Request a Free Assessment
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 Philadelphia apart from any other dog training service.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia’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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia?
Dog Training Elite Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia does not use punishments or shock collars to break bad habits. Instead, Dog Training Elite Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia is that while most dog training programs train dogs at their own facilities, Dog Training Elite Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia is there every step of the way. With Dog Training Elite Philadelphia, 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!
We had a great experience with Taylor and Dog Training Elite. Hermione is a 6 month GSD who was showing some guarding/reactive behaviors. Taylor was able to show us tips on this right away, and we saw improvements within the first week. After 5 sessions, she has become very obedient and has responded quickly to all training techniques. Very glad we went forward with the training and I highly recommend!— Pete Mignogna
Posted October 11th 2024
We have just completed our one-on-one training sessions with Taylor and we have nothing but great things to say. We noticed Cooper had a fear of children and large dogs that did not always come across in the nicest of ways. Taylor assured us that this training would help Cooper gain confidence to face situations he was once fearful of. Taylor has been so patient with Cooper as he can be a little stubborn at times! Coop was always happy to see him and in a short amount of time, he has already grown so much. We highly recommend Taylor and Dog Training Elite!— Calli Popolo
Posted September 21st 2024
Taylor was very professional and Cinnamon learned quickly as long as you keep up with the training your pup will be a well mannered dog I highly recommend dog training elite— Donna Barlow
Posted September 5th 2024
Taylor is a true professional, best-in-class at getting my crazy puppies Dixie & Dolly well behaved and consistently responding to commands. He also gives broader advice on raising the pups and is always cordial, polite, understanding and I would recommend him to anyone looking for a dog trainer in Chester County!— Michael Henley
Posted September 5th 2024
It has been a joy watching our dog transform after traning from Dog Training Elite. Trainer Vincent was professional, on time, and personable.— Daniel Flowers
Posted September 2nd 2024
We had a fantastic experience with Taylor and Dog Training Elite! Our dog, Tony Soprano, is a beautiful 1.5 year old Boxer. Beauty aside, Tony was stubborn, didn’t listen to anyone, and even had anxiety like the true Tony Soprano himself. We tried traditional training, and even another company with only some improvements. Tony seemed to always decide himself when he wanted to behave. After the in-home sessions with Taylor, Tony developed into a confident and obedient dog. Taylor was very patient with Tony (and us) throughout the whole process. We highly recommend Taylor and his services!— Ashley Gray
Posted August 20th 2024
Working with Vincent and Dog Training Elite has been the greatest investment we've made for our 11 month old bernedoodle, Percy. In a matter of weeks, Percy has transformed from wild, unruly, and stubborn to well mannered and eager to learn. Training is just as much for the dog as it is for the human, and Vincent has been excellent at training us both! He is calm and confident in his instruction, and we have all greatly enjoyed working with him. I would highly recommend DTE and Vincent for all your training needs.— Whitney Hughes
Posted August 19th 2024
Vincent is the best! We rescued our dog and quickly discovered she had a "jumpy/bitey" behavior - quite undesirable for a pitbull. Within one lesson with Vincent, the behavior is gone! We continue on to work on other commands - sit, down, place, break, heel - and Tiya is learning them all. She is becoming the disciplined and loving dog we dreamed of having! We could not have done this without Vincent! He is not only extremely capable and knowledgeable, but he is also calm and pleasant. In our mind, there is only one dog training firm to use - Go to Vincent at DTE! Highly, highly recommend them!!— G C
Posted August 19th 2024
I was recommended to Dog Training Elite by a friend and would recommend them to anyone. I've worked with three incredible trainers and they all have brought different strengths. Vinny, who I had for obedience, helped me get my high energy dog (who thought he was king of the house) ready for the service program with Betsy. Vinny took a lot of time helping me with Twig and was very thorough with his training and explanations, which helped us feel very prepared for our public access test (which we passed!). Vinny is also great with communication for scheduling and appointments.— Allison Machnicki
Posted August 17th 2024
Working with Betsy and Vincent has been great! My dog Ranger has come a long way over the summer with their help in our goal of training him to become a Therapy Dog. Vincent has been a great help with obedience training and Betsy has been awesome with workplace training. Looking forward to our continued trainings with them.— Paul Diorio
Posted August 14th 2024
Tiya is a totally new dog since we started working with Vincent!! I rescued her when she was about a year old, and I was very worried about her behavioral issues - I have 0 reason to be concerned now. And Tiya LOVES Vincent, she gets sooo excited every time she sees him step out of his car. Given her past, she tends to be hesitant around men but has loved him since day 1. He is such a natural with training dogs! I cannot recommend DTE (esp Vincent) enough :)— Katelyn Craft
Posted August 6th 2024
Vincent is an excellent canine trainer I was so fortunate to encounter after signing up with Dog Training Elite. I have a 1 year old male Bernadoodle, Poppy, who was disruptive, impulsive and often physically uncontrollable. Although Poppy had worked with other trainers during his first year, his issues were not resolved. From our first session with Vincent, Poppy’s behavior started to rapidly improve. Vincent worked with Poppy, and me, on his obedience and social skills. Poppy continues to improve and I now feel confident walking him in parks. Friends have commented on how his behavior has improved. Vincent definitely has a gift for training dogs and for imparting that ability to his clients. Vincent’s knowledge and experience as a trainer are evident in every session. Vincent attentively watches the dog and human interactions during the training sessions and professionally guides both to have successful outcomes in every session. I have only worked with Vincent from Dog Training Elite, and I would highly recommend him to anyone.— June Dirany
Posted August 6th 2024
Our super energetic Corgi wore us all down with his constant barking, biting and failure to respond to basic commands. After a year-and-a-half of his uncontrollable behavior, we were beginning to lose hope. I saw an ad on Instagram for Dog Training Elite and reached out to Taylor. After just a few weeks in the program, my Corgi's behavior is so much more manageable, and we are enjoying our time with him. It's really pretty astounding! Instead of feeling constantly overwhelmed, we're now confident in our interactions with our pup and he's responding well to our commands. I like that Taylor worked to understand our pain points with our Corgi's behavior and taught us all how to respond more effectively to it. Taylor is patient, compassionate, and infinitely encouraging. We appreciate the training he provided that has now enabled us to really bond with our dog.— Dawn Francis
Posted August 4th 2024
I have a really sweet but highly reactive dog. Living in a city was making her leash reactivity much worse. I worked with Betsy and Vinny in private sessions and continued working with Vinny in group sessions. It’s honestly night and day! She’s much more confident and I have the skills to help her be successful. Friends and family have noticed that she’s much calmer, listens more, and easier to walk. I highly recommend Dog Training Elite for any “difficult” training.— Gabrielle Dannehl
Posted August 4th 2024
Working with Vince has been great. He is knowledgeable and answers questions quickly. He made a connection with our pup and was able to help us strengthen our connection too. Glad my wife found elite & that we got paired with Vince.— erasmo morales
Posted August 3rd 2024
We train with Vince and let me tell you, he is hands down the best trainer we have ever delt with. He is very knowledgeable and has the patience of a saint with us. We definitely hit it off from the moment we met and was so easy to open up with him (I'm a bit of an introvert around new people). He is always understanding of our questions and gives tips to help us make a better connection between us and our pup. We are so happy that we made the choice to go with Elite and that they sent us Vince. Highly recommended him for all of your training needs.— Brittani Morales
Posted August 3rd 2024
Working with Tori and Vincent was amazing! It’s amazing to be able to trust your trainers and have them give you the skills and confidence to continue after training is completed. I never thought my dog would be able to be off leash, let alone get his reactivity under control. A few weeks with Tori and Vincent changed him and I continue the training on my own now! Vincent was very kind and thorough, my dog was very reactive to males due to caretaker issues in the past and he helped us work through them. I would recommend this company to anyone! :)— Jordan Fisher
Posted August 3rd 2024
Training our Doberman, Pepper, with Vinny for the last several months has been great. He is especially skilled with “difficult” and high energy breeds, and he has an obvious natural inclination for working with dogs. Pepper is totally enamored with him and gets so excited to get out of the car and see Vinny as soon as he spots him. I’m almost surprised Pepper hasn’t tried to head home with him after any of our training sessions. Vinny is a great asset to Dog Training Elite, and I look forward to continuing to work with him.— Eleanor Boyd
Posted August 3rd 2024
Great experience. Vinny was our trainer. He was amazing and helped us reach all the goals we had for our dog Beanie. I would recommend this program to anyone looking to do training with their dog. Ours needed a lot of work and now she's great on and off the leash around people and other 4 legged friends.— Kyle Himmelreich
Posted August 3rd 2024
I have been working with Vincent for the last 6 months on basic obedience training. He's been absolutley amazing. The techniques work and in a few weeks I will have two therapy dogs. Thanks Vincent!— Sara Gray
Posted August 3rd 2024
Proud Sponsor of The Malinois Foundation
At Dog Training Elite Philadelphia, we believe that Service Dogs save lives. It is our mission to make these life-saving companions available to our Veterans, First Responders, Women Survivors, and Children with Medical Needs. Whether it be for PTSD, Mobility Support, or Special Needs, Dog Training Elite Philadelphia works with the Malinois Foundation to heal and empower these individuals with a specialized service animal, a partner in life, and a new best friend.