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The videos we need to assess your dog

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Does your dog have the temperament to be your service dog?

Before beginning training, we need to assess your dog’s temperament to ensure he/she has the temperament qualities that we look for in service dogs.  We are only looking at temperament, not training or obedience.  It is ok if your dog is pulling on a leash, sniffing the ground, etc, in these videos.

  • We accept dogs in our private and group classes from 6 months to 5 years old. To enroll in our board and train program, your dog will need to be at least 1 year old.

  • If your puppy is too young to join our classes, we offer puppy coaching for puppies 2-6 months. Click here for information on our puppy coaching program.

  • We will need videos of your dog in all of the following situations.  Each video must be taken in a PET-FRIENDLY store that is unfamiliar to your dog (such as Lowe’s, Petco, PetSmart, etc).  Please either have a second person take the video or use a tripod or other object to prop your phone/camera up.  We need to see the dog’s entire body and the surrounding environment to properly gauge his/her response to the situation.  Here is an example of a video taken with the camera propped up on an object.

Walking Through a Parking Lot Toward the Store

We want to see your dog’s response to walking through a parking lot toward the store.  This will allow us to see how your dog deals with various distractions and stimuli, such as cars, shopping carts, etc.  We will need a 1-minute video of your dog walking through the parking lot on a leash.

Walking Through a Pet Friendly Store

We want to see your dog’s response to walking through a parking lot toward the store.  This will allow us to see how your dog deals with various distractions and stimuli, such as cars, shopping carts, etc.  We will need a 1-minute video of your dog walking through the parking lot on a leash.

Meeting an Unknown Person

While the dog is in the store, we want to see how your dog greets and interacts with a person they have not met before.  Please take a video of your dog meeting a stranger.

Meeting an Unknown Dog

We need to see how your dog reacts and interacts with an unknown dog.  Please send a video of your dog meeting an unknown dog.

Response to a Loud Noise

We want to see your dog’s reaction and recovery to loud or startling noise.  When your dog is not looking, drop a metal bowl, sheet pan, clipboard, or another heavy object on the ground.  Take a video of your dog when the noise occurs, as well as 10-15 seconds afterward.

Food Motivation

We would like to see that your dog is comfortable enough to eat treats in a new environment.  Please send a video of your dog eating treats while inside the store with distractions.

Once you have all of these videos, you can submit them by:

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After we have received the videos, we will contact you to set up a time to talk over Zoom.  During the Zoom meeting, we will discuss your disability, training needs and expectations, and your dog’s temperament, and find one of our training programs that works best for your situation.  We will also answer any questions you may have.  The cost of the assessment is $120, which can be paid after we have scheduled your Zoom meeting.

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