A service dog and their owner outside - find elite service dog training in Metro Detroit, MI with Dog Training Elite.
Dog Training Elite

Service Dog Training in Metro Detroit, MI

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Our Service Dog Training Could Help:
Veterans or civilians with PTSD, anxiety, or depression
Children or adults with autism
Individuals with epilepsy
(participating locations)
Advanced medical training (participating locations)

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan

Service Dog Training in Metro Detroit, MI

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service dog as “a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.” Disabilities include mental or physical impairments that affect an individual’s ability to perform one or more major life activities (walking, seeing, etc.).

Because service dogs play such a key role in the life of disabled individuals, they are protected by the law. Places of residence, employment, and commercial facilities cannot discriminate against disabled individuals with service animals. If you are wondering how to get a service dog, you can either purchase a fully trained dog or purchase a service puppy and train it.

With our service dog training in Metro Detroit, MI, we ensure that your dog is trained to meet the specific needs of your disability, providing personalized support and empowering both dog and handler for long-term success.

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A man and his support service dog - learn more about our positive training methods at Dog Training Elite.

Our Positive Approach to Service Dog Training


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At Dog Training Elite, we believe that successful dog training requires dedication, patience, and balance. That’s why we are committed to using positive reinforcement techniques in all of our training programs.

Through balanced training, our team helps owners build trust with their dogs. This approach is especially important for service dog training because strong relationships and communication are essential for dogs to reliably assist their handler.

By focusing on encouragement rather than punishment, we created confident, well-behaved dogs that are eager to perform their best and impress their owners.

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You and your canine companion really can have it all. See how easy it can be to become a member of the elite pup society by requesting a free consultation today!

Hear From Our Customers

Learn Why Dog owners choose Dog Training Elite

  • Isabella De Fazio
    May. 20, 2026
    Hailey is the best trainer ever! We've been working with her since my puppy was 8 weeks old, and he is the good boy he is today because of her. In just under a year, Arlo has now come everywhere with me as my service dog and has changed my life for the better.
  • Alison Burke
    May. 15, 2026
    I cannot say enough about the transformation that occurred with the training sessions we had with Hailey. Our puppy would not go outside, did not want to walk on a leash or go in the car. He was anxious and had separation anxiety! Now he is able to ride the car, go on walks and be in crowds at our son's baseball games without ant issues! We are so happy - he is just the best boy! We can't wait to see what he does next and we really could NOT have done it without all of the support and guidance from Hailey.
  • Julie Braman
    May. 14, 2026
    I got my dog Theo on April 2nd and from day one, he was a lot – in the most lovable way possible. Adorable, affectionate, and quick to learn new things, but he kept jumping our fence and running away. After the 7th incident, I was referred to Hailey at Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan, and we had our consultation on April 21st. We paid for the training course the same day because we were blown away by how knowledgeable she was and knew we would benefit from her coming to our house to train him. After that, we scheduled training appointments every week at a time that worked best for me and my husband, and training began on April 30th. We have seen Hailey for training three times now, and by the third training (today, 5/14/26), it's like I have not a different dog, but a way better version of the dog I knew Theo could be. When I got Theo, he ran away constantly, had a very intense prey drive around my two cats (to the point where we had to keep them in our bedroom), jumped up on people upon meeting them, and had a few accidents in the hallway. We've had him a month and a half now, and he's received training from Hailey for about three weeks. Now, Theo doesn't run away, he runs around outside freely (I bought him a dog run, but don't even have to use it anymore), he coexists peacefully with my two cats (who we no longer have to keep in our bedroom) – he can even sit next to them on the couch – and he now knows the terms "place," "break," "sit," and "come." We were actually considering paying a company to install a higher fence and we were talking about installing doors in between our mud room and den so the cats could live in peace. After training with Hailey three times, we no longer need to hire someone else for those home repairs (thank goodness, since it probably would cost us around $21K). Thanks to Hailey, we got training for roughly 10% of that cost. We would highly recommend Hailey to anyone who thinks their dog might be "just a little too much." Three sessions and she gave us our home back – cats included. You will not regret it.
  • domenic guadagnino
    May. 13, 2026
    Duke is an 8-year-old stubborn Ridgeback. Hailey was our trainer and was Amazing With Duke. Highly recommend
  • Noah Dorfman
    Apr. 27, 2026
    Hailey has been amazing helping us learn to work with our young dog. I could not recommend this training method enough. Having off leash control has been life changing for us and our family.
  • Michelle Landry
    Apr. 27, 2026
    Hailey is amazing. Our beagle went from wild and insane to actually trained and polite. The e-collar really makes all of the difference too. Training a beagle puppy (7 months old) is not easy, and Hailey truly made it all possible. We plan on continuing with more training. I highly recommend her, even with the most difficult dogs. She’s so smart and confident and I instantly trusted her knowledge.
  • Erin Concas
    Apr. 24, 2026
    We were looking for a psychiatric service dog for our special needs teen From the initial phone consultation to ongoing text support, the team has been helpful and professional throughout. They guided us in selecting the right puppy, and training began in the first week, which made a big difference. Our dog is always excited to see Hailey who comes to our house and meets us in public settings for training- and she’s doing great in group classes. Overall, a very positive experience—I’d recommend this company, especially Austin and Hailey.
  • Serena Felix
    Apr. 22, 2026
    Hailey was a fantastic resource in training my service dog. I could not recommend this company enough!
  • Fay 5
    Apr. 21, 2026
    The trainers are all so knowledgeable and do an amazing job training the human, not just the dog! Every trainer I’ve worked with is awesome! I’ve trained with Austin, he was so impressive! Right now I am doing sessions with Hailey! She’s absolutely amazing and so knowledgeable. Hailey works so hard to get to the root of any issues and works with me to fix them, She is patient, I am so appreciative of that! She takes her time and goes the extra mile, my dog Bane loves her! I highly recommend Hailey for training! You will be so happy you did!
  • J W
    Apr. 19, 2026
    Has been a great experience going through training with my dog becoming a therapy dog! Hailey has been amazing working with him. It is so impressive to see how well he’s doing as a 10 month old puppy.
  • Amy Francis
    Apr. 15, 2026
    I would direct anyone with a new dog or puppy to this company! Hailey was awesome- she was professional, accommodating and was able to help our family train and turn our young puppy into a well-behaved service dog! Cannot extend enough appreciation to Hailey!
  • Kelsey Kramer
    Mar. 27, 2026
    Dog Elite Training is one of the best decisions I ever made! I have a little cavapoo who came home as the most timid in the litter. She now has such confidence. I couldn’t have done with without Hailey! She is truly amazing and goes above and beyond to make sure we are both confident in any situation we face. Highly recommend Hailey from Dog Training Elite 10/10!
  • Kelly Mcpherson
    Feb. 26, 2026
    Austin and his crew is awesome! We are so very thankful for them!!!
  • David Mcpherson
    Feb. 25, 2026
    Austin is great! Wouldn’t trust our dogs with anyone else. Excellent trainer.
  • michelle kobernick
    Feb. 22, 2026
    Dog training elite has delivered me the dog of my dreams. I worked with Hailey Roover, who was kind, knowledgeable, patient and always available. My dog being sprout is now a Certified service dog. We couldn’t have done it without her. Thank you, dog training, elite!
  • Maria Petrides
    Jan. 16, 2026
    Austin and his dad were so great with consulting me on our aggressive dog. I would recommend them to anyone seeking help and support. They are truly experts and I can't thank them enough.
  • CAITLIN HENRY
    Jan. 13, 2026
    We have been working with Hailey since October to train a future school therapy dog, Poppy! Hailey answers all our questions and goes the extra mile to not only set Poppy up for success, but also us as handlers. Poppy loves her weekly sessions with Hailey. We are so appreciative of Hailey and Dog Training Elite!
  • Margaret Olivier
    Dec. 20, 2025
    Hailey was outstanding to work with. I’ve had two trainers in the previous years and she is just outstanding.
  • Mike Craig
    Nov. 12, 2025
    Hailey has worked miracles with our 18month old Golden. I just 4 visits so far she is a much more obedient and we are only begining. She has also trained everyone it the house the right way to communicate with our dog. We can now take walks with no pulling, charging, or jumping up. Best decision we have made. Hailey is the best!
  • Karen Simms
    Nov. 7, 2025
    Steven helped us so much with our new puppy! He took time to listen to our needs and was able to guide us through navigating the common new puppy issues like biting, potty training, and crate training with a positive focus. Steven’s calm presence and thoughtful explanations of training protocols created a successful environment for our puppy to learn the basic commands. Focusing on a variety of training tools and guiding us to find the ones that worked best has helped our puppy grow into a well behaved part of our family. Thank you Steven and Dog Training Elite!
A Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan owner smiling with his dog in Metro Detroit, MI.

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan

Is a Service Dog The Same As a Therapy Dog?

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Many types of working dogs increase the quality of life for their handlers. The three main categories of working dogs are service animal, therapy animal, and emotional support animal. Each category covers different areas of support and different levels of protection under the law.

  1. Service Animal

    As mentioned above, service animals assist individuals with disabilities. Depending on the person’s needs, the service animal learns how to perform certain tasks. Guide dogs, for example, help blind individuals safely navigate their environment. Seizure response dogs respond to their handlers when the individual is having a seizure. Service animals are highly trained and specialized, and they are also offered the most protection under the law compared to therapy or emotional support animals.

    Dogs are not the only kinds of service animals - miniature horses are often trained to support individuals with disabilities!

  2. Therapy Animal

    Therapy dogs provide comfort and improve the mental well-being of individuals in hospitals, hospice care, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, and more. These dogs must have a friendly, calm demeanor and be comfortable when handled by strangers.

    Therapy dogs are not trained to perform specific tasks, but they must be obedient and well-mannered. Therapy animals are permitted in some areas where pets are not, but they have fewer protections than service animals. All therapy dogs must be certified before they can offer their services to the community.

  3. Emotional Support Animal

    Emotional support dogs relieve loneliness, anxiety, depression, and other symptoms of mental health disorders. They provide comfort to their handlers, but they are not trained to perform specific tasks. Most emotional support animals are sensitive to the emotional changes of their handler and will remain close by at all times. Emotional support animals are not protected by the ADA, but residential buildings must permit emotional support animals.

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan

What Can Service Dogs Do?

Service dogs are crucial in assisting individuals with various disabilities and conditions, providing them with support, independence, and companionship. These highly trained dogs can perform specific tasks tailored to the needs of their handlers. Learn about breeds that make great service dogs, who can benefit from a service dog and the training that will help these pups meet their handler's needs.

Service dogs are a great help to disabled individuals thanks to their incredible ability to perform highly specialized tasks, like opening doors, switching lights on and off, assisting with balance and stability, guiding, pulling wheelchairs, answering phones and making calls, finding objects or places, unloading and loading items, clearing rooms, finding help, and many more. Service dogs improve the lives of disabled individuals by increasing their autonomy.
Individuals with certain diseases and disorders can benefit from a highly trained service dog. Dogs have an incredible sense of smell and they can detect the chemical changes associated with oncoming seizures and increases in blood pressure. Alert service dogs alert their handler to these situations to prevent a life-threatening emergency. Alert dogs also help those with extreme allergies detect potential allergens in food.
Disabled or epileptic individuals are more prone to emergencies than the average person. Service dogs are trained to alert their handler to a potential emergency, and alert surrounding individuals to an active emergency. Service dogs can also call for help on pre-programmed phones.

Additional Service Training Info

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan - PTSD Service Dog Training in Metro Detroit, MI. DTE

PTSD Service Dog

If you're looking to train a PTSD service dog in Metro Detroit, MI, Dog Training Elite is here to help. Our service dogs are trained to assist with symptoms such as anxiety, hyper-vigilance, and panic attacks, providing grounding emotional support.

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan - Psychiatric Service Dog Training in Metro Detroit, MI

Psychiatric Service Dog Training

Our psychiatric service dog training in Metro Detroit, MI helps individuals with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. We'll help train your dog to mitigate symptoms by offering emotional grounding and support during stressful situations.

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan - Mobility Service Dog Training in Metro Detroit, MI

Mobility Support Service Dog

Enhance your independence or help a loved one with specialized mobility service dog training in Metro Detroit, MI from Dog Training Elite. Our expert trainers teach dogs the skills they need to support their owners with mobility challenges.

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan - Autism Support Dog Training in Metro Detroit, MI

Autism Support Service Dog

Bring life-changing support to your family with Dog Training Elite's autism support dog training in Metro Detroit, MI. Our compassionate trainers work closely with your family and dog throughout the entire process, ensuring your pup is fully prepared to provide comfort, safety, and companionship.

A service dog at a ball game with their owner - get professional Metro Detroit service dog training with Dog Training Elite.

Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan

Service Dogs for Anxiety, PTSD, and Autism

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Service dogs trained to assist handlers with severe anxiety or depression perform specific tasks that reduce the potential for panic attacks or self-harm attempts. Such tasks include deep-pressure therapy, tactile stimulation, alerting, clearing rooms, blocking strangers from approaching, and more. Service dogs trained to assist those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have greatly improved the lives of many veterans.

Service dogs also make a big impact on the lives of children with autism. Children with autism are often prone to meltdowns, have trouble communicating, and are quick to run off or become easily lost. Service dogs prevent and mediate all of these behaviors to provide a higher quality of life for children with autism and their families.

As autism is a spectrum disorder, each child has varying needs of assistance. Autism service dogs perform the following tasks:

  • Tracking: Children with autism often wander away, and a parent’s worst fear is turning their back for just a moment and discovering their child is gone. Autism service dogs will track the child if this ever happens.
  • Tethering: This task minimizes wandering, which is common in public settings. The child is tethered to the service dog’s leash or harness, preventing him or her from wandering away.
  • Behavior Interruption: Repetitive and ritualistic behaviors are typical of autistic children, as are meltdowns when the child becomes overstimulated. Autism service dogs recognize these negative behaviors and redirect the child’s attention when they start. A simple paw or nudge is all it takes to prevent a meltdown.
A service puppy waiting for their owner - Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan.

How Do I Get a Service Dog?

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If you are wondering how to get a service dog, there are a couple of different approaches. Some service dogs are purchased outright, fully trained. Or a compatible dog is selected and trained from an early age. Training a dog from the start is the best option, especially for those with specialized needs.

Training a dog to perform service responsibilities must start from day one. Only certain breeds are suited to service work, and breeders put a lot of time into raising puppies to be service animals. Once you have purchased a service puppy, additional training is necessary to prepare your puppy for life as a service dog. This is a complicated process that involves various steps. Dog Training Elite makes getting a service dog easier with our service dog training program.

Our talented trainers can help select puppies that are prepared for a life of service from well-respected breeders. When these puppies enter the service dog training program they are closely monitored for behavior and temperament and can be fully obedience trained by the age of six months. These puppies undergo extensive socialization and additional training to ensure they are well-suited for service and therapy needs including specialized service training alongside the new handler.

This program is ideal for handlers who want to take part in the developmental years and extensive training of their service puppy.

A group of dogs being trained by the expert team at Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan.
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Victory Begins With Elite Education

A trainer, a man and his service dog - find the best service dog training in Metro Detroit, MI with Dog Training Elite.

We Are Committed to Making a Difference

Choose DTE for Metro Detroit Service Dog Training

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At Dog Training Elite, we are passionate about transforming lives through Metro Detroit service dog training. Our proven, balanced training methods help create highly skilled, dependable service dogs that are both obedient and loyal to their handlers.

From mobility support and physical assistance to emotional well-being and more, Dog Training Elite is committed to providing personalized, high-quality training that makes a lasting impact.

Choose Dog Training Elite Southeast Michigan and experience the difference that elite training and compassionate care can make.