Fully Trained Service Dogs
Helping Howls offers fully trained program service dogs to those looking for a skilled, individualized dog to assist themselves or their child in mitigating their disability. Learn more about our fully trained option below…
Types of Service Dogs
Below are the task groups we primarily focus on. While we do not train guide dogs, we do offer escorting tasks.
Autism & Psychiatric Tasks
Tasks associated with behavior alerts, response tasks, behavior disruption, and more. These tasks may aid handlers during moments of over-stimulation, meltdowns for example.
Alert & Response Tasks
Tasks associated with either environmental alerts or scent-based alerts. These tasks are followed by trained responses. Some dogs may be response-only dogs.
Mobility Support Tasks
Dogs trained with tasks to assist in their handler’s mobility. Some common tasks include: retrievals, opening doors, removing clothing, and forward momentum pull.
How it Works
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After you receive an approved application & retainer fee, Helping Howls will begin the search for an ideal prospect for you or your child’s needs. These prospects will range in age between 8 week to 1 years of age. Once matched your prospect will enter training immediately.
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During this stage we lay the foundation for proper behavior at-home & in-public. Your prospect will be introduced to task foundations suited to you & or your child’s needs. At the end of this phase your prospect will receive their Canine Good Citizen certification. This phase lasts 16-36 weeks.
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During this phase your prospect levels-up their training to begin working in non-pet friendly spaces. Your prospect will start more challenging task work & begin to practice tasking in public. This phase lasts 16 weeks. At the end of this phase your prospect will receive thier Canine Good Citizen Urban certification.
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The final phase of training for your prospect. During this phase your prospect will begin tasking in more challenging environments, age-related mobility tasks (if applicable), and polish all behaviors. This phase lasts 16-26 weeks. At the end of this phase your prospect will pass their Community Canine & Public Access Test.
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Once all phases are completed you will receive 1-2 weeks of in-person training to transfer the dog to you/the handler. During this week, the handler will learn handling skills, cues, and learning to bond with their dog. All teams will receive a certificate of program completion at the end of the week.
Monetary Investment
We are not a non-profit organization, thus we operate with a pricing structure that accounts for the substantial investment in training, and socialization dedicated to these dogs. It is important to note that our organization is open to collaboration with non-profit entities, and we actively encourage partnerships with organizations that may be interested in assisting with the financial responsibilities associated with Service Dogs in Training (SDiT), or, upon completion of training, Service Dogs (SD).
We are happy to offer a variety of payment options as well found below.
The Beginning
$5,000-8,000 retainer fee which includes: breeder search, temperament testing, travel, puppy cost, and their initial month of training program.
Phase One
$13,000 investment toward your prospect’s arrival, raising, & training.
Phase Two
$8,000 investment toward your prospect’s raising & training.
Phase Three & Conclusion
$10,000 investment toward your prospect’s raising & training. You will travel to your trainer’s home for transfer camp.
Financing Options
We understand that cost is a barrier for some looking for a full trained service dog. Below are some financing options frequently used:
Interest-Free 15 month term payment plans through Helping Howls (no credit check required)
Pay by phase via Paypal or Credit/Debit Card
Individual fund raising by handler via fundraising sites, the community, and public events
Payment plans via Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, and other loan providers (not associated with or sponsored by Helping Howls).
FAQs
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Yes. We offer flexible payment options, including in-house payment plans and third-party financing through services like Affirm or Afterpay. All dogs must be paid in full before leaving our program. Most commonly, we divide the total cost across the remaining months of training. Payment structure is finalized as part of our contract before training begins.
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The total cost includes the $5,000-8,000 retainer plus three training phases: ● Phase One: $13,000 ● Phase Two: $8,000 ● Phase Three: $10,000 Total: $36,000-39,000 Additional expenses include travel, veterinary care, gear, quarterly training meets, and handler transfer logistics. If you’re bringing your own dog or have a different starting point, final pricing may vary slightly.
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Our dogs go through a structured 3-phase training model plus a beginning match phase. Each training phase lasts approximately 16 weeks, but we do not release dogs on a fixed timeline. Most dogs stay in our program for 1.5 to 2 years to allow for proper development, maturity, spay/neuter, and task reliability. We pace training based on the dog’s readiness, not arbitrary deadlines.
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Our service dogs represent hundreds of hours of individualized training and 24/7 care. Each dog receives over 600 hours of structured training, plus daily socialization, enrichment, toys, equipment use, and public outings. Our program is custom-built to each client’s specific disability and lifestyle, which means every dog is different. We limit our trainers to a small number of dogs to ensure quality, consistency, and life-skills integration in a home…not a kennel.
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Yes. After your in-home transfer week, we provide ongoing virtual support for the life of the dog. Whether you need help troubleshooting behavior, refreshing a task, or preparing for travel, we’re here for you long-term.
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We understand the cost can be overwhelming. While we don’t currently operate a nonprofit program, we do offer affordable in-person & virtual sessions geared toward owner-trainers.
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Most commonly, you will travel to your trainer’s home for a multi-day to multi-week transfer camp. This allows us to help your dog settle in, coach you in real-time, and ensure a smooth transition. Clients will travel to us and return home with their dog and trainer for the first flight together. Client is responsible for the cost of trainer travel (hotel, flights, rental car, etc).
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We do. Matching the right dog to the right client is a critical part of the process. We use your intake info to select or acquire a prospect with the structure, health, and temperament suited to your needs. Our team coordinates with breeders, fosters, and trainers to ensure the right fit from day one.
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Usually, no. Most family dogs aren’t bred, selected, or raised with service work in mind. Because of the risks and challenges involved, we do not typically accept family dogs into our fully-trained program. Instead, we start with carefully selected puppies raised under our supervision.
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Yes. This is part of our beginning stage where we help identify a breeder, select a suitable puppy, and coordinate the transition to our program.
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Sometimes. If we agree on the breed and breeder, we may accept a client-supplied puppy into our program. This decision is made on a case-by-case basis and requires advance approval. We do not accept all breeds, and we prioritize prospects that align with our health, temperament, and trainability standards.
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Absolutely! We encourage quarterly visits. Clients who stay engaged with their dog throughout the training process are often the most successful. Visits allow you to practice handling skills, observe training sessions, and build early rapport. We’re always happy to answer your questions and include you in the journey.
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There is no official U.S. certification for service dogs. Instead, we prepare your dog to pass three independent AKC titles: CGC, CGCU, and CGCA, as well as our Public Access Test. These help ensure consistency and third-party verification of training quality. Be cautious of online “service dog registries”—they are not legally recognized. Your dog will also be certified as trained through our program.
For those seeking ADI-certification, we recommend working with Atlas Assistance Dogs, a low cost owner-training program, following our program (6 months of required training) to receive this certification.
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We require some form of pet insurance as soon as the puppy begins in our care, paid in full for a year (unless otherwise agreed upon). This costs around $1,000, but is generally less depending on the breed, age, and variable insurance pricing factors. Our program uses Embrace Pet Insurance with great success.
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All puppies starting at 8-weeks receive:
Rabies vaccine
Distemper & Parvo 5-in-1 (x3)
Lepto vaccine (x2)
Bordetella vaccine
Dewormer (x3)
Fecal test
Microchip
Wellness exam (x3)
Not including as-needed visits, elected spay/neuter appointments, etc.
