Service Puppy Program

Price:  CAD $50 for 2 month program. 24/7 access for two years.

Our online Self-Study “Service Puppy” program provides a flexible outline to build a bond with your pup and teach you how to teach your pup how to be a dog and how to fit well within the family.  You learn the theory and practical skills and apply them with your own pup or a friend’s pup.

Pup must be between 8 and 16 weeks of age to take the program.

Those taking our whole service dog program are encouraged to take this class so you know what makes a good puppy raising program and where the deficiencies in an adolescent or adult dog may stem from. That way, you can fill gaps in your knowledge and your dog fills gaps in his.

You can access to the “Service Puppy” Program for two years from purchase date.

BONUS: 54 minute QA Chat Service Puppy for Owner Trainers Overview webinar 

The 4 modules are focussed on socializing your pup to prepare him for life and structuring the environment and social interactions preventing unwanted behaviors from becoming a habit. Building resiliency is about careful interactions that push the envelope just a little bit. The process should be positive for both the young puppy and the handler and the family! 

Early behaviors are taught that will serve as a way to manage the puppy’s behavior as well as a foundation for later learning. This is a great beginning to teach any dog how to becoming a thinking dog that responds appropriately to any situation! 

Throughout the modules dog language is examined in the form of behaviors they do while learning and in life to communicate how they are feeling and how that communication affects how the handler responds. Learning to respond appropriately in the puppy period will set the stage for a secure attachment in your relationship which shortens the adolescent phase and reduces conflict during it.

Modules include Lessons that help you to learn the theory and Games that are the practical way apply the theory. Each Lesson and Game is broken into tiny bite-sized bits of a combination of text, short video demonstrations, lists of resources, photos and diagrams. 

There is a progress bar for each module so you can keep track of how far you have progressed.

We offer a behavior checklist for each game and the objectives laid out in each game. You can drop them into a spreadsheet of your choice. This checklist helps you to see the big picture while you train the small steps. It also allows you to see where you are at a glance and that you are indeed moving forward!

All four modules are released at once so you can start where your pup is at. 

Try a free sample lesson to see if the class structure will work for you!

Who is This Series Created For? 

• Owners 18 years and up who want to train their own pet or service dog candidate
• Anyone who wants to start their puppy off for the best success
• Current trainers who want to update their skills and knowledge of the dog training industry
• Keen Dog owners who want to keep current on the most up-to-date science-based and ethical approaches in training dogs
• Retirees looking for guidance to start their pup in the process to become a service dog
• Puppy raisers for breeders, shelters and programs wanting to learn the easy ways to raise a pup and head off behavior issues 
• Therapy dog handlers and volunteer coordinators who need to understand what a sound puppy start looks like
• Dog walkers, dog daycare staff and dog sitters who want to offer puppy socialization and training
• Trainers who want to start offering puppy-centred in-home board and train for clients
• Breeders who want a self-study training program they can refer their new families to
• Families who find themselves with a puppy they don’t know what to do with

Overall Class Goals:

The pup will learn to be a confident, calm and adaptable member of the family and begin expanding those attributes to the community.  

Specific Class Objectives:

Pup will establish a strong bond (secure attachment) with the main caregiver and experience positive socialization to people, other dogs and animals and learn to feel safe in different environments and surfaces. He will learn when and where he can potty and what are good things to chew on. He learns how to moderate how hard his bite is and then not to bite humans at all. And how to play with their people. These are the most important skills to start with. 

The handler learns what preparation needs to be done for service pup’s arrival and how to set up and keep a service dog journal. Weekly plans are provided for weeks 8-16 of age. 

Properly socializing a service pup candidate is the key focus. We also explore topics like feeding your pup and what things are toxic. Learn how to read and respond to puppy language to keep your pup happy and at an ideal activity level for living and learning.  Discover how to use massage to prepare your pup to be handled by anyone like groomers, vets and emergency personnel. Learn how to teach a pup to be calm in any situation. This is especially important for dogs intended to be service dogs. 

Find out how you can introduce your pup to strange objects at home to “grow his brain” and prepare him for the environments he will work in as an adult. Learn how to prevent separation anxiety, deal with unwanted behaviors and more! Teaching to sleep at this age is important!

The journey to a successful pet and service dog starts here! Weekly schedule and training log templates are included. Learn what goes into a Service Dog Journal and how to create a monthly plan to keep you on track.

We offer a checklist of games and objectives for you to keep track of training. Drop them into any spreadsheet!

In order to fully participate in our “Service puppy” program, you will need:

• a high-speed internet connection
• a computer, laptop, tablet or handheld device that has a recent operating system (older systems may have trouble displaying the lessons)
• service dog students-a puppy that has suitable temperament and health and has appropriate early socialization and exposure while with the litter. Check out our blog posts on breeder selection.
• dog trainer students- a puppy that you have access to every day for 5 days a week (ideally for 3-4 separate training sessions)
• a web cam (for webcam sessions)
• transportation to get to locations where suitable level distractions are found
• a support system of helpers (see blog post on the topic)

All training equipment for our program are materials found around a house and yard, or can be bought second hand or borrowed while you need them. You may also resell them when you are completed using them.

Students can live in an apartment, condo, single family house or live in a Recreation Vehicle. If you are training a service dog candidate, then make sure you are following the residential tenancy laws of your state or province. Some states and provinces allow service dogs in training while others do not.

In the last 25 years we have learned so much more about the importance of the early social interactions and environmental exposure and enrichment for puppies.  

This class introduces what science currently believes the general approach to raising a functional puppy should be and the science of learning and how it applies to the puppy stage. It offers us insights into strengthening the bond with our pups, how to best communicate with them and how to teach them what we want them to do in many situations without nagging, using coersion or punishment.