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Over the past decade there has been a rise in the number of people with Emotional Support Animals. This has caused some confusion around what it means to have a service, emotional support or therapy animal . Here, we explain briefly the differences between each of these animals, the training required for each different type, and debunk some common myths. Read on to learn the differences between each type of animal, which one might be right for you or your loved one, and how Dog Training Elite Wilmington can help.
Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Wilmington location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.
ESA vs. Therapy vs. Service Animals: What's the Difference?
Service Animals
Service animals are animals that have been trained to assist individuals with tasks specific to their needs.
- Redirecting attention when an individual is beginning to feel overstimulated
- Reminding owners to take medication
- Waking someone who is having a nightmare
Service dogs are valued in the mental health, health care and disability community and are protected under ADA laws which allow owners to take their service dog with them everywhere they go. Dog Training Elite Wilmington trains dogs to serve individuals with autism, diabetes and PTSD.
Dog Training Elite Wilmington trains autism service dogs to benefit and assist children with autism. Autism service dogs can be trained to track their child in case of wandering and redirect a child’s behavior when they are starting to become overwhelmed.
PTSD service dogs help ground owners to reality, especially in public settings. These service dogs can also be trained to recognize signs of a panic attack and regulate emotional responses through pressure.
Diabetic service dogs can alert their owners to their low blood sugar and provide stability, safety and support.
Visit our individual web pages to understand more about the differences and benefits of autism service dogs, PTSD services dogs and diabetic service dogs.
Emotional Support Animals
Although all dog owners may feel the emotional benefits of owning a dog, the dog needs to be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional to a person with a disabling mental illness such as anxiety or depression to legally be considered an ESA. Emotional Support dogs can be of any age and any breed whereas service dogs usually begin training as puppies.
In addition to being prescribed by a mental health professional, owners may wish for their dog to undergo more specific training. If you are looking for emotional support dog training in your local area, Dog Training Elite Wilmington has you covered.
The professional dog trainers of Dog Training Elite Wilmington are experienced with training various types of therapy animals. Trainers work with a dog’s natural temperament to ensure a strong, loving bond between dog and owner. Training can be personalized to fit the needs of the owner.
It is important to note that Emotional Support Animals are meant for just that - emotional support. Dogs trained to assist with specific tasks that may be associated with a disability are service animals. Training a dog to be an Emotional Support Animal or a therapy dog is less intensive than training to be a service animal.
Therapy Animals
Therapy Animals are very similar to Emotional Support Animals, except that they are often used to bolster the mental health and wellbeing of a community, as opposed to just an individual. Therapy dogs are often seen serving in hospitals, rehabilitation or care centers with their owners.
Owners who feel their dog may be a good fit for this kind of community service can have them receive top-notch training from Dog Training Elite Wilmington.
The most important thing to note as a difference between Emotional Support Animals, Therapy and Service dogs, is service animals are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act which states service animals must be able to accompany their owners wherever they go. Emotional Support and Therapy animals do not have the same protections and public establishments may have their own rules about ESA and therapy dogs.
Whether you’re ready to get a new lease on life with the help of a service dog, or strengthen the existing bond with your dog, Dog Training Elite Wilmington has the experience and resources you need.
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!
Excellent professionalism and experienced trainer. Working together we accomplished a lot with my Frenchie. Highly recommend.— Don Bullard
Posted September 20th 2024
The training for my golden was a fantastic experience in all aspects ! I was dealing with a lovable, energetic, sweet 4 year old pup that would not walk on a leash and immediately would hide when I would bring the leash out. Katy immediately developed a bond with her and soon developed a trust with her. Katy was patient and knowledgeable in her techniques. It was surprising how fast my dog began to respond to her training. I highly recommend Elite to anyone with a dog in need of training. Katy provided excellent recommendations and was professional and pleasant to work with even for the owner who also may need training! 😃— Paula Mazzoccante
Posted August 20th 2024
This program was a wonderful fit for me and my dog, Finn. Our trainer, Katy, is excellent to work with. Katy is patient, kind, knowledgable and Finn loved her (and I did, too!)! I purchased the platinum plan which includes 10 in-home training sessions and then unlimited group classes. Katy came to our house each time on time and ready to work, and Finn really responded to the training techniques. I feel confident that I have better command of Finn now and he learned a few cool tricks, as well. I would absolutely recommend Dog Training Elite of Wilmington and we look forward to beginning our group classes on Saturday! Thank you, Katy! We will miss our Mondays with you!— Laurie McGeoghegan
Posted June 3rd 2024
My name is Shirley and my dog Brandy. We live in a suburb of Wilmington, N.C. 4 years ago, I rescued Brandy from a shelter. She was 10 months old. She has from day one, been a very energetic and friendly, loving dog. However, she displayed the following behavioral issues: 1) pulling on the leash (I had to stop walking her, 2) jumping on people, 3) not coming when called 4) Very aggressive when seeing other dogs. She now is 5yrs old and continues to be sweet and loving. But she had been far from obedient. I had enrolled her in a number of dog training classes including a 3week stay at a boot camp obedience program that all proved to be unsuccessful. At the boot camp. I was informed that she did well there. On her last day of training, I was given a demonstration of how obedient she was with the trainers. However, as the dog owner, I was provided with less than 2 hours of training instructions. After the amount of money that I had paid for what I thought would be “good training” turned out to be extremely disappointed. I had resigned myself to never having Brandy becoming an obedient pup. It was disheartening. And then I discovered while browsing the WEB, “ELITE AWARD WIINNING DOG TRAINING***** in Wilmington. After reading their positive reviews, their mission statements, and meeting with the Owner, I enrolled Brandy in their training program. Darren and Katy who I now refer to as “my Angels” provided the training and so much support. All training was done at my home where Brandy was the most comfortable. The results far exceeded my expectations for both Brandy and myself. Darren and Katy are phenomenal trainers. Their philosophy in training dogs is unique and uses gentle guidance. The training session were always fun and engaging for both Brandy and me. Every training session began with playing with Brandy and ending the session with play time again. She always looked forward to their visits. Katy and Darren were always patient and supportive, answering all my questions and addressing all concerns. Their support included checking in with me between training sessions and addressing any questions/concerns I had and providing recommendations as needed. This never occurred with any of the prior training programs. I was also given homework assignments and tips to practice at home and reinforce what was learned during each training session. After only a few weeks of training, Brandy is a completely different dog. She... • No longer pulls on her leash nor gets distracted. Our walks are longer and enjoyable. • Comes immediately when I call her. • Greets people without jumping on them. • Does not try to “escape” when someone comes to the door. • Has become sweeter and more loving. • Is a happier dog and I am a happier human. Darren and Katy helped me achieve all my goals. I am so very grateful for all their work and all their support.— Shirley Tedesco
Posted February 1st 2024
Loved the service came out to my home and trained my 13 week old shi tzu zak the trainer was lovely and very helpful definitely recommend— Cedric Green
Posted January 3rd 2024
I got a new puppy recently and Hayley came and helped me set her up for success! She provided awesome tips and was super friendly, I'm very satisfied and can't wait for another session in the future!— Kathleen Gilliam
Posted December 31st 2023
I was having trouble walking my strong black lab who likes to take the lead and pull me down the street. He often gets distracted, and wants to follow a scent and would end up dragging me into bushes or the grass. It was painful to say the least. I tried using treats, a gentle leader leash and a pinch collar to keep him next to me without success. I called Dog Training Elite because I couldn’t take it anymore. Caden came to my house for a free consultation. After testing my dog’s ability to obey commands, Caden assured me the technique they use would train him to walk beside me on our walks. I CANNOT believe the difference the training has made! It took 3 sessions, with daily training from me in between. The trainer, Mark was very detailed and thorough as to what I needed to do to get the behavior I needed from my dog. He was patient with me and spelled out everything I need to know. I am beyond thankful! I now have a dog who walks beside me. I would give this company a 10 star review if I could!— Leanne Young
Posted December 20th 2023
We had an amazing experience with the team and 2 of our pups we currently have under rescue. In the short time they worked with them, the difference was truly impressive. Thank you! #freedombridgeanimalrescuenc— diana topjian
Posted December 20th 2023
We loved working with the Dog Training Elite team! We did their puppy training with our 3 month old Labrador Retriever. They gave us the tools to teach our puppy basic commands and laid the foundation for a well-behaved pup. It was super helpful to have access to the trainers via text or call if we had any questions or needed advice (even over a holiday weekend!). We can't wait to work with them more!— Abby Ramsey
Posted December 6th 2023
Katy is the best and I cannot recommend her enough!! I loved working with her and my pups love her even more!!— Alexandria Price
Posted November 10th 2023
Darren and Kati joined us and our pup this afternoon. It was a great experience with educational tips and tricks to help our dog listen and love to learn. 5 out of 5 stars! We will be booking more sessions.— Averee Gerold Coley
Posted November 5th 2023
What a great experience this has been. We had a good dog and he’s only gotten better. The knowledge from the trainers goes beyond teaching our dog to be better, but has helped us be better owners for our dog. The difference in a few short weeks is nothing short of life changing for our family.— Kiernan Berger
Posted October 31st 2023
I’d highly recommend Dog Training Elite to anyone. The dog trainers are fantastic and in just a couple of weeks we saw drastic improvements in our dog. We are so thankful for Dog Training Elite!— Madison Berger
Posted October 30th 2023
Great attention to detail. Would highly recommend to friends and family.— JAKE MOORE
Posted October 19th 2023
Very professional and knowledgeable in dog training. Their trainers were able to assist with training our Irish Setter with ease and ensure that we understood what was needed to be good dog parents and have a successful program. Highly recommended for anyone looking for top quality dog training and professional services! 🦮🐾— Ramiro Rodriguez
Posted October 18th 2023