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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 Milwaukee apart from any other dog training service.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee’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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee?
Dog Training Elite Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee does not use punishments or shock collars to break bad habits. Instead, Dog Training Elite Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee is that while most dog training programs train dogs at their own facilities, Dog Training Elite Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee is there every step of the way. With Dog Training Elite Milwaukee, 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!
Paul and Aninia are the best trainers in the world. You may think this is to expensive but it has been worth every penny. The first dog we took was by referral as she is a service dog. The other two we are taking are for obedience and have asked for Paul and Aninia specifically because Paul can get through to my husband and make him understand dog must obey. The last half of their training will be very hard as it will mean driving back and forth between Stevens Point and Glendale. We're moving. Happy to do considering fantastic results of first dog. I have Parkisons and so don't sleep well at night and she is my mobility service dog. So worked well to train then. I know we will get the same results on the German Shepherds. I have confidence in Mary and her crew.— Karen Stardy
Posted October 1st 2024
Mary was great to work with. When I reached out to Dog Training Elite, I was at my wits end with my reactive dog. I no longer was enjoying our walks, and they had become a point of stress in my life. Mary provided me with the tools to refocus my dog and reduce her reactivity, and I can say we are both enjoying our walks more. This training is not just for your dog, it's also for you. What I've learned has made me a better dog owner.— Nicole Wolf
Posted September 25th 2024
My dog and I had a pleasant experience with Dog Training Elite. It made a huge difference training my dog, Bianco! I highly recommend it. Both Mary and Anina were amazing! We mostly worked with Anina, she was very friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. She did great with not only teaching my dog Bianco, but also focusing on teaching my sister and I how to train him. Before starting training, my dog would bark excessively, pull on walks, and react to other dogs/people/cars. Now my dog is more calm and a much better listener, which has strengthened our bond. Many thanks to you both!— MELISSA PALACIOS
Posted September 1st 2024
Anina was just great! Even stopped over on her own time when we had difficulty adjusting the prong collar. Maggie just loved her! Would highly recommend Anina.— Janet Gauger
Posted August 30th 2024
Paul and Mary did an amazing job in working with Journey (my Goldendoodle) and I. As a new puppy parent, learning the different facets of this particular breed and bonding with my new pup, had its challenges. However, with Paul and Mary's help, we were able to get though the trainings, successfully. Their skills and experience in training dogs to be service animals is incredible. Paul was my direct trainer, and he is knowledgeable, consistent and patient as a trainer. Something we really needed. I am grateful for the support that Paul and Mary provided on my journey, with Journey. Many thanks to you both!— Tamarra carr
Posted August 19th 2024
The? People that sent me paul yang. Was a very good gentleman.Help me a lot with training. I would recommend if you guys need help with training Your dog for support. They are very good people and they work very well.— Cindy Sancinati
Posted July 25th 2024
My dog is my whole world, but he has developed some behavioral issues, such as being weary of strangers, excessive barking, and reactiveness to other dogs. Mary worked closely with me and him for a few months to help resolve these issues, and within the first few sessions I noticed a drastic improvement. She was patient with him and very informative. We still have work to do, but Mary and this company has given me the tools and resources to help me give my dog the best life I can. I 100% recommend this service.— Marina Steger
Posted July 12th 2024
We have been working with Mary and she is amazing Our puppy Penny has greatly improved under her supervision Looking forward to beginning group classes Andy & Liz— Andrew Dunlap
Posted July 10th 2024
Anina was terrific training me and my dog! It's great to have her start something new with him, then coach me as I work with him. After trying two other classes/methods, its good to find a training style that works. I'm looking forward to the follow up group classes, as well.— Beth Bautz
Posted July 3rd 2024
We had a very good experience with Anina, she was very knowledgeable and kind with our Akita. We saw immediate results and would definitely use this service again in the future!— Eva
Posted June 23rd 2024
It was an absolute pleasure working with Mary to get my dog (rhodesian ridgeback puppy) therapy dog certified. After the very first training session, I noticed a huge change in my puppy's behavior. I enjoyed both the one-on-one trainings and the group classes. Would highly recommend!— Leah Linn
Posted June 11th 2024
Both Mary and Paul have been great as we were looking for help training our rescue Nora. She’s already so much better than when we started, especially when walking. I can’t recommend DTE and both Mary and Paul higher. If you are looking for a trainer that uses classical conditioning, this is the one!— Adam Lang
Posted April 29th 2024
Mary and Katie are both very sweet people and so easy to work with. Mary helped my dog and I both gain the confidence we need. My dog has come so far and I'm so thankful for Mary. #TeamDTE— stephanie w
Posted March 15th 2024
Trainers are great and it's nice I can work with my own dog under their supervision— Karen Stardy
Posted March 3rd 2024
Mary the trainer is awesome with my dog. Within 2 training sessions my dog was much better with her behavior. The training is top notch. Mary is working with my dog to be a service dog. The in home sessions worked well for me. I injured myself and can't drive at this time The training cost is worth every penny! I'm very happy to have found Mary and dog training elite— Susan Freund
Posted February 13th 2024
Dog Training Elite has been a great experience for myself and my dog. Mary met with us in home to do an evaluation, Paul completed the one on one course with my dog. Group training as follow up has been fun. Mary and Paul have been great to work with. 10/10— Neil Rossman
Posted January 30th 2024
Paul and Mary were amazing, I felt as if I was being instructed correctly and there was a complete change in behavior of my dog Goku. He was extremely excited puppy who did not understand how to control his excitement by week 3 he learned the basic obedience and continued on. Final week of private training Goku did not rush to the door nor jump on trainer. Without Dog Training Elite I would be feeling very anxious around other people and dogs but now I am completely comfortable with him being off leash around animals and people.— Tony Orlando
Posted December 4th 2023
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Posted November 20th 2023
Dog Training Elite Milwaukee has worked magic with our mini bernidoodle and our Cane Corso. The doodle is being trained as a service animal and has amazing command response even as a young puppy(started training at about 6 months). The cane corso was a very good, well socialized, but highly independent animal. She did what she wanted and thought she was the boss. Since her basic training, she is much better behaved and listens to commands. I no longer have to leash her on walks through the woods, she never leaves my side, and comes on command when I let her run free.— Quinn Armitage
Posted October 30th 2023
Mary is great! Can't wait to do group sessions. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite and Mary.— Roxann Yaeger
Posted September 22nd 2023
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