Owner-Trained Assistance Dog Programs
By completing the Interest Form below, you will provide our team with the necessary information about your current needs and interests. Completing the Interest Form is the first step in your journey.
About our Owner-Trained Assistance Dog Program
We know firsthand that the demand for skilled assistance dogs far surpasses the supply of dogs available to individuals with a disability. For you, the process of obtaining, bonding, and working with your assistance dog is appealing, and we’re here to support that journey regardless of whether you choose to train an adult dog or raise a puppy from our purpose breeding program.
For Owners with Adult Dogs:
The SSD Owner-Trained Assistance Dog program is a comprehensive 26-week opportunity that provides the proper training, assessments, and courses with qualified and experienced training assistance the whole way. If you’ve been researching this for a while, you already know that the costs to train an assistance dog yourself are upwards of $15,000 to $30,000 upfront (and sometimes even as high as $50,000). On top of that, sifting through all of the various training options can feel overwhelming. Training your own service dog is an in-depth process requiring focus and intentional practice, but can be enormously rewarding!
Sunrise Service Dogs can help you achieve program certification with your dog. You’ll work in group training classes and outings alongside others who are also training their own assistance dog.
Successfully attending and completing a course or the entire series of service dog courses does not qualify you as a service/assistance dog trainer who is qualified to train dogs for others. The purpose of our program is to guide you as you train your own dog to be your service dog.
To participate, you need to know the following:
Clients must complete a comprehensive application process that includes medical disability verification and criminal background checks on all persons living in the home over the age of 18.
Dogs must be at least 12 months of age to qualify for Assistance Dog certification.
Owner-Trained teams must work with SSD for a minimum of 6 months.
Dogs are trained to perform a minimum of 3 tasks to mitigate the human partner’s disability.
Owners must provide proof of current vaccinations.
Owners must provide proof of their dog’s sterilization before certification.
Clients must commit to working with their service dog inside and outside class.
Participants must be willing to travel to our Colorado Springs, Colorado training center for assessment, classes, and training. Some portions of our courses may occur virtually.
Clients must be willing to participate in SSD’s complete training curriculum fully, adhere to the training guidance provided by professional SSD service dog trainers, and abide by SSD processes, procedures, and practices for certification and recertification.
Owners must submit to and pass a background check for program participation.
Sunrise Service Dogs reserves the right to discontinue a team’s participation at any time and for any reason.
Much like we cannot guarantee that every puppy that enters our program will become a service dog, Sunrise Service Dogs does not guarantee that participants in our Owner-Trained Assistance Dog Certification Program will become certified service dogs.
Limit: one dog per client.
Raise a Service Dog Candidate Puppy:
Sunrise Service Dogs has a breeding and socialization program with puppies from health-tested parents, socialized specifically for assistance dog work, and evaluated for their potential as service dogs. It is never guaranteed that a puppy will become a service dog, but we provide a solid foundation for that to happen.
Some clients may qualify to raise a puppy from our purpose breeding program as a volunteer with the intention that through team training, the puppy you are raising will qualify as your future assistance dog. If you are physically able to work with a dog, or you are the parent of a minor child who is able to work with a dog, you may qualify for this program.
This program is incredibly rewarding and does carry some risk. Please complete the Interest Form above for more information.
Before You Get a Puppy
Sunrise Service Dogs can assist you in finding an appropriate puppy that has received early socialization and whose parents have been vetted and health-tested. Working with reputable and ethical breeders ensures that your dog will have an enjoyable and healthy working life. In order to ensure their puppies are physically free of genetic conditions and have solid temperaments, they have invested time and financial resources. They spend countless hours providing their puppies with the experiences they need to be strong assistance dog candidates.
Sunrise Service Dogs also has a breeding program and may have a Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, or Old English Sheepdog available. All of our puppies are from health-tested parents, socialized specifically for assistance dog work, and evaluated for their potential as service dogs. A puppy is never guaranteed to become a service dog, but we provide a solid foundation to improve outcomes.
Before getting a puppy on your own, let us help you make an informed decision. With our years of experience and breed knowledge, we can help you select the right dog for your needs and lifestyle. As part of our evaluation process, we take into account the tasks you would like your dog to perform to mitigate your disability, whether you would prefer a dog with fur or hair, as well as breed characteristics.
The fee to consult with you to learn more about your needs and coordination of services, including locating and sourcing a service dog candidate puppy is $300.
Let us know if you'd like us to locate and source a suitable service dog candidate puppy by completing the interest form at the top of this page.