The Five Service Dog Programs We Train For
Most placements combine work from more than one.
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For seizures and Dravet
Seizure Alert Dogs
The dog notices a change before or as seizure activity begins and makes it obvious. We do not train a sit or a bark as the alert.
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For blood sugar
Diabetic Alert Dogs
Scent work on approved samples, proofed until the dog keeps alerting through the night until somebody responds.
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For elopement and safety
Autism Support Dogs
Anchor holds a child who would otherwise run. Around it we build interruption, deep pressure and settling in public.
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For veterans and civilians
PTSD Service Dogs
Trained positions that create space, break a rising episode, and take you to a door when a room stops working.
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For balance and fatigue
Mobility Assistance Dogs
Counterbalance, forward momentum, retrieval and door work, sized to your body and phased in as the dog matures.
Can I Train My Own Service Dog?
Foundations I, II and III cover off-leash obedience, beginning task work, public access preparation and family handling, so you can build the work at home.
Foundations programsPlacing in the Bay Area? See diabetic alert dogs in San Francisco.
What Every Service Dog Placement Includes
- Task training built for one person, nine to eighteen months
- Delivery to your home, wherever you are
- One to two days of hands-on training with your household
- Follow-up at around six weeks and again near six months
- Public access work, in every program
- Ongoing support by phone and return visits when needed
| Program | Usually for | Signature task |
|---|---|---|
| Seizure and medical alert | More often children | Behavior-change alert, then Check on cue |
| Diabetic detection | Adults and children | Persistent alerting until someone responds |
| Autism support | Usually children | Anchor, to stop elopement |
| PTSD | Usually adults | Deep pressure and a physical buffer |
| Mobility assistance | Usually adults | Counterbalance and bracing |
Which Service Dog Program Do I Need?
You do not have to work it out before you call. Describe the situation and we will tell you which task work fits, or whether we are the right program at all.
How placement worksCommon Questions About Choosing a Program
Can one dog be trained for more than one condition?
Yes, and most of ours are. A child with autism who also has seizures gets Anchor and behavior-change alert in the same dog. An adult with mobility needs and PTSD gets bracing and deep pressure. The questionnaire is how we work out the combination.
Is there a waitlist?
No. Most programs in this field run one and some have waits measured in years. Here a deposit secures a dog for you and training starts on it. We also train two dogs against every placement, so there is often one already well into training when a family calls.
Can you place faster than the usual timeline?
Sometimes, and it is a consequence of training two dogs per placement rather than a favour. Once the first dog is clearly right for the family it was started for, the second becomes available for whoever is next.
How do I know whether we need a service dog at all?
Sometimes you do not, and we will say so. The useful test is whether there are specific, repeatable physical tasks a dog could perform that would change your day. If the answer is comfort rather than tasks, a service dog is the wrong and far more expensive tool.
Tell Us Who the Dog Is For
The diagnosis, what your days look like, and the tasks you are hoping for. Mike will call you.
Mike Burkel
Founder and head trainer, Burkel Service Dogs
Mike started with dogs in law enforcement as a K9 handler and trainer in Minnesota, spent seven years at Mayo Clinic as a Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist, and has been training service dogs since 2008.
- 37+ years with dogs
- 268 service dogs placed
- 42 states, 7 countries
- Author, Scent of Safety