What are your requirements for service dog training?
Before accepting a future or actively working service dog into my modular owner-assisted programs, I require an evaluation. This evaluation allows me to meet you and your dog, assess your current level of training and understanding, and ensure that your goals align with both the legal requirements for a working service dog, and your individual dog’s needs & capabilities.
I work with dogs between 8 weeks and 4 years of age within my modular programs, and handlers of all ages (see my answer to “Will you work with minors?” for more details.) Dogs must have full and smooth mobility and no pre-existing health conditions. Dogs displaying behavioral issues such as reactivity, anxiety, marking, or guarding may be required to go through additional tracks of training to completely resolve those issues before beginning service dog training, and may be entirely ineligible depending on the severity of these problems.
Handlers must be capable of safely controlling their dog during lessons and classes, capable of providing adequate at-home care, training, and enrichment for their dog, or have a support system/additional household members capable of doing this for them in attendance. Handlers must have an impairment for which we can train the dog to perform tasks to directly mitigate. If the desired tasks are not directly related to the handler’s disability or the handler fails to adequately train & maintain those tasks, the dog cannot be considered a service dog.
How long will training take?
That depends on your dog’s age, your needs, your dog’s learning speed, prior training or existing concerns, and your capacity for consistently continuing training at home.
Generally, start-to-finish owner training through our modular programs will take 12-18 months and 4-6 program modules- though that timeline can become longer for slow-maturing dogs and complex tasks or shorter for simple needs and pre-started dogs. Many owner-trainers only require professional guidance for one or two parts of their dog’s training, and are capable of doing the rest at home. We break our programs down into 10-16 week modules so that if you are already partway through training or only need assistance in certain areas, we can target exactly what you need work on in a timeline that makes sense.
Will you work with pet dogs?
Mystic Mutts’ focus is on service animals. However, we have extensive experience and expertise in working with pet dogs for everything from basic puppy foundations to off-leash obedience, leash reactivity, and anxiety. If you have a pet in need of training, please contact us directly and we can assist you.
Can my dog be a service dog?
Legally, for your dog to be considered a service dog, you as a team must meet 3 requirements.
First, you must have a disability that impairs you from independently performing one or more major life functions. A dog, no matter how well trained, is not a service dog unless their handler is disabled.
Secondly, your individual dog must be trained to perform specific behaviors that directly reduce the impact of your disability. “Comfort” and “protection” are not valid trained tasks.
Lastly, your dog must be under control & non-disruptive, housetrained, and non-aggressive. A dog with any history of aggression cannot be considered a service dog.
In the U.S, there is no federally recognized certification or ID system. Whether a dog is legally a service dog is determined by whether they meet the three requirements above, not any outside certifying body.
What types of service dogs do you train?
We specialize in autism and psychiatric assistance dogs, particularly for children and dependent adults. However, we work with a wide array of disabilities and task sets. We will train service dogs for mobility assistance, PTSD response, allergen alert, POTS, GAD, migraine response, hallucinations, partial navigation assistance, and more.
We do not train Guide Dogs, scent-based medical alerts (outside of allergens), or service dogs for social/situational anxiety.
Will you work with service dogs for kids/teens?
Yes, we regularly work with children under the age of 18 and their service animals. We require full parental involvement in these cases, and depending on the child’s age and handling capability, an adult in the household may have to serve as the service dog’s primary handler/trainer.
If your child is capable of serving as the dog’s primary handler/trainer, we still require that all adults in the household to be present and engaged for at minimum the first session, and that a parent or guardian be on-site and accessible for all in-person lessons and group classes.
We will not place or train service dogs for handlers of any age who have any history of becoming aggressive or violent in a psychiatric or medical episode.
What are your qualifications?
As our sole trainer, my qualifications and experience are extensive. In 2023, I graduated from the Highland Canine International School for Dog Trainers as a certified Master Dog Trainer in the top 10 scores of my class. This was a 960-hour in-person intensive program in which I learned the ins & outs of not only training everything from service dogs to aggression cases and K9s, but communicating with clients and responsibly operating a business.
Since graduation, I have only continued my education and certification, with mentorships under several other trainers, AKC Evaluator certification, and affiliate membership with the International Association of Canine Professionals. I take great pride in my education and expertise.
Where is your facility?
We are a facility-free program. We travel to our clients in Denver & surrounding areas and work in real-world scenarios for more reliable and practical results. We serve the Denver, Arapahoe, Jefferson, and Douglas counties, working as far north as Arvada and as far south as Castle Rock.