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Service Dog Training Near You
What makes a dog a service dog? Who can have a service dog, and why? We answer all these questions and more, as well as explain what sets Dog Training Elite New Mexico apart from any other dog training service.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite New Mexico location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Service Dog Training FAQs
What makes a dog a service dog?
Service dogs are dogs that have been specially trained to assist their handler or owner with specific tasks. Dog Training Elite New Mexico trains dogs to assist people with epilepsy, diabetes, PTSD, autism, and various mental illnesses.
Who are service dogs for?
Service dogs are for any individual dealing with a disability that lowers their quality of life. For example, someone who suffers from epilepsy may avoid going out in public due to a fear of falling or other consequences related to seizures. This may inhibit their independence and sense of well-being.
In addition to improving the lives of individuals, service dogs can bring a sense of security to families, such as families with autistic children. Children with autism can often feel isolated and a service dog becomes a 24/7 companion to share experiences with, connect with and love. They can also help children reintegrate into society and connect with others.
Families who have children with autism experience a decrease in stress as they are more able to engage socially in public settings and experience less anxiety at home. A service dog increases safety and has a calming presence that can minimize emotional outbursts, allowing the family to feel more secure and a child with autism to better participate in family activities.
Service dogs are for all individuals or families that are experiencing a decrease in quality of life due to disability.
What kind of training does a service dog need?
Service dog training begins with puppies. Dog Training Elite New Mexico’s service puppy training program works with breeders to adopt puppies that are fully obedience trained by six months and are ready to undergo extensive socialization and additional training to ensure they are well-suited for service and therapy needs.
Then, Dog Training Elite New Mexico places puppies with families or individuals. Further specialized service training takes place alongside the new handler. It generally takes 1-2 years for a service dog to become fully trained.
Service dog training focuses on two main areas: public access behaviors, and how to “do work or perform tasks” that assist with a disability.
Public access behaviors refer to how a service dog acts in public - well-trained service dogs remain calm in public situations and in turn help their handlers to stay calm, and are attuned to any other handler needs.
As for “do work or perform tasks,” the ADA requires that service dogs be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability.
For example, to assist handlers with PTSD, Dog Training Elite New Mexico trains dogs to de-escalate anxiety, wake handlers experiencing night terrors, and so on.
Do service dogs require special certification?
The ADA does not require special certification for service animals. State and local government agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry. Mandatory registration of service animals in the city of residence is also not permissible under the ADA.
However, service animals are not exempt from local animal control or public health requirements, such as vaccinations, or local dog licensing and registration requirements.
Why should I train my service dog with Dog Training Elite New Mexico?
Dog Training Elite New Mexico sets itself apart from other dog training methods by focusing on positive reinforcement with a personalized, in-home approach. This method empowers owners and handlers to be an integral part of the process for sustained dog obedience and service training. For service dogs especially, it is important that handlers be present and involved every step of the way.
The positive reinforcement approach, also referred to as “Classical Conditioning” or the “Pavlovian” model has shown to be more effective with longer lasting results than any other training method.
Dog Training Elite New Mexico does not use punishments or shock collars to break bad habits. Instead, Dog Training Elite New Mexico pairs positive reinforcement training with a vibration electronic collar. An electronic collar is not a shock collar and does not harm the dog. It is used to gain the dog’s attention, similar to a tug on a leash. It is never used as a punishment for bad behavior.
Another unique aspect of training with Dog Training Elite New Mexico is that while most dog training programs train dogs at their own facilities, Dog Training Elite New Mexico specializes in in-home training, customizing training to the dog, its owners and its environment for long-lasting success.
Positive Reinforcement Training
Training takes time, commitment and balance and Dog Training Elite New Mexico is there every step of the way. With Dog Training Elite New Mexico, dogs will learn the highest level of obedience, even in the face of the toughest level of distractions. The positive-reinforcement method focuses on encouraging good behavior through ongoing praise, creating a dog that wants to please from the inside out and creating deep-rooted, sustained obedience as well as a strong bond between dog and owner.
Our Balanced Theory
We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.
Empowering Owners
We empower owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times.
Personalized
We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis.
Environment Specific
We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).
Supportive
We support owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session").
Involved
We work with all members of the household.
Simplified & Customized
We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.
Continued Training
Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training.
Lifetime Investment
We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.
Satisfaction Ratings
Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.
clas·si·cal con·di·tion·ing PSYCHOLOGY noun A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus and is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone.
We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!
Extremely professional with all of the equipment needed for great results included in the package. My dog made amazing progress throughout the process.— Donald Meyer
Posted October 18th 2024
Great professional training. Our Trainer was flexible and communicated well. We feel that our dog has benefited greatly from this service.— S Habedank
Posted October 3rd 2024
Incredible experience with Dog Training Elite. They went above and beyond our expectations. Stephanie is an amazing trainer. She was professional and kind. Highly recommended!— Aaron Manzanares (Del Rio Signs)
Posted October 1st 2024
Amazing experience in every way you can hope for with Dog Training Elite New Mexico! From my initial phone inquiry to the in home interview and all the way through until our certification! Justin and Stephanie are the best and truly show how much their program means to them. I highly recommend them working with you!— adam juvinall
Posted September 30th 2024
Our family could not be happier with the services and results we’ve seen with Dog Training Elite. Working one on one with John has made such an impact on our dog’s reactivity and discipline. From the beginning of training, he took the time to understand our family’s background and needs (we’re expecting our first child this fall), and helped keep our dog’s progress on track.— Alex Petersen
Posted September 27th 2024
I have a two year old German Shepherd who is extremely over active and has a mind of her own. I signed Layla up to attend Elite Dog Training NM. She now obeys the basic commands necessary that allow me to walk her without worries and frustration. I would highly recommend Elite Dog Training NM and Stephanie as trainer for your beloved canine~a highly satisfied and pleased patron, Ann Atwood— Charles Atwood
Posted September 23rd 2024
John is a Prince! The process of training my rambunctious 8 week old puppy felt very daunting and overwhelming. Whiskey is so very smart and energetic and I really wanted to get it just right so that we could have a loving, respectful relationship. John is so knowledgeable and caring - he really wants to be sure that you and your dog are the best team you can be. He truly loves what he does and is a genius at keeping you and your dog CALM when you're both so frustrated! I look forward to continuing our journey to Therapy Dog certification.— Tamara Spurlock
Posted September 18th 2024
We are VERY happy with our DTE trainer, John. John is professional, always on time, friendly and HAPPY. Most importantly, he is great with our standard poodle puppy, Samson - always a great attitude, never shaming (us or Samson!) John is full of good tips for Samson and us. We could not chosen a better fit.— Steve Stowell
Posted September 4th 2024
John did a wonderful job on teaching me how to handle my German Rottweiler Diesel. He worked with me and Diesel for eight weeks and was able to get him the way I needed him to be. Diesel came from a bad back ground when he was rescued from the shelter at 16-18 months old. John gave us the steps and worked with diesel and myself on his training and me and diesel did have homework and we stayed on top of it. I highly recommend anyone to go to Dog Elite Training here in New Mexico for their fur babies for training. John I just want to say thank you for everything you did for me and diesel!!!! You are amazing in all you do. Thank you and see y'all at group!!!! Plus thank you to Justin for keeping me and my husband updated on everything! Thank you for letting us become part of the dog elite family!— Olivia Mullis
Posted August 29th 2024
Working with Stephanie has been amazing! Our dog Maximus has responded so well to all the training and has improved in behaviors significantly! Thank you so much! We can’t wait for group training next. Stephanie is so patient with all of us and very knowledgeable to train your fur baby! The price is also very reasonable and worth it!— Angel Shepard
Posted August 28th 2024
Absolutely five stars! Working with John has been a game-changer for our dog Otis. Their flexibility and tailored approach were crucial in addressing our dog's anxiety and aggression towards men. The training sessions were not only effective but also easy to follow, making the process smooth and manageable. Our dog is now significantly more relaxed and well-adjusted. Highly recommend John for anyone seeking a compassionate and skilled trainer!— Stephanie Fitzgerald
Posted August 20th 2024
John has been fabulous helping me train my German Shepherd, puppy, Coco, and me. She is doing very very well at five months old the E collar it’s a great tool and so are the commands that we have taught her. It has been a positive experience working with John And Dog Training Elite , New Mexico.— Barbara Candelario
Posted August 10th 2024
This is an amazing program! I came in with my one year old pitbull who was very reactive and did not obey commands. After 6 weeks of working with John she was a different dog. She listened and was happier for it. I notice she was calmer because she trusted me and it was all thanks to the techniques that John taught me. Additionally, attending the group classes were incredibly helpful in socializing her, the other trainers Justin and Stephanie were also amazing. I highly recommend this program to anyone that needs help getting their dog under control.— Bianca Solano
Posted August 6th 2024
We had an amazing experience with Dog Training Elite and our trainer John. We were training a 13-month-old terrier and we were beginning his journey to become a service dog. John was very focused on our dog's strengths and areas where he needed improvement and he designed the lessons, and our homework, around our dog and my needs, as his handler. Over these months, our dog has made huge strides and has passed his tests required to become a licensed service animal and with each week our dog's confidence in his role and our confidence in him across a wide array of contexts has increased. I can't speak highly enough of John and I can't thank him enough. It is important for people who are seeking to train a service dog to be very invested in the process and do their homework and be super consistent with training. We felt so well supported by Dog Training Elite and we highly recommend them.— Julianne Newmark Engberg
Posted July 25th 2024
I was very impressed with the whole training process . My trainers, Stephanie and John, were patient , loving and competent teachers. I was amazed at how observant and aware they were of everything that was going on between me and my dog. They saw things I didn’t even realize were happening. So happy with Dog Training Elite. I highly recommend them.— Carolyn Spaulding
Posted July 19th 2024
DTE really cares about the experience that you get with their trainers and feedback is welcome. Communication is good and clear and they're always available for questions. The method they use is very effective and just requires you do your homework. My pup is much easier to handle now and I am looking forward to continued classes!— Chrys Shatz
Posted July 18th 2024
Just there when you need them. They'll answer all your questions and help you through the tough times.— Cecelia Jacka
Posted July 17th 2024
I have a 6 year old Doberman (Hope) with major dog reactivity issues. We have been working with John for 6 weeks now. And just successfully completed a group class. John is nothing short of amazing in helping to get Hope’s reactivity under control. We can now take our daily walks without issue. John is very patient, always on time. And obviously well seasoned in training dogs. We have also worked on obedience, training and she is a changed dog. I cannot thank John enough for helping to change our lives! I cannot stress enough if you have a reactive dog, or just need basic training. Call dog training elite.— Debbie Sims
Posted July 13th 2024
Overall great experience with John. My dog has come such a long way and I’m a lot more confident with him too. Package was on the pricey side but this was necessary for my situation and my dogs aggression and reactiveness.— Leslie Salinas
Posted June 23rd 2024