About our:
Owner Assistive Program
Our Owner Assistive Service Dog program is designed to help individuals training their own service dog through the entire process. We specialize in psychiatric service dogs, but have significant experience training service dogs for a variety of other disabilities. We offer private sessions, vest rentals, and board and train options to individuals enrolled in our Owner Assistive Program.
Once teams are ready we offer a service dog exam to teams preparing to graduate from our program. This exam covers everything in the ADI test, the Province of Alberta and British Columbia tests, as well as some additional exercises. Although testing isn’t required in Ontario, it can be useful for flying and is a requirement to graduate from our program to ensure all our dogs are trained to the same high standards.
Support Throughout the Process
The road of selecting, raising, and training a service dog can be a challenging one, but the destination is life changing. Through the owner assistive program, our team at K9 Lifelines is here to provide support throughout the entire process. We can help you navigate obstacles and build on the strengths of you and your dog, helping you to become the best working team you can be. Steps that we can support you with include:
F.A.Q.
Frequently Asked Questions
For young puppies or new teams, we generally recommend meeting on a weekly basis to create some strong foundations before moving to biweekly sessions as the team progresses
We are happy to assess pet dogs as potential service dog candidates! Reach out to schedule a session to determine temperament, assess training to-date, and develop an individualized training plan.
Our fees for this program vary based on the client’s location due to travel expenses. There are opportunities to purchase multiple training sessions in a bundle. Contact us to discuss a cost breakdown.
There is variability in timelines for each team, however, it typically takes approximately 1.5-3 years for you and your dog to be ready to complete the final examination and public access test.