Service Dog Program
What are Service Dogs?
Service dogs are not pets, they are considered medical equipment per the American Disabilities Act (ADA) like a wheelchair or cane for a blind person. Dogs go through rigorous training to make sure they can help mitigate their handlers’ disabilities so their handler can lead a more independent life. The average price for a fully trained service dog from a program can range from $20,000-$60,000+ depending on the training program they are with, and they usually have a 3-5 year wait time before your matched with a service dog.
Training a Service Dog can take up to 2 years of training before the dog is considered trained to be fully trained depending on tasks they need to perform. Not every dog can be a Service Dog. There are certain breeds that are better suited for certain tasks than other breeds. Training a service dog requires a lot of patience and dedication from both handler and trainer. Service dogs preform various tasks ranging from retrieving medicine or dropped items to guiding a visually impaired handler and much more.
Emotional Support Dogs are NOT Service Dogs and are NOT allowed in public at non pet friendly locations.
Types of Service Dogs:
- Guide Dogs
- Mobility Dogs
- Psychiatric Dogs (PTSD, Anxiety)
- Autism Dogs
- Medical Alert Dogs (Cardiac Alert, Migraine Alert, Diabetic Alert)
- Hearing Dogs
Service Dogs must be handler focused, neutral to their environments (be desensitized to all distractions) and be able to be highly trained to be reliable in performing their specific tasks. If a dog washes out (fails to meet the strict standards to become a Service Dog) doesn’t mean it would not be able to be pets, most washouts excel in pet homes. Some go on to work in other lines of work like search and rescue, therapy work or IPO/Schutzhund, etc.
Our program overview
We offer 2 Service Dog Programs:
- Owner Training Program
- Program Dog Program
Owner Training Program
Our Owner Training Program is designed for individuals who want to play an active role in training their own service dog while receiving professional support every step of the way. Whether you’re starting with a puppy or an adult dog, we’ll help you build a solid foundation and progress toward task training and becoming a fully trained service dog team.
Ideal for:
- Clients who already have a dog or plan to obtain their own puppy.
- Individuals who want hands-on involvement in the training process.
- Those looking for a more budget-friendly alternative to a fully trained program dog.
Program Details:
- Program Length: 12 months (extensions available if needed).
- Sessions: Weekly 1-on-1 training sessions (in-person or virtual).
Includes:
- Obedience & public access training.
- Customized task training.
- Homework and structured training plans.
- Public outings and socialization guidance.
- AKC CGC and Public Access test prep.
- Lifetime trainer support after program completion.
- Training Gear Starter Kit (optional add-on).
Pricing:
$5,000 (18 -24 months)
- Pay in full or through a monthly plan.
- Includes all training sessions, evaluations, and lifetime trainer support.
Note: All dogs entering the program must pass a temperament and suitability evaluation prior to acceptance.
Program Dog Program:
We believe access to a trained service dog shouldn’t come with a long waitlist. That’s why we work hard to ensure we always have dogs in training and ready to be placed with qualified handlers.
Our fully trained program dogs are from our breeder who breeds AKC health tested and titled dogs. Our program dogs are raised and trained by professional handlers in real-world environments. They are exposed to daily structure, obedience, socialization, public access work, and task-specific training—ensuring they’re confident, reliable, and prepared for a working partnership.
Program Length:
18-24 months (depending on tasks)
Pricing:
Our Program dogs range from $12,000–$15,000 depending on the tasks they’re trained for and the length of the program (1–2 years of training).
- Standard task-trained dogs (Psychiatric, Medical Alert/Response, Detection, Hearing Asstance): $12,000 (18-24 month program)
- Mobility Support Dogs: $15,000 (24 month program, and requires orthopedic testing and advanced task work).
Mobility Dog Standards:
All mobility program dogs must:
- Be at least 2 years old to start mobility tasks
- Pass OFA or PennHIP hip and elbow evaluations.
- Be cleared by a board-certified orthopedic veterinarian for service work.
Includes:
- Obedience & public access training.
- Customized task training.
- Training logbooks and structured training plans.
- Public outings and socialization guidance.
- AKC CGC and Public Access test prep & tests.
- Lifetime trainer support after program completion.
- Lifetime Breeder Support
- Training Gear Starter Kit
Flexible & Affordable Payment Options Available
At The Urban K-9 Academy, we believe that life-changing service dog training should be accessible to everyone. That’s why all of our programs come with flexible, interest-free payment plans designed to fit a variety of budgets—including those on disability or fixed income.
Whether you’re enrolling in our:
- Owner Training Program
- Board & Train Service Dog Program
- Program Dog Program
we’ll work with you to create a payment plan that works.
Monthly options start as low as $250/month!
We also offer:
- Extended payment terms (24–48 months)
- Zero interest
- No credit check
- Fundraising support tools and guidance
Want to apply for one of our Service Dog programs?
Click the link below and start the process today.
We train dogs for:
- PTSD/Psychiatric
- Diabetic Alert
- Migraine Alert
- Mobility
- Hearing Assistance
- Allergy Detection
- Medical Alert/Response
- Seizure/Epilepsy Response
Our Service Dog Program has 4 phases. Dogs must pass each phase order to move on to the next phase. Again, we do not certify service dogs but do offer a certificate for completing our program.
Our obedience commands:
- Sit
- Down
- Place
- Heel
- Come
Phase 1:
Obedience training, evaluation, and temperament test
Phase 2:
Advanced obedience training and Task training
Phase 3:
AKC Canine Good Citizen tests and our Public Access Test
Phase 4:
Graduation
Tasks we train
PTSD/Psychiatric:
- Deep Pressure Therapy (full body laying over you)
- Item retrieval (medicine, water bottle, juice bottle, medical bag, backpack, phone)
- Disassociating alert
- Light Pressure Therapy (head rest on leg or body)
- Tucking under tables or chairs
- interruption (shaking leg picking at arm or face, tapping fingers)
- Finding a specific person.
- Clearing a room.
- O
- Deep Pressure Therapy (full body laying over you)
- Item retrieval (medicine, water bottle, juice bottle, medical bag, backpack, phone)
- Disassociating alert
- Light Pressure Therapy (head rest on leg or body)
- Tucking under tables or chairs
- interruption (shaking leg picking at arm or face, tapping fingers)
- Finding a specific person.
- Clearing a room.
- Orbit (Creating space around handler.)
- I got your 6 (dog sits between handler's legs facing backwards watching handlers back).
- Blocking
Mobility:
- Item Retrieval (keys, medicine, water bottle, juice bottle, medical bag, backpack, phone).
- Tucking under tables and chairs
- Bracing
- Pressing wheelchair buttons to open doors
- Counter Balance
- Opening drawers, and refrigerator doors
- Forward momentum pulling
- Pressing elevator button to open elevator.
Medical Alert (Migraine Alert & Diabetic Alert):
Medical Alert (Migraine Alert & Diabetic Alert):
- Deep Pressure Therapy (full body laying over you)
- Item retrieval (medicine, water bottle, juice bottle, medical bag, backpack, phone)
- Alert to oncoming migraine.
- Alert to high or low sugar levels.
- Finding a specific person for help.
- Light Pressure Therapy (head rest on leg or body)
- Tucking under tables or chairs
- Finding a specific person.
- Count
- Deep Pressure Therapy (full body laying over you)
- Item retrieval (medicine, water bottle, juice bottle, medical bag, backpack, phone)
- Alert to oncoming migraine.
- Alert to high or low sugar levels.
- Finding a specific person for help.
- Light Pressure Therapy (head rest on leg or body)
- Tucking under tables or chairs
- Finding a specific person.
- Counter Balance
- Guiding a person to a chair or bench so they can sit down.
- Turning off lights.
Hearing Assistance:
Medical Alert (Migraine Alert & Diabetic Alert):
- Deep Pressure Therapy (full body laying over you)
- Item retrieval (medicine, water bottle, juice bottle, medical bag, backpack, phone).
- Alert to doorbell
- Alert to cell phone ringing.
- Alert to smoke alarms
- Alert to kitchen timers.
- Alert to car honking.
- Finding a specific person.
- Alert to sirens while in the car.
- Alert to baby monitor (crying baby)
- Alert to family members requesting the persons attention.
Allergy Detection:
Medical Alert/Response:
Medical Alert/Response:
- Gluten Detection
- Peanut Detection
- Other allergies (contact us for more info)
Medical Alert/Response:
Medical Alert/Response:
Medical Alert/Response:
- Alert to changes in blood pressure/heart rate
- Alert to phone ringing, doorbells
- Retrieving medicine, bags, canes, etc
- Help handler get up off floor
- Open/close doors
Seizure/Epilepsy Alert:
Medical Alert/Response:
Seizure/Epilepsy Alert:
- Alert to oncoming seizure
- Find a specific person
- Deep Pressure Therapy
- Alert to heart rate change (spike in heart rate)