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How Much Does It Cost to Train a Service Dog

service dog in training

Training a service dog can be a costly venture, but for those that need the help of a specialized canine, it’s priceless. However, it’s difficult to put a specific price on training a service dog. In this post, we are going to cover the basics to give you a better idea of what having a service dog entails, both for your own canine and one specifically purchased or adopted for service.

How Much Will it Cost to Train My Dog to be a Service Dog?

If you already have a dog and want to have him trained for service, the cost will depend on the dog itself (how much obedience the dog has learned) what the tasks are your dog will need to perform (will he be alerting, helping with simple tasks or there for emotional support) and how much time you or a handler can devote to training your dog.

For a canine with previous obedience training it can take anywhere from four to six months to be trained just for a task service, but again this will depend on exactly what the dog needs to accomplish and how fast he can pick up on the training. In addition, the canine will also be expected to be able to perform these specific tasks in different environments – most dogs can take up to two years to become fully trained for public access.

Depending on what part of the world you are in, professional dog trainers can start around $150/hour up to $250/hour. This can run into thousands of dollars and will, once again, depend greatly on the dog you are training for service and what he needs to be able to perform.

service dog training

Service dog in training

How Much Will it Cost to Receive a Service Dog?

If you want to take the other route and apply for a dog that is already trained for service, you are looking at an even higher cost.

Service dogs are usually chosen from a breeder that breeds the canines just for the service industry. That means the parents of these dogs and their offspring have shown the qualities that are sought after in a trainable/service dog. However, not all service dogs start out from service-stock, some can be chosen from other sources because they demonstrate the proper skills (ie temperament, intelligence, willingness to learn etc.) needed to be a service dog.

Most service dogs start off their training as a puppy and go through the basic obedience and social skills needed to be a service dog. At around 6 months of age, the puppy will then be put into the hands of a trainer that can take the dog into the next phase of its training. These would include task and public access skills. Once the dog has mastered all of the skills it needs, it will be ready to help a person needing a service canine.

As you can imagine, the cost of taking a puppy and training it up into the ways of a service dog is not cheap. In fact, again depending on your location, specialized service dogs can run upwards of $25,000 dollars. This includes the cost of the puppy, medical bills, training and the fees it entails to apply for a service dog.

If you need a service dog for alerting or emotional support, then the costs may be considerably lower, as these types of canines do not receive the intense training a dog would for a physically disabled individual.

Service Dogs & You

If you feel you may benefit from a service dog, ask your healthcare provider if he/she agrees that your condition mitigates having one of these canines. Your doctor will have to put in writing that your disability fits under the required definition of “disabled” in your country. You will then have to go through an agency to get your service dog, where you will be asked more questions regarding what exactly you will need the dog to do for you. This helps the agency determine how specialized the dog will need to be in order to help you. Once all your paperwork is in order, then you will be put on a list for your service dog and usually (depending on the agency) a down payment and applicable fees will be required of you to pay at that time.

Can You Put a Price on Your Wellbeing?

Service dogs help those that are physically or mentally challenged live a better life. Yes, service dogs can be costly, but allowing a person to gain back their independence and giving them the opportunity to do and be all they can be, well, that’s priceless.

Get your custom Service Dog ID Card and Certificate

If you are not ready to train your dog to become a service dog, you may be interested in certifying your dog to become an Emotional Support Animal. For more information on Emotional Support Animals, here is a helpful article.

20 comments

  1. karei ingalls says: February 27, 2020

    Anyone know how much it would be for a dog that helps with seizures? My old dog could detect them without training and she passed away a year ago. Iv been having a hard time with my seizure since then

    Reply
  2. Don says: February 21, 2020

    Why would anyone pay? If you truly have a disability and have the medical history to prove it you can get a trained dog for free.

    Reply
  3. Helen says: January 28, 2020

    If a person has seizures or panic attacks, can they have their poodle be a service dog? Their doctor gave them that their dog be considered service dog. The dog is 2 years old, house trained, very affectionate… The person I know doesn,t go out without their dog for walks….do they need to register and have their dog trained?

    A friend

    Reply
    • Peter says: May 19, 2021

      Training is what makes their dog become a service dog. That includes task-based training for where the dog would master specific tasks (like alert the person of an upcoming seizure attack, or fetch medication) and a public access test where they must learn to stay focused on the handler’s need absolute any public setting. Once the dog has completed the training, it becomes a service dog. Registration is not required by law but gives some service dog owners additional comfort when confronted by others. Your friend may find this article on how to make a dog become a service dog interesting https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/how-to-make-my-dog-a-service-dog/

      Reply
  4. PERSON ---- says: September 12, 2019

    I have a nut allergy and there are nut allergy service dogs now, where do I get one, because I’ve been looking at them, and it looks like I could use one. Can someone help me/

    Reply
  5. Jasmin says: May 10, 2019

    This is tooooo much for a low income families.

    Reply
    • Chloe Grace Maretts says: January 19, 2020

      Exactly I mean I have anxiety and panic disorder along with ADD and I have attacks all the time and I would really do better with a dog. But ofc I can’t bc it is way to much!!

      Reply
  6. Mina says: April 3, 2019

    My daughter need service dog and she is has several disability which she use cane and for her birthday I would like to give her a service dog which I thing help her ability’s to walk better and stand

    Reply
    • Morgan says: April 10, 2019

      Does anyone know if it’s okay if I myself can train my own dog? I know what I want to train him but will he still be considered a service dog if he doesn’t get professional training?
      I myself don’t have the money to get him trained by a professional and it’s stressful because I have severe Anxiety and depression along with other things and he already knows what to do to help me.
      He’s a 9 month old black lab mix and for his age he’s very smart and catches on to things very fast. He’s very good around people and he loves children and the elderly. He’s got an amazing personality to him and I just feel like he’d be an amazing dog to train to become a service dog. Unfortunately, like I said, I don’t have the money to get him trained by a professional and I was wondering if he could still be a service dog if I trained him.

      Reply
      • Gail Mahler says: May 9, 2019

        Absolutely, your dog can be trained by you, rather than be professionally trained. But keep in mind that a service dog has to be on best behavior, or the restaurant/store/etc. can legally ask you and your dog to leave. A very good starting point would be for you to get yours his/her Canine Good Citizen certification…learn more about that online. Also, google the Americans With Disabilities Act, as it applies to service dogs. There is a tremendous amount of WRONG info out there, being familiar with it will help answer a lot of questions for you. Best luck, Gail

        Reply
      • Cathy says: May 11, 2019

        You can train him yourself. There are no government regulations regarding service dogs. Any dog that is used by an individual with a disability can be called a service dog. The only requirement is that you actually have a disability and the dog is trained to do one task that assists you with your disability. No one is allowed to ask you what your disability is and no one is allowed to ask you to have the dog perform the task they are trained to do for you. There is no test required for the dog to pass and they do not need to have a tag, vest or anything else that shows they are a “service” dog. A lot of people take advantage of this lack of regulations and go around with their dogs to public places and claim that they are necessary for some type of hidden disability which is sad for people who really get benefit from an actual service dog because it makes everyone doubt that any dog is a real service dog. But anyway long story short, you can train your own dog, they do not need to be registered by any agency, facility, program, etc, they can be any breed of dog, and no one is allowed to question if it is an actual service dog or not.

        Reply
      • Analiese Torres says: September 10, 2019

        You can owner Tran him just as long you know what the laws are

        Reply
    • Elaine says: July 29, 2019

      Other than walking with a cane, does she have other needs?
      How old is she?
      Where are you located?

      Reply
  7. Anonymous says: March 28, 2019

    How much would a service dog cost for a mental illness?

    Reply

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