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Therapy Dog Program
Harmonious Partnerships Service Dogs
What is a Service Dog?
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (28 CFR § 35.136), a Service Animal is a dog that has been trained to perform one or more "tasks", which offset symptoms of a disability or disorder.
Examples of service dogs include guide dogs for people who are visually impaired; hearing dogs for people who are deaf; psychiatric service dogs for people with PTSD; and many others. Service dogs must also be able to do their work in a variety of stressful environments and be highly responsive to their owner/handlers. Our program prepares service dog for precisely that.
What Training Does a Service Dog Need?
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The following outlines the stages of training we provide to service dog teams:
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Service Dog Fundamentals This program is similar to our Harmonious Fundamentals program for pet dogs, but requires a higher standard of performance and, as such, is more challenging. This course is taught by a qualified Service Dog Instructor. Program length: 6 sessions. Cost $594 Online | $749 In-home
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Advanced Fundamentals is a program specifically for dogs in our Service/Support/Therapy Dogs program and is geared toward helping you and your dog pass the AKC's Canine Good Citizen certification test. We also help service perform the basic skills at a higher level of response with increased distractions in challenging environments.Program length: 6 sessions. Cost $594 Online | $749 In-home
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ADI Public Access Training is a program designed to help you and your dog pass the Assistance Dogs International Public Access Test, the international standard for service dogs. This test, which we administer before endorsing you as a service dog team, requires that your dog navigate a high-distraction environment and behave calmly in public, while demonstrating proficiency in the required skills.Program length: Program length: 6 sessions. Cost $594 Online | $749 In-home
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Service Dog Task Training is a program of varied lengths, based on the number of tasks being performed by the dog. Tasks are specific actions taught to the dog, which help a person with a disability or disorder to function better or more independently. Tasks are the key part of a service dog's job. Typically, we require six weeks of training to teach one-two tasks, depending on the difficulty level of those tasks. Program length: Minimum of 6 sessions. Cost $594 Online | $749 In-home
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In addition to these four levels of training, we strongly encourage owners with puppies under six months to complete our Harmonious Puppy Training program prior to beginning the basic training class. This will help your puppy become socialized at a critical early age.
Who Qualifies for a Service Dog?​
A person qualifies for a service dog if they experience significant life disruption due to a disability or disorder, and if specific tasks performed by a trained dog can alleviate their symptoms. Such individuals are potential candidates for forming a service dog team.
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* As of 1/31/24, in-home instruction currently available in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM.
About the Harmonious Partnerships Service Dogs
Harmonious Partnerships Service Dogs is Harmoni Dog Training's division dedicated to training, testing, endorsement and advocacy of service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs. Our organization offers "owner-facilitated training", which simply means we equip you to take charge of training your own dog, typically with the support of family, friends and, of course your Harmonious Partnerships instructor.
In addition to the multi-level, advanced training programs we offer for service dogs, emotional support animals, and therapy dogs, we also offer the following services:
Evaluation & Endorsement Services
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If you have already trained your own dog to be a service, support or therapy dog and want to document your hard work, we offer complete evaluations and endorsements from qualified service and therapy dog trainers. Once we have performed the evaluation, we will provide you with an endorsement letter from our Harmonious Partnerships program. Contact us for pricing.
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Sample Endorsement Letter
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Dog and Puppy Selection and Location Services
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If you want a service, support or therapy dog, but you're not sure where to start, Harmonious Partnerships can help. We will evaluate your specific needs, recommend which program fits those needs (service, support, or therapy) and help match you with the best breed for the type of work required. Then, we can help you locate either a puppy or, in some situations, an adult rescue dog,
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Which breed (or mix) is best for you?
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Service Dog Task Coding and Referencing: Simplifying Communication
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For service dog owner/handlers, there are only two legally- permissible public inquiries: "Is your dog a service dog?" and "What tasks is your dog trained to perform?" The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits asking about the owner/handler's specific disability or disorder.
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However, describing a service dog's tasks can unintentionally reveal the nature of the owner/handler’s disability, leading to discomfort or unwanted attention. This can deter some from visiting certain places. Even with task descriptions on a card, owner/handlers might feel pressured to disclose private information and discuss it, particularly with those unaware of the protocol.
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To ease this burden, we offer a practical solution. Our website features an organized list of service dog task codes, designed for clarity and ease of understanding. We provide owner/handlers with a card displaying our website address and a QR code. When scanned, it directs inquirers to a webpage detailing the trained tasks, without necessitating personal disclosure. The page also highlights the legal guidelines for interacting with service dog teams, promoting awareness and respect.