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What is a Therapy Dog?
A therapy dog is a dog that performs a service for other people. Typical therapy dog tasks are going to nursing homes or hospitals to cheer people up. For your dog to qualify, he/she must be friendly with strangers, and with training, be able to work around a high level of distraction and to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc.
Research shows that therapy dogs can have a positive effect on a patient’s mood, stress, and pain levels during facility stays. Children, in particular, respond positively to therapy dogs. They are more motivated to participate in treatments, feel optimistic about the future, and experience an overall sense of calm when a certified therapy dog is present.
Therapy dogs can promote social interaction between individuals within communities that may not otherwise experience socialization typically. Therapy dogs offer unconditional love, non-judgmental interaction, reduce stress, anxiety, and loneliness and provide an overall positive distraction to ailments.
Goals for Your Therapy Companion
- Socialization
- Lower Pain Levels
- Motivation
- Provide Comfort
- Decrease in Stress, Anxiety, and Depression
- Promote Healing
- Increase Overall Optimism
- Ease Loneliness
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Denver location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
Therapy Dog
Starting at
$3,395
A therapy dog volunteers alongside you, where permitted, and provides comfort to others. Examples include cheering people up at nursing homes or hospitals.
A good therapy dog is naturally friendly with strangers, able to work around a high level of distraction (with training), and able to understand personal boundaries, such as not jumping up, licking, mouthing, etc (with training).
Training Equipment Included:
Biothane, E-collar, Medium Cot, Bag, Lanyard, Bandanna, Flexi, Magnet, Pen, Collar Tips
PLUS: Testing, ID & Additional Bandanna
- One-on-One & In-Home Training Sessions 8 Sessions
- Group Park Training Sessions 12 Months
- Therapy bandana, certification and ID Cards
- An exclusive directory of therapy events and locations for you to donate your time
- Certification/Testing
- Come
- Walk with you (no more pulling)
- Sit (next to you)
- Sit (off leash, at a distance)
- Down (next to you)
- Down (off leash, at a distance)
- Wait
- Quiet (stop barking and whining)
- Load up in the car or kennel
- Place
- Heel
- No Jumping up (on people)
- Make a friend
- One personalized greeting (high five, shake, hug, etc.)
In-Facility - $4,595
Includes 8 day in-facility camp and 3 follow up sessions.
ESA Dog
Starting at
$3,395
An Emotional support dog provides comfort and companionship to its handler at home. ESA's have housing rights with medical endorsement (but not public access rights).
A good emotional support dog promotes improved mood through positive interactions, touch therapy, and maintaining a routine.
Training Equipment Included: Biothane, E-collar, Medium Cot, Bag, Lanyard, Bandanna, Flexi, Magnet, Pen, Collar Tips
- One-on-One & In-Home Training Sessions 8 Sessions
- Group Park Training Sessions 12 Months
- Puppy Selection Advice
- One Personalized Skill
- Come
- Heel
- Sit
- Place
- Off
- Quiet (stop barking and whining)
- Lay Down
- Leash Manners
- People Manners
- Load-up (in Car or Kennel)
- No Jumping up (on people)
- *Specialized task for in-home comfort and support
In-Facility - $4,595
Includes 8 day in-facility camp and 3 follow up sessions.
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.
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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).
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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.
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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!
Excellent staff who is very knowledgeable and caring of you and your dog. You do have to pra tice though i it won't stick— John Heister
Posted July 21st 2024
We have been having an incredible experience with Dog Training Elite with our high energy Aussie. Our goal is to make him a therapy dog and after a ton of research, I landed on Dog Training Elite. There were some scheduling issues in the beginning, however they acknowledged this area of opportunity and were transparent with some turnover in their scheduling department. This has since not been an issue and our Aussie has been progressing so well through the program. Fallon is the BEST trainer. She explains each command and demo in a way we fully understand so we can be confident and successful. I can’t recommend this company enough. It is on the expensive side, but you get what you pay for. Nothing compares to seeing my reactive, high energy Aussie become confident in our relationship and learning so fast!— Heather Kennedy
Posted June 8th 2024
I love DTE, they have done so much for us and I can’t thank them enough.— Kristin C.
Posted June 5th 2024
We live in Palm City FL to they are based next to us in Fort Pierce and the area. Shelly was amazing !! We just completed training for our 1 year old Bull Mastiff and our 2 year old French Mastiff (Dogue) and will start attending some group trainings/meetings. Our dogs are no longer pulling and jumping up on people and she taught us the techniques that WE need to be the best dog parents for them. We highly recommend Dog Training Elite - be sure not to mistake them from other companies with similar names. It was worth every penny and knowing also that going forward Dog Training Elite (and Shelly) are there for us and our pups.— suzy messina
Posted April 2nd 2024
Absolutely love the folk here, they have made such a big difference in mine and my dog’s life and he’s not even done with his training program yet. They clearly love what they do and take such good care of the dogs and want the best for every single one! I have recommended them to everyone I know for both dog training and service dog training.— Bailey Oteri
Posted February 25th 2024
I'm very fortunate to be able to see the well-trained dogs that get trained here.— Adam Inman
Posted December 31st 2023
I brought my rescue dog, Logan, to DTE after we have been struggling with some pretty severe anxiety and fear aggression. While Logan and I both still has a lot to work on and learn, the trainers at DTE have given us the tools to work through Logan’s issues. Even though I currently go to veterinary school out of the country, I have never had a problem reaching out to DTE for help. They are always very quick to respond and always willing to set up a phone call where I can tell them what I’m concerned about and they help develop a plan to help overcome what ever the issue is. I feel like people believe that they can drop their dog off at the trainer and get a completely different dog back at the end of the day. The truth is that having a well trained dog takes time and dedication. The trainer’s just help build the foundation for the owners to expand on. DTE has given me the necessary tools to help my boy be as happy and safe as he can be and I know that it is now my job to use those tools to make it all worth it. I would recommend DTE to anyone with a dog and especially to anyone with a dog with any kind of behavioral issues.— Caroline Vangi
Posted November 20th 2023
Can't say enough wonderful things about this company. They helped my 14 yr old son train his service dog starting at 16 weeks. Each trainer we worked with was extremely friendly and patient with my son. They are very knowledgeable about everything to do with having a service dog (including helping me, the mom, what all the dog could and should do). They answered all our questions and helped us navigate the school system. They even have a monthly airport training so we did a 'trial' run before flying. From private sessions through the group classes, we always had great support and never felt like we were a bother. The trainers are great, the owners are wonderful. I highly recommend DTE to all my friends.— Alyssa McCluskey
Posted November 14th 2023
Went here for the dog open house haunted house. It was really cute and we had a great time. I would consider coming to this to get my dog trained, but something didn’t feel right. There was a guy, presumably, one of the owners of the company, walking around ominously with several guns and knifes hanging off him. I’m a gun girl, so normally this would not bother me, but it just kind of gave me a creepy vibe and made the experience quite uncomfortable for me and obviously other potential customers there too. I understand everyone has a right to carry fire arms, and if it is your own business, you may choose to carry then as well, but it seemed weird for an open house, where they are trying to attract customers.— Claire Janet
Posted October 31st 2023
I highly recommended Dog Training Elite Denver for all training needs. I have trained 3 dogs through their service animal program with great success and have first hand the efficacy of their method in resolving all types of behavioral issues. On top of everything, the DTE Denver team has provided over the top personalized support through every challenge I have faced with my precious pups. I’m a big fan - to say the absolute least!— Alexa Tetzlaff
Posted May 23rd 2023
DTE-Denver truly lives up to their tagline. They absolutely are the last dog trainers you'll ever need. I found DTE-Denver after my Goldendoodle was certified as a therapy dog through another trainer, but I didn't feel that her behavior was as reliable as I wanted it to be in order to to feel safe with students in my classroom. After 4 months of training with DTE, my pup passed her therapy test and is as reliable off-leash as she is on-leash. We love all of you at DTE-Denver! Thank you for changing our lives and the lives of the students Kona will continue to help for years to come!— Catherine Kaminski
Posted May 22nd 2023
The Ballards have changed my life by training my dog and I to be the best team we can be! If you are looking for service dog training, I would highly recommend. DTE’s training program works fast and it sticks! Han Solo and I have so much fun at group classes. They make things fun and structured. You are not only training your dog! You are finding a like minded community to support you in the process. ☀️That’s a beautiful thing ☀️ Thank you guys for being such a compassionate company!! 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️— Tiffany Cody
Posted April 13th 2023
The Ballards and their staff are amazing people! They truly have become part of our family. They have helped change two of my sons lives raising, training and loving their service dogs. I will 100% use their services for all current and future training needs and recommend anyone who wants top notch training to use them as well.—
Posted March 1st 2023
I would give 5 stars and more if I could. Great people that care about pets first. I can’t wait for my son go through certification;)— Iveria Lorenz
Posted February 11th 2023
My pup loves going here, and she is learning so much! Our other two dogs also do in home obedience and have learned so much and become such better listeners after working with the trainers from DTE.— Betsy Barron
Posted February 4th 2023
DTE has been a game changer for the training of our future therapy dog, Kona. Their no-treat training methods, extrememly knowledgeable, patient and kind trainers, personalized training approach in both 1-1 and group classes, and attentiveness to their clients (canine and human) have been the catalyst for bringing out the very best in Kona and the very best in me, as Kona's handler. DTE will always be a part of our family and we will truly never need another trainer again. Thank you, DTE!!!— Catherine Kaminski
Posted January 14th 2023
Amazing trainers. Our little pup learned so much so fast. Highly recommend.— Jachin Rutt
Posted January 11th 2023
Dog Training Elite Denver Partners
