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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 Kenosha & Racine apart from any other dog training service.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Kenosha & Racine 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 Kenosha & Racine 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 Kenosha & Racine’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 Kenosha & Racine 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 Kenosha & Racine 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 Kenosha & Racine?
Dog Training Elite Kenosha & Racine 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 Kenosha & Racine does not use punishments or shock collars to break bad habits. Instead, Dog Training Elite Kenosha & Racine 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 Kenosha & Racine is that while most dog training programs train dogs at their own facilities, Dog Training Elite Kenosha & Racine 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 Kenosha & Racine is there every step of the way. With Dog Training Elite Kenosha & Racine, 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!
Jeff completely transformed our border collie/blue heeler mix. When we moved back to Chicago, our dog was anxious of everything in the city including buses, bikes, and even runners. He pulled on his leash constantly and lunged at moving objects. We were active with him physically but not mentally. With the private lessons, Jeff handled Tucker so well at the at-home lessons, giving him tasks to calm his mind & setting him up for success. After, the group lessons were also incredibly effective, since it gave us a chance to interact with other dogs. I will say, you HAVE to do the homework *every day*. This is a course for owners as much as the dogs. Our dog is so much calmer now; still an incredibly energetic herding dog who needs LOTS of activity, but you can tell how much more collected he is on walks, at the park, or when guests are in our home. This course transformed my dog & we couldn't be happier with the results! Also, dog aside, I really jived with Jeff's communication methods & attendance policies. He was always on time, so I was always on time. The mutual respect of everyone's time was much appreciated. We primarily went to the Chicago location but visited the Kenosha class as well for a change of scenery!— Stephanie Roatis
Posted May 3rd 2024
The Dog Training Elite Team in Kenosha was informative from day one. The many different interactions with other dogs and commands was extremely helpful in teaching both myself and my dog proper behavior at home and in public places! I have recommended this training team to many of my friends. Good girl, Toast! 🩷— Jolene Coulter
Posted May 3rd 2024
The Dog Training Elite Team in Kenosha was informative from day one. The many different interactions with other dogs and commands was extremely helpful in teaching both myself and my dog proper behavior at home and in public places! I have recommended this training team to many of my friends. This is my good girl, Toast. 🩷— Jo Co
Posted May 3rd 2024
I have had my dog Duke for over 3 years. He is a shelter dog. I have had other trainers, but I still could not curb his aggressive behavior towards other people and especially other dogs. I have been through the one-on-one home training and about to start the group sessions. I am beyond amazed at the results I have gotten! I never thought my dog would be able to be trained and he's doing so well, so far.— Jenny Rimkus
Posted January 25th 2024
We cannot rave enough about how much this training helped our dog!! Our son got a mini aussie during covid. She had very little human interaction and no animal interaction. He and the dog moved in with us when she was 1.5 yrs old. She was hyper, extremely aggressive, erratic and didn't listen to say the least! We constantly lived in fear of her, had to have her separated from elderly family members, and kept her muzzled anytime human or animal interaction was possible. Knowing we had a huge problem on hand, we tried a local treat-based training center with no success with any behavioral changes, in fact the group interaction increased her aggression and stress level, her growling and lunging was threatening enough that we'd have to separate her from the others. We were able to teach her tricks while at home, but that was not enough and she would choose when to listen and obey. She had altered our lives so much and her behavior was so bad that we seriously considered putting her down (and was also mentioned as an option by our vet). As a last ditch effort, we decided to try a google search for a different type of training and that's when I found Dog Training Elite!! After a personal meeting with Jeff, we decided to give it a try (but I'll have to be honest, I had zero hope that anything would work). From day one our trainer (Shelly) was so friendly and helpful, constantly encouraging, and all throughout the training they were able to identify areas we needed to correct our actions or the dogs. We saw major changes in her listening to us and behaving, obeying commands and correction of all the unwanted negatives throughout the weeks of at home training. Though we were very pleased, I honestly I had no faith that we'd be able to do group sessions based on our previous training experience elsewhere. Man was I wrong!! Not only did she do well, but she excelled. The dog that bit me while trying to bite our other dog and would attack stuffed dogs, would come to sit next to dogs in training and now at home. The benefits of this training extend well beyond the commands and tricks, the behavioral changes in the dog were HUGE!! She is a pleasure to be around, for us and our guests, we are now able to travel with her and be around our elderly parents. DTE-Kenosha/Racine and their staff gave us the confidence in ourselves to tackle an extremely challenging dog, they made the difference in the life of the dog honestly. We now look forward to our group sessions and have been equipped with ways to introduce people to our dog, how to introduce animals to her and work through her stressors and triggers. Plus we have real hope that we will be able to do some trick work with her in the near future!! We can't recommend DTE enough, they gave us our lives back!— Kendra Fitzwater
Posted December 24th 2023
Jeff, Lara, Shelly and team are professionals. Shelly was our dog trainer. Excellent trainer with great communication skills and proven techniques. Our dog quickly grasps core commands and was ready for group sessions with other dogs. We are extremely pleased with Dog Training Elite and would highly recommend their services. Bear 🐻 is now a service dog!— Roberto Martinez
Posted September 30th 2023
They have helped me with my 3 year old Labradoodle. I can now walk him around other people and dogs. He no longer pulls me over or growls at everything. They do private training and group training. Highly recommend their services!— Colleen O'Brien Ecker
Posted August 21st 2023
Jeff did a wonderful job getting my 3 year old Siberian Husky, Che, certified to become an official service animal. It was very challenging to get Che to listen at first, given how stubborn Huskies are as a breed, but with persistence, practice, and some great one-on-one sessions, we were able to get Che over some large hurdles. Che is super obedient now compared to how he used to be, well-behaved off leash, and has successfully traveled on a plane! I never thought we could get here with Che's training and I am very grateful to Jeff and his guidance.— Juliana Siward
Posted May 16th 2023
I teach first graders at GEMS World Academy Chicago. We do a six week unit of inquiry into accessibility. Jeff, Lara and their dog Max came into our classroom. Jeff and Lara are incredibly knowledgable and were great with the kids. They answered all of their questions about service dogs and more. We were very impressed with all three of them. I would feel very comfortable and lucky to have Jeff or Lara come into my home to train a dog for me personally or for a friend requiring ta service dog.— Kirsten Richards
Posted March 6th 2023
Enjoyed the training. Jeff was very good with our Trixie. Although we didn’t work as hard as we should with our puppy, Jeff was very good as training with Trixie. She did learn all the skills, we just have to enforce them. Thanks Jeff!— Barb Ciotti Paskiewicz
Posted February 22nd 2023
Jeff and his team are passionate dog people and trainers!— Kelley Rosequist
Posted May 18th 2022
We are extremely pleased with our dog Maisy's training sessions with Atalie of Dog Training Elite-Kenosha. Atalie is always professional, on-time and accommodating to our specific requests for guidance. We came to DTE-Kenosha needing help with our 11 month old rescue Pug with aggressive behavior directed at our other 2 Pugs. During the evaluation session Atalie quickly and accurately assessed the pack dynamics and presented us with a structured 'plan of attack' to help Maisy overcome her insecurities causing the aggressive behavior. From our very first lesson Atalie stressed that she was not only training Maisy but more importantly training us to be consistent and impactful with our interactions with Maisy. After a few sessions with Atalie, reinforced with our daily 15-20 minutes of practice, Maisy has made remarkable progress especially learning to go to her 'place' to give her time to decompress and calm down. Our house has become a much calmer place and Maisy's interactions with the other Pugs has greatly improved. The DTE training methods work if you follow the program and do your homework. Atalie's super energetic and friendly personality has all 3 of our Pugs so excited to see her each visit. We are confident that we can eliminate Maisy's aggressions with the assistance of DTE. HIGHLY RECOMMEND USING DTE-KENOSHA FOR YOUR DOG TRAINING NEEDS.— Lisa Lantz
Posted November 30th 2021