Psychiatric Service Dog Training
We’ll train your dog to become a Psychiatric Service Dog.
Our goal is to promote mental health through specifically trained Service Dogs.
We coach you from start to finish in training your new puppy (or partly trained dog) to be a Psychiatric Service Dog.
Psychiatric Service Dogs
A psychiatric service dog is a recognized sub-category of service dog trained to assist their handler with a psychiatric disability or a mental disability, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. The training to have your dog become a Service Dog includes everything from new puppy training to task specific Service Dog Training. Our Psychiatric Service Dog Training Program is one of the most unique programs in the world, as we coach clients through training their dog to become a Psychiatric Service Dog. The training process can be very therapeutic for our clients because they learn to use positive reinforcement to train their dog, with us coaching, teaching and supporting along the way. We hold weekly sessions around San Diego where your dog will learn to be a Service Dog. We are proud to be partnered with the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP) where we uphold the most prestigious standards in the service dog training industry.
What does the program include?
We train YOU how to train your pup to be a Service Dog with individualized training, and weekly lessons
We meet once a week in person for an hour at various locations in the community.
We offer virtual support in between in person sessions
We can train as few as 2 tasks or as many as you would like
Customized Training plan that takes your puppy from as young as 8 weeks to Service Dog. This includes puppy training, public access training and task specific training
Weekly homework and video submissions for you and your pup
Access to SDSD throughout entire process
Specific Psychiatric Service Dog Task Training depending on your needs
Public Access test training sessions with you
Public Access Test
Service Dog Task Specific Test
Official San Diego Service Dog Vest upon completion of exam
Cost $760 per month
Tasks we train
Interruption Tasks
Interrupt self-harm
Interrupt crying
Interrupt dissociation
Interrupt flashback
Interrupt freezing behavior
Interrupt nightmare
Interrupt repetitive behaviors
Interrupt scratching/skin picking
Lick face/hands
Interrupt panic attack
Alert Tasks
Alert family member
Alert handler to another person or child crying/calling/yelling
Alert for help
Alert to alarm
Alert to intruder
Alert to panic attack
Respond to anxious behaviors
Routine reminders (remind handler to take medicine, go to bed, etc)
Wake up handler
Grounding/Tactile Stimulation
Dogs can be trained to provide deep pressure therapy and tactical stimulation accordingly to the client’s triggers and needs.
Retrieval in Emergency
Dogs can be trained to retrieve a phone, medication, another person, or anything a client needs
Positional Cues
Dogs can be trained to put themself between a client and a trigger in public. This can help client’s gaining exposure to difficult situations
Room Search
Dogs can be trained to search a room (and/or turn on lights) before a person enters a house.
