Service Dog Training Program
Ability Dogs Canada offers fully trained service dogs for individuals who struggle from medical challenges that restrict their independence. Adult or child, our service dogs are trained to meet your individual needs, including, but not limited to:
Autism Support Dog
Seizure Alert/ Response
Mental Health or PTSD
Mobility Support Dog
Certified Service Dog Trainers
Training is done by certified trainers who have extensive knowledge in not only dog behaviour and dog training, but also hold a great deal of experience and knowledge with the disorders that so many people are challenged with.
Individuals who receive one of our ADC Service Dogs can enjoy our team training program that teaches the handler everything they need to know about using a service dog to mitigate their challenges. From how to hold the leash to how to ask for skills such as disassociation work for PTSD, our program is written specifically for each individual, since no two people are the same. Dogs are carefully matched according to their skills and work ethics. Matching our dogs properly is a priority for our trainers and we strive to get it right the first time.
Our Puppies
We obtain our puppies from our own breeding program or from a few chosen breeders who meet our high standards. Puppies are stimulated (sights, sounds, smells) from a very young age in order to get the best start possible and are raised by trained and approved foster families who have taken our Foster Training Program. All puppies are tested for the best temperaments for service work by our certified trainers.
Agency Assisted Training
Also known as the "Agency Assist. Program", the TYOD (Train Your Own Dog) program is ideal for folks who have or will have their own young dog suitable for training and providing them with the services and supports they need. While many breeds can make excellent service dogs, not every dog has the right personality to be successful in this program, so we carefully get as much information as we can before selecting dogs to join ADC.
Once in the TYOD program, handlers and their dogs come together to weekly training classes (in person in Ottawa, Carleton Place, or Gananoque or via Zoom or Google Meet for clients outside of those geographic areas or if you are otherwise unable to attend). While we classify this as "dog training", it's really "team training" since much of the learning is actually for the human who then teaches their four legged canine pal! Dogs in this program get their "Service Dog in Training" jackets right away so you are able to begin your journey together with public access and special training right from the beginning.