Other Services Offered - Including Certification Testing Opportunity

Sterling Service Dogs strives to meet the diverse needs of the disabled community through offering a variety of services.  Some, like our Information & Referral Services for persons with disabilities and families with a disabled loved one and programs overseas are free.  Depending on the time commitment involved, other services requested may be offered on a sliding fee scale.  Any fee earned will go to support our educational outreach efforts.  

Sometimes we hear from disabled individuals who want to know if we can help them train a puppy or adult candidate they already own.  Others seek a certification testing opportunity for a dog they are currently training.  In response to this need, we developed the Service Dog Team Education Course to assist serious students to give a suitable candidate a comprehensive education.  It is very time consuming for our staff, as we work very closely with each student to help them achieve their training goals.  Completion of the customized curriculum, which could take six to eighteen months depending on the dog's age and the student's choice of tasks, usually culminates in the amenity of a certification testing opportunity.  Students must help us document a minimum of 120 hours of schooling through weekly training logs detailing their progress to be eligible to graduate.  Certified teams will receive a laminated Photo ID Certification Card and our logo patches for a red vest or harness when they graduate.  As per Assistance Dogs International (ADI) Standards, we also provide each graduate with lifetime support on access issues and training matters.