Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service dog is a dog that is individually trained to perform specific tasks that directly mitigate a person’s disability. Service dogs are working animals, and their access is based on their training and the tasks they perform—not on a certification, license, registration, or special identification card.

Organizations may provide training, evaluations, or documentation, but these are not government-issued certifications required for a dog to legally qualify as a service animal under the ADA. What makes a dog a service dog is that they are trained to perform disability-related tasks for their handler.

No! Level 1 is designed to teach the foundational obedience skills your dog will need to succeed. We will introduce and build five basic commands - heel, sit, down, stay, and come - and then begin proofing those skills around distractions. The goal is to help both you and your dog develop a reliable foundation that you can continue building on throughout your service dog training.

All teams are required to complete an evaluation before joining a group class. This helps us determine whether the group environment is an appropriate setting for your dog and identify any areas that may need additional individual support first.

Classes focus on practical obedience, public-access skills, neutrality around distractions, handler communication, and the social skills needed to work appropriately around other dogs and people. Exercises are designed to help teams transfer their skills into increasingly distracting environments.

Yes! Although these are group classes, each team will receive one-on-one guidance and feedback from the trainer throughout the class. The group setting allows you to work directly with your dog while receiving individualized coaching.

Many service dog training programs incorporate a board-and-train component, which can be extremely helpful for building skills and providing a structured training environment. However, we recognize that boarding your dog is not the right choice for every pup parent. Group classes provide an opportunity to actively participate in your dog’s training while building skills around real-world distractions, other dogs, and people. They also offer accountability, consistency, and individualized coaching within a group setting—allowing you to be directly involved in the process without needing to send your dog away for training.

No. These classes are focused on working around other teams, not dog-to-dog play or socialization. Dogs will learn to remain focused on their handlers and appropriately neutral around other dogs.

You should bring your dog's normal working equipment, high-value training rewards, and water. Specific equipment requirements may vary depending on your dog's needs and training stage - your trainer will verify anything additional you may need.

No worries! Life happens, and we understand that you may occasionally need to miss a session. We’ll still send you the written homework from class so you can keep practicing at home, and we’ll take some time during your next session to make sure you and your pup are caught up and still on track with the rest of the group.