Service Dog Training in Alaska

Program Overview

In each case, the needs of the individual are met and training of each dog is specialized for their handler’s specific needs. It takes approximately two years to train a service dog and takes a tremendous amount of patience, handling and work from everyone involved, including the family members of the service dog recipient.

While on occasion we can train a dog that you already have, we have found over the years that there are several breeds that work better than others. In the past, we have found that German Shepherds make good service dog candidates for autistic, psychiatric, and mobility service dogs because of their temperament and protective tendencies. German Shepherds have been used for hundreds of years as service dogs and have proven bloodlines. We have found Labradors to be well suited for service as well. Most of our current service dogs are Labs and Golden Retrievers and we have found local breeders that provide us with excellent service dog candidates. We will not train pound puppies, toy breeds, or lap dogs.

If you have done your research, you will immediately see we are MUCH different than other service dog companies. First, we are a FOR-PROFIT company.

We are for-profit for many reasons but one of the main ones is we want to spend our time training dogs, not answering to boards that may or may not have the best interest of our clients needs or the dogs in mind.

We do not offer FREE service dogs. Service dog training is a huge commitment for everyone involved and that includes you and your family.

Our Lead Dog Service Dog Training Program is set up on a semester system, just like college. There are three (3) semesters in a year and each semester you and your service dog take tests to advance.

Our payments and fees are also based on the semester system. What this means is for you and your service dog training to advance from one semester to the next, all payments and fees must be current.

It takes two years or six semesters (continuously enrolled) to train a service dog.

We DO NOT train life saving dogs.

If you have done your research you will see companies that say that they can guarantee that your service dog will alert you to the onset of a seizure, or alert you when you blood sugar is too low, or run and get help if you get lost. While all of this sounds awesome on paper, it just is not realistic.

Dogs will be dogs. We can not sleep well at night if we sign off on a service dog and they do not do one of these life-saving commands.

That does not mean that we can not help you if you have diabetes, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, dementia or autism. We CAN train a service dog to assist you in making you more independent. That’s what matters in the end, right? Let this be your wonder dog, not a superhero that you may see at at another company online.

There are other service dog trainers in Alaska

Sure, anyone can call themselves a service dog trainer. There is no national certification. But you should know that just because someone is a good dog trainer OR maybe they have trained their OWN service dog does not mean that they can train a service dog for YOU.

If you have done your research you will see that Michele Forto and her team have been training service dogs for a very long time. More than 20 years, in fact. More importantly we have the experience in a wide range of disciplines and with many different clients, family situations, and experiences.

In short, you want a professional. You do not want someone that is the cheapest or someone that can claim that they can do anything. They can’t. And that is the truth.

Speaking on honest. Michele Forto and her team will shoot straight, from day one. This starts with our initial consultation. We take our service dog training VERY seriously. Our reputation is on the line and if you ask around, you will see that our reputation is what matters. Sure we have had service dogs fail out of the program, we have had clients that quit, refuse to pay, and just about every scenario that you can think of.

A service dog training program is dynamic, with lots of moving parts, pieces, timelines, commitments and expectations.

Before reading any further, below is a typical service dog training timeline. We spend a great deal of time developing a specialized training program to suit YOUR needs. Your program may or may not line out exactly like the one, below and that is very important.

Timeline of Service Dog Training

1. Initial Interview

During the initial interview you will be asked several questions, these are to determine that the right dog is selected for your specific needs as well as ensuring that your training package is designed individually for you. Note: While most of our service dog clients are in the Anchorage, Mat-Su Valley and surrounding area, we do train service dog teams nationwide. We can develop a training plan for you no matter where you live.

2. Establish a timeline for the service dog training program

It takes 24-months (or six semesters of 15 weeks continuously enrolled) to train and prepare a dog to begin working as a service dog. There are exceptions to this and in certain situations the timeline may be shorter or even longer.

3. Requirements

All that is required is a simple doctors note stating that you would benefit from the use of a service dog. It is against HIPPA for me to ask you what your ailments may or may not be. More on that in just a sec…

You will be required to provide a doctors note. If you are unable or unwilling then we can not work together. It is that simple.

The doctors note is required whether your ailments are visible or not.

But, we will ask, “what service do you need the dog to do for you,” during our consultation. You need to think about this question and have an answer ready.

We WILL NOT train a service dog for an upcoming trip to Hawaii, or if your landlord is upset with your pet in your apartment. It just does not work that way.

4. Find a suitable dog

Although you may already have a dog, seldom do they have what it takes to work day in and day out. We will evaluate your current dog, but understand that over the past decade we have only found a few to be temperamentally sound to do the work necessary. We work with several breeders that breed dogs specifically for service work. These dogs are not your ordinary pet. These dogs have been bred to have the temperament, the personality, the size and structure to perform the duties of a service dog.

Here are some of photos of service dogs we have trained over the years

5. Fundraising/Financing meeting

Please note that we are a for profit service dog training school and with that it enables us to keep the costs down and affords us the ability to allow you to make monthly payments (upon approval). If you choose to obtain your own fundraising/financing to pay for our services that is up to you, we cannot get involved with any fundraising, grants, bake sales, etc. because we are the direct recipient of such funds. The price breakdown is explained during your initial interview process and kept very private.

Many of our clients have been able to obtain funding for their service dogs using outside organizations. While we know that asking for money is difficult, many organizations may be able to help.

We do not provide FREE service dogs.

6. Early Training

Each puppy/dog will learn puppy obedience, crate training, house manners, leadership, confidence building, basic obedience commands; sit, down, come, stay, wait, look, off, no, extended stays, mild distractions, beginning off leash work, heel/loose leash walking. During this time your puppy/dog will have the foundation for service work and will have learned many commands including some of his/her specific commands for you personally.

Application for a Lead Dog Service Dog

7. Lessons

In some cases, mostly psychiatric and autistic, you will participate in private lessons while your puppy/dog is participating in the early training phase, this has been proven to help with the bonding process and especially with our psychiatric clientele it helps reassure them that their new puppy/dog is trustworthy and confident enough to be their guardian. If you are out of the area, these lessons will be incorporated into our home training sessions.

8. In Home Basic Obedience

This transfers what each puppy/dog has learned with us to you. More specifically we will work on house manners, travel manners, come at twenty feet, and extended stays for leadership.  We will also begin to work with you during this time, but in the home only.  Traveling will come later. Each puppy/dog will be tested in basic obedience at this time. Remember, that we can work with you nationwide (travel and expenses are not included in your original package price).

9. Canine Good Citizen Training

Each puppy/dog will undergo CGC training as it is our first true test to see if they can handle working in public. Dogs must be six months old to be enrolled in CGC. During the early training phase the puppy/dog is exposed and participates in this program. At six months of age the puppy/dog can participate with their handlers.

10. Register for Service Dog In Training and begin Public Access Training

This will begin at the home and build on transferring into public settings. We will do short trips at first building up to full day trips. This portion of the training is the most stressful on the dog, the caregivers, and the handler.  There will be good days and there will be bad days. The classes will take place according to schedules and difficulties that may arise with the new team. It should be noted that the puppy/dog will undergo exposure and socialization in public settings during their early training phases.

11. Equipment, Vests/Backpacks, Supplies, Registration/Test Fees

Once the service dog passes its public access test and advanced training requirements and you attend our send home camp, your dog will receive a blue vest and a Lead Dog Service Dog patch. These are yours to keep as long as you keep your dog certified every two years and are a member of good standing in our service dog program. If for any reason your service dog is not re-certfied we will ask for the vest and patch back. More information about this is in our service dog contract and will be discussed in detail when you enter our program.

12. Specialized Training

This training will begin on day one of the board and train and will continue throughout the training program and life. The certification organization that we use requires each service dog to successfully complete six specialized commands.

13. Send Home Camp

We hold send home camps twice a year for all dogs that are part of our Lead Dog Service Dogs program, in February and October. This five day camp is held at our place in Willow and there will be many outings in the Valley and Anchorage. The camp will be an all day training session to teach you and/or handlers how to work with your service dog. After you have completed camp and passed all of the test you dog will then be a Lead Dog Service Dog!

Depending on when you enter our program will determine which camp you will attend. For example if your dog enters our program in January 2022 you will attend camp in December 2024

Please Note: Lodging, meals, and transportation are your responsibility. In the past people have flown into Anchorage, stayed in a hotel in Wasilla and rented a car. We can accommodate camping at our place in Willow and several people have brought up their R.V.s.

We are also able to travel to you as well but you are responsible for our travel and expenses. We can discuss our send home camps in detail when you enter our program. For example we have traveled and delivered a service dog to a veteran in San Antonio, Texas he chose to do his testing at the Six Flags amusement park.

14. Test and Certify the Service Dog

Each puppy/dog will undergo several tests throughout the training program and at different stages of life. The first test is the temperament test, then CGC, then first initial public access test, and so on. Once your dog has passed all requirements and is registered as a service dog, he/she will be required to undergo re-testing or re-certification every two years.

Please take the time to read the related articles:

• How do I find service dog training in Alaska?
• Can my dog be a service dog?
• Can my dog be an Emotional Support (ESA) dog?
• Can my dog a service therapy dog?
• How do I get a service dog for free?
• How long does it take to train a service dog?
• Why can’t my dog be a service dog?
• Why are there specific breeds for service dogs?

15. Re-certify every two years

We re-certify every two years to ensure that the puppy/dog and handler are continuing to work well as a team, that no issues have developed and the team is in good working condition. Re-certification can take place at one of our send home camps or we can come to you.

16. Retirement

Please note that the average working span for a service dog is about eight years. When your service dog is about six years of age, it is time to start to look for a new dog and begin the training process all over again. This is another reason why we re-certify every two years, it gives us the opportunity to check the dog’s temperament and ensure that a veterinarian has cleared the dog to continue working at its prescribed capacity for his/her handler. Retirement can be a difficult situation on both the handler and the dog. We are here to assist with the transition.

Each and every service dog is trained to meet the requirements of the specific handler. In other words we do not keep a stock of service dogs that are ready for placement. We have developed and designed our service dog training program around incorporating the handler and truly building a lasting bond and team. We train service teams.