Public Access Test.
They also take their training very seriously - in fact, they require that you have your dog evaluated for its temperament before you can sign up for their service dog training program. However, even if you pass the evaluation, they don’t guarantee your dog can make it through the program - and just the evaluation itself costs $90, so it’s not exactly budget-friendly. And while their courses are very thorough, they take over a year to complete, which is difficult if you’re in a hurry for help from your service dog.
Wrapping Up
While Medical Mutts offers thorough, helpful service dog training courses, they also demand an expensive dog assessment first, and they also make you come visit Indianapolis, Indiana to pass an in-person exam to get your certificate.
What I liked
Claims to be free
What could be better
May charge for additional courses Doesn’t actually offer real service dog training Language on website is very pushy and stressful
Very misleading and confusing overall
My Experience Using K9 Training Institute
One good thing about the K9 Training Institute is that it’s free. However, you get what you pay for - and I found a lot of problems with this service dog training program. The biggest issue is that they even say themselves (though it’s easy to miss on the site) that the site is meant to help your dog behave “like” a service dog - not actually train them to be one or get you a certification. Honestly, in addition to it being unhelpful, (why would I want to inadequately train my service dog to aid me?), it can actually be more expensive in the long run - since this is just the kind of situation that could end up getting you fined.
The site also feels very scammy. The language is extremely salesy and pushy, and keeps hinting at the “secrets” of dog training. That sort of approach can pressure people, and can even be manipulative - especially to those with anxiety or similar disabilities, since their language tries to put you in a stressed state. Also, it’s very unclear on their site, but it seems as though only the initial workshop is free - and then you have to pay for anything else. But there is minimal real info on the site - it’s basically just an intense sales push to get into the free class before you can think it through.
Wrapping Up
I definitely can’t recommend K9 Training Institute - they don’t offer real service dog training, their sites feel extremely scammy, and it’s not clear how much you have to pay to access the full course.
One good thing about the K9 Training Institute is that it’s free. However, you get what you pay for - and I found a lot of problems with this service dog training program. The biggest issue is that they even say themselves (though it’s easy to miss on the site) that the site is meant to help your dog behave “like” a service dog - not actually train them to be one or get you a certification. Honestly, in addition to it being unhelpful, (why would I want to inadequately train my service dog to aid me?), it can actually be more expensive in the long run - since this is just the kind of situation that could end up getting you fined.
The site also feels very scammy. The language is extremely salesy and pushy, and keeps hinting at the “secrets” of dog training. That sort of approach can pressure people, and can even be manipulative - especially to those with anxiety or similar disabilities, since their language tries to put you in a stressed state. Also, it’s very unclear on their site, but it seems as though only the initial workshop is free - and then you have to pay for anything else. But there is minimal real info on the site - it’s basically just an intense sales push to get into the free class before you can think it through.
Wrapping Up
I definitely can’t recommend K9 Training Institute - they don’t offer real service dog training, their sites feel extremely scammy, and it’s not clear how much you have to pay to access the full course.
What I liked
Flexible coursework and a la carte classes
What could be better
Very expensive for what it is No homework or training challenges You’re on your own and have to self-study
Classes aren’t in-depth enough
My Experience Using E-Training for Dogs
E-Training for Dogs is a very flexible service dog training program, since it’s not much of an intensive course, and you can choose classes a la carte. However, that positive is really also a negative. Instead of a well-structured, expert-designed course that helps both you and your dog be fully prepared, these are very surface-level, pre-recorded videos that don’t go very in depth. On top of that, they offer no homework or training challenges, so there’s no way to apply what you learn in a guided way.
They do offer one-one-one time with the instructor, but as that’s a pay-per-hour option, it’s potentially more expensive than the other online courses - or potentially even some in-person training. They do have a lot of informative articles on their site, but again, they’re all designed for self study - and I wanted to feel like I was being guided through my service dog training program so I could be sure my dog could really help me when it counts. The courses are also sometimes extremely expensive for what they are, since they’re lacking any depth or ways to really practice.
Wrapping Up
E-Training for Dogs offers pre-recorded videos that are fairly shallow, and the majority of the coursework is all self-taught with no guidance, help, or even homework or training challenges.
E-Training for Dogs is a very flexible service dog training program, since it’s not much of an intensive course, and you can choose classes a la carte. However, that positive is really also a negative. Instead of a well-structured, expert-designed course that helps both you and your dog be fully prepared, these are very surface-level, pre-recorded videos that don’t go very in depth. On top of that, they offer no homework or training challenges, so there’s no way to apply what you learn in a guided way.
They do offer one-one-one time with the instructor, but as that’s a pay-per-hour option, it’s potentially more expensive than the other online courses - or potentially even some in-person training. They do have a lot of informative articles on their site, but again, they’re all designed for self study - and I wanted to feel like I was being guided through my service dog training program so I could be sure my dog could really help me when it counts. The courses are also sometimes extremely expensive for what they are, since they’re lacking any depth or ways to really practice.
Wrapping Up
E-Training for Dogs offers pre-recorded videos that are fairly shallow, and the majority of the coursework is all self-taught with no guidance, help, or even homework or training challenges.
What I liked
Free pre-screening test to see if you may qualify for a psychiatric service dog
What could be better
Doesn’t currently offer a service dog training program Only offers articles on service dog training Not clear when the service training dog program will be available
My Experience Using CertaPet
CertaPet is a well-known site, and a lot of my friends asked about their service dog training program. However, after going through their site, it was clear that they don’t actually offer what I was looking for - though it wasn’t super clear to me at first that this was the case. They’re planning on eventually offering psychiatric service dog training, but they don’t state when it will be available or exactly what it will entail.
They do offer a free pre-screening test to tell if you’re likely to qualify for a psychiatric service dog, so that is potentially useful if you’re not sure if you can get approved for one and would like to be sure before you move forward. They also offer helpful articles on training a service dog, but that’s not nearly enough to actually help you fully train your dog - and it definitely doesn’t give you that helpful service dog training certificate.
Wrapping Up
CertaPet may one day offer a service dog training program, but it’s not clear when, and as of now, they only offer articles about service dog training.
CertaPet is a well-known site, and a lot of my friends asked about their service dog training program. However, after going through their site, it was clear that they don’t actually offer what I was looking for - though it wasn’t super clear to me at first that this was the case. They’re planning on eventually offering psychiatric service dog training, but they don’t state when it will be available or exactly what it will entail.
They do offer a free pre-screening test to tell if you’re likely to qualify for a psychiatric service dog, so that is potentially useful if you’re not sure if you can get approved for one and would like to be sure before you move forward. They also offer helpful articles on training a service dog, but that’s not nearly enough to actually help you fully train your dog - and it definitely doesn’t give you that helpful service dog training certificate.
Wrapping Up
CertaPet may one day offer a service dog training program, but it’s not clear when, and as of now, they only offer articles about service dog training.
Comparison Chart
Here is a quick cheat sheet if you don't feel like reading above. There are a lot of similarities between the services, but there seems to be a clear front runner with US Service Animals.
| Legit | Turnaround | Experience | Legal Support | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ideal Service Animal Service |  |
5 | 5 | |
<$300 |
|
U.S. Service Animals |
|
5 | 5 | |
$129-179 |
|
Dog Academy |
|
4 | 4 | |
$150-200+ |
| Service Dog Training School Int'l | |
4 | 3.5 | |
$149-200 |
| Cooperative Paws Service Dog Education | |
3.5 | 3.5 | |
$100-200 |
My Overall Thoughts
I’m so grateful that you took the time to go over my thoughts on the top service dog training programs! I know how important a service dog can be to someone’s life - it’s made a massive impact on mine, and I’m so glad that I took the time to find a program I trust and train my dog to help me. Overall, I trust U.S. Service Animals and Dog Academy the most to help anyone who needs it train their dog to be a well-qualified service animal. I sincerely hope that, with them, you can train your own dog to aid you - and make your life more independent, supported, and happy!If you have any questions at all about training your dog to be a service dog, or if you’d like more info on any of these programs, feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to be able to help you make your decision and get started on training your furry best friend to become your service dog!