Special Note: Emotional Support Dogs are not Service Dogs and cannot enter every public place or fly outside of normal pet regulations. They are however recognized by the Fair Housing Act and receive special accommodations for housing in apartments and dorms etc. with 'no pet policies'. Check with your state's list of accommodations for Emotional Support Animals (ESA) for more specific information.

 

Puppies completing our Emotional Support program start at $6,500 and are specially selected for their affectionate  and human focused temperaments. The puppies are selected based on 5 critical areas of our Temperament Evaluation: Human Focus, Assertiveness, Energy Level, Resiliency and Tenderheartedness. Each of these criteria give us major insight to the potential of each puppy in being a future comfort dog. Once selected, the puppy will enter Preschool and move onto Board and Training for basic obedience and to learn "Hug" for comforting their human during the course of 8 weeks. They will then graduate Comfort Training and will be ready to go home at 16 weeks of age!   ​​

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Prerequisites for a puppy to enter our Emotional Support program:

• The puppy must exhibit an impressive temperament testing score in line with comfort dog requirements

  •  High Human Focus to ensure the necessary attentiveness and pleasing nature toward their human

  • A medium to gentler Assertiveness to show a very willing but softer  and more respectful touch 

  • A lower to medium Energy Level to easily settle into hugging and cuddling for longer periods

  • High Resiliency is necessary for a comfort dog for children but also to accept strong emotions in general

  • A medium Tenderheartedness is very important for a comfort dog as they show care for the human during strong emotions, but are not upset or stressed by them

• The puppy must complete puppy Preschool and Puppy Kindergarten for a basic introduction to obedience training, manners and socialization

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Course Objectives: At the completion of this class, puppies will be 16 weeks old and are able to:​

• Have a stronger recall using puppy's chosen name as well as "come" command

• Have a strong understanding of clicker training and reward based training procedures 

• Be well versed in crate and house training using the doggy door bells as a tool to go outside to potty on a routine potty schedule. Will be able to hold their potty all night at this age!

• Be further socialized to other environments, dogs, cats and people in a positive way

• Exhibit appropriate car riding etiquette in their seat with safety belt for their weekly puppy field trips

• Follow the verbal commands "sit, down, look, place, (implied) stay at short distances, heel, go to bed, no, come, BREAK!, and go potty" . Will begin understanding leash suggestion as well for added control.

• Present their learned commands with smaller amounts of distraction including heeling on public outings

• Understand appropriate behavior with their trainers and strangers including not jumping up or play biting

• Exhibiting appropriate behaviors in public while on walks and meeting new people

• Begin using stairs and enter doorways appropriately

• Exhibit proper grooming etiquette including accepting all body handling and inspection

• Be familiar with normal household rules and routines and potty schedule

• Begin understanding the concept of patience using 'place,'  while entering/exiting crate and doorways, and the technique of 'sitting on the dog.'

• Accept and enjoy all forms of handling and cuddling by a variety of people. Giving kisses (licking) can be either encouraged or discouraged during training depending on family preference.

• Will understand the command "Hug" (deep pressure across your lap) and perform this on the floor as well as a chair/couch and will remain reliably for 10-15 minutes until "Break" command. May or may not jump up on the chair/couch depending on size of the puppy and family preference.

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Final Exam:  

• At Graduation time, the puppy will challenge themselves with a video demonstration by their trainer showcasing their learned obedience commands, walking in public as well as their special comforting skills. At completion, each puppy will receive a graduation cheer and a cookie jackpot! All of these commands are practiced daily by our trainers and dogs are still in puppyhood until at least a year old, so these skills must be continued and practiced afterwards to maintain and advance their abilities.

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Emotional Support Dog Graduation Package - Puppy will receive the following package for going home with their new family:

• A valuable 1 hour in person training and new puppy Q and A session with one of our trainers. If you are not able to visit in person we will conduct this training session via zoom. 

• Puppy Report Card and suggested "Homework" list

• 30 days free pet health insurance through Trupanion

• 2 year Health Guarantee extendable to 3 years if your puppy remains on NuVet Vitamins

• A video demonstration of your puppy's skills

• Up to date full set of vaccines including Rabies, worming, flea/tick and heart worm preventative

• Leash, collar, bully stick, Purina Pro Plan puppy food sample, NuVet vitamin sample, probiotic sample, scent blanket, clicker for training

• Doggy door bells for potty

 

In need of an Emotional Support Dog but like the idea of the higher level obedience and public training of our Canine Good Citizen Graduates? Both of these programs can be combined in CGC+ Comfort Dog training for an additional fee. Click here to see what is included in our Canine Good Citizen level of training. This program would be a huge first step to completing a future Service Dog program with your puppy.​

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