ASSISTANCE DOGS
Anyone receiving an Assistance Dog from K9s 4 Mobility must complete the application, interview, and home visit before training will begin. Dogs will only be placed in homes that can provide for their financial, mental, and physical needs. A fenced-in yard for exercise is required and a crate for the dog to have a safe place of their own. We are unable to place dogs in homes that utilize an underground electric fence. Other animals can be in the home, but they must be healthy, and friendly and not interfere with the training process.
K9s 4 Mobility is not able to train dogs to assist someone who has Alzheimer’s, Anxiety, Autism, Diabetes, Hearing disability, Parkinson’s, PTSD or Seizures. We do not train companion, therapy or emotional support dogs.
K9s 4 Mobility will train a Guide dog for a person who is blind or has a visual disability. To be accepted into the Guide dog program, the person must have had a Guide dog previously. The person must also have good orientation and be able to actively work the dog on a daily basis. The Guide dog will assist the person as they travel outside of their home by identifying curbs, obstacles, and overhangs. This dog works on voice commands to also find doors in and out, counters, vehicles, and people.
Pictured is Guide Dog Bullet keeping his partner Randi safe by stopping at the curb and then waiting until the traffic is clear to cross the street.
Pictured is Guide Dog Bulldogger keeping his partner Cheryl safe by guiding her between the sides of the building and the pillars traveling along a strip mall.
SERVICE DOG
K9s 4 Mobility will train Service dogs for a person who has a physical disability. To be accepted into the Service dog program, the person must have clarity of speech to give the voice commands and the ability to interact with the dog. Service dogs are trained to work beside a variety of mobility equipment and to provide stability for those persons who are ambulatory but need help with balance. These dogs will assist the person inside the home and out in public with physical skill tasks such as retrieving, tugging, pulling a manual wheelchair, manipulating lights, buttons and automatic doors.
Pictured is Service Dog Arazi pulling his partner Sue in her manual wheelchair for shopping at their local grocery store.
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Pictured is Service Dog Jackson providing stability to his partner Michelle as they walk around Sea World.
FACILITY DOG
K9s 4 Mobility will train Facility dogs for a licensed clinical professional who is working with children or adults who have behavioral, mental or physical disabilities. The professional must work full-time in education, health, or human services and provide liability insurance for the Facility dog. This dog is not a therapy dog. This dog is trained to perform physical skill tasks for the person they are asked to work with such as retrieving, tugging, providing stability or grounding, applying pressure, modeling appropriate behavior, and interrupting inappropriate behavior.
Facility Courthouse Dogs assist professionals working in the legal system, by providing victims another advocate for when they are testifying or just telling their story. These dogs will walk gently on a leash with a child, lie on the floor with their head in the child's lap, retrieve items, and tug open doors for the child. When in the courtroom, this dog is lying quietly on the floor usually in the witness box with the victim's feet on or next to the dog.
Watch a video of Facility School Dog Rudy working with a student on the floor to provide motivation for stretching with his partner Nicole (Occupational
Therapist).
Pictured is Facility School Dog Rusty working with a group of children for his partner, Catherine (school counselor).
Pictured is Facility School Dog Jonah working to motivate the student to complete the puzzle.
OWNER TRAINED
Facility Courthouse Dog Sundance works in the courtroom with children who are testifying.
We have established an owner-trained assistance dog training program that is offered to those wishing to train their own Assistance Dog under the supervision of a certified assistance dog trainer. The dog must be at least one year of age, have passed the Canine Good Citizen Test, and be altered and current on all vaccinations before K9s 4 Mobility will considered an evaluation for possible training. Once accepted into the owner-trained program, the person must be willing to travel to K9s 4 Mobility's training facility multiple times before certification of the team. The owner of the dog will be doing all of the training. The dog cannot reside at K9s 4 Mobility but will continue to live with the owner. The owner will keep records of all training for a minimum of 120 hours with 30 of those hours occurring in public. The dog must be trained to perform at least three skill tasks that directly mitigate the owner's physical disability. This program is not a quick certification but at least a 6-month commitment of training and evaluations before certification can be completed.
K9s 4 Mobility can not provide any certification or letter of recommendation for traveling internationally unless the owner and dog have completed the entire owner-trained program.
K9s 4 Mobility, Inc. is proud to offer training and support to any assistance dog team, regardless of the organization the dog was trained by. This training is offered in the increments that are needed and does not include certification of the team.
Pictured is owner trained Service Dog Katie tugging off her partner Anne's socks while they are waiting at the pharmacy.
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Pictured is owner trained Service Dog Chowder providing stability for her partner Macy while they are shopping.
APPLICATION
K9s 4 Mobility is proud to be an Accredited member of Assistance Dogs International, the organization setting the standards and ethics for the Assistance Dog Industry. For more information or to locate an organization near you, go to http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/
K9s 4 Mobility is a partner organization to the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners, an organization that advocates for Assistance Dog Partners and provides benefits for its members. For more information or to see the definition of different Assistance
Dogs, go to http://www.iaadp.org/
The Americans with Disabilities Act provides the right to a person with a disability to be accompanied by their Assistance Dog anywhere the public is allowed. To learn more about the law, reasonable accommodations and frequently asked questions, go to https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
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The Air Carrier Act has been changed to define all Service Animals to dog and will no longer allow Emotional Support Animals to be present in the cabin outside of a carrier. Read more here U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Final Rule on Traveling by Air with Service Animals | US Department of Transportation (rs6.net)