Service Dog Trainer Programs

Leader Dogs for the Blind

• Founded in 1939 by three area Lions Clubs, Leader Dogs provides programs for people who are blind and visually impaired. They pair 270 guide dogs with disabled people every year, and their services are free. They have programs to train deaf-blind guide dogs, orientation and mobility tracking dogs, youth programs and programs for trekker and trekker breeze GPS training. In order for a student to be placed with a leader guide dog, the student must be at least 16 years old, legally blind, in good mental and physical health, and successfully complete a basic orientation and mobility course. On Day Three of the 26-day program, students are paired with their guide dog; they spend the remaining 23 days learning to work with their guide at the facility. During their stay, students are housed in individual rooms equipped with private bathrooms, televisions, Internet access, dining facilities, fitness center and laundry. A second training center is located in downtown Rochester, Michigan, approximately one and half miles from the main campus, allowing for convenient access to both facilities.

  Leader Dogs for the Blind
  1039 S. Rochester Rd.
  Rochester Hills, MI 48307-3115
  248-651-9011
  leaderdog.org/

National Education of Assistance Dog Services, Inc.

• National Education of Assistance Dog Services, Inc. (NEADS) trains dogs of all breeds and mixed breeds to assist children and adults who are deaf or physically disabled. NEADS operates as a nonprofit, but applicants seeking a guide or service dog are asked to fundraise and pay at least $6,000 to offset the costs of raising and training their service dog. Each year NEADS trains 50 student/dog teams, who graduate in one of three ceremonies per year. Since 1976, NEADS has trained and graduated more than 1,300 teams. Service dogs are trained at the NEADS facility for three to six months before being paired with their human teammates, who then spend two weeks training on-site with their service dog.

  National Education Of Assistance Dog Services, Inc. (NEADS)
  P.O. Box 213
  West Boylston, MA 01583
  978-422-9064
  neads.org

Canine Companions for Independence

• Canine Companions for Independence, founded in 1975, is a nonprofit service dog training program located in Santa Rose, California. Services provided by Canine Companion for Independence include service dogs, hearing dogs, companion dogs and facility dogs, who engage students and special education classes. The program starts when puppies are placed with volunteers who raise and socialize the future guide and service dogs until approximately 14 months of age. The dogs then are placed in a six- to nine-month advanced training program at the regional training facility. After graduation, when they are about 2, guide dogs are paired with students who attend a two-week training course and followup workshop to continue team building. The application process for placement with a service dog through Canine Companions for Independence is approximately three to six months; then applicants are placed on a waiting list for a dog.

  Canine Companions For Independence
  P.O. Box 446
  Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0446
  866-224-3647
  cci.org