Paws4people®️
Our Service Dog Training Process
Birth to 3 weeks
Whelping
The Service Dog training process begins with neurological stimulation and stress control conditioning involves exposing the Puppies to a series of different stimuli, postures, physical restrictions, physical stimulation, and so on for the first three weeks.
3-20 weeks
Puppy Development
Here, the focus shifts on intense socialization and exposure for the Puppies. It is widely accepted within dog training and psychology that the first 16 weeks of a puppy’s life have a permanent impact on their temperament, psyche, and trainability.
5-15 months
Obedience and Skills Training
Specially trained Inmate Trainers at 2 West Virginia prisons are chosen to train Dogs in basic and advanced obedience skills.
12 months
Bump
paws4prisons®️ Program
A “Bump” is the process of a dog choosing their partner from our selected Potential Clients.
16-24 months
Public Access or Facility-Based Training
During this stage of training, paws4people trainers certified in Public Access Training take Dogs to many different environments such as restaurants, retail stores, movie theaters, public transportation, etc. as part of their public access training.
18-24 months
Client or Handler Transfer Training
Within the paws4people and paws4vets Programs, service dog training continues with the Client learning to utilize their Assistance Dog to control, regulate, and mitigate™ their symptoms, which is also known as Intervention Transfer Training™ (ITT).
Testing
Black and Red or Green Vest Testing
Upon Black Vesting, the Client or Handler receives custody of the Dog. We liken this to their “Learner’s Permit.”
Home
Dog Goes Home with Client or Handler
Dogs are owned by the organization for the duration of their career, and are placed with the Client or Handler on a custody basis.
