A service dog and their owner outside - find elite service dog training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL with Dog Training Elite.
Dog Training Elite

Service Dog Training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL

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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 Palm Beach County

Service Dog Training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL

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 West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL, 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

  • Nate Gornitzky
    Sep. 20, 2025
    Dog Training elite is amazing! They’ve helped my dog become the best companion I can bring anywhere and everywhere.
  • Jan Roach
    Sep. 10, 2025
    Hi my name Jan. I have 5 years old Shizu. She like to bark to people and big dog, very aggressive. I met Josephine on March, 2025. She is a good dog training, she is listening my problem, understand, kind and good communication. She help me fix the problem of my dog in the right way. Her technique is simple and easy for me to follow and all work. My dog listening to me and understanding and behaving since I work with Josephine. She is more calm and not so much bark anymore. I will recommend everyone who needs help with your dog. Josephine definitely can fix your problem and give a great advice what we need to do to fix our problem with your dogs. I am happy 😊.
  • Robert Kramer
    Aug. 2, 2025
    Before the program Mitchell was a menace. Works really hard to correct bad behavior in my 2 year old lab. He has improved so much through this training. Worth every penny.
  • Coley Quinn
    Jul. 24, 2025
    We were initially referred to this organization by some family members after getting our new puppy. A scary encounter with an older dog made us realize just how important training and obedience are in preventing dangerous or stressful situations. We started the training when our pup was about 5–6 months old, focusing on basic commands and addressing biting behavior. Now, six months later, the progress has far exceeded our expectations. Our dog is nearly ready to walk off-leash and behaves wonderfully in public spaces. We feel like we’ve not only gained control over his previous bad habits but also built a much stronger bond with him. The training has helped us better understand his behavior and tendencies, which has made all the difference. We highly recommend investing in this training, it’s been an invaluable experience for both us and our pup. Thank you Josephine!!!
  • Dana Aberman
    Jul. 20, 2025
    We started using Josephine 3 weeks ago and we are very happy with the progress our 15 month old English Bulldog criminal has made. She has learned to walk on a leash without pulling. She has learned come and place. Matilda is happier with the structure Dog Training Elite has given our household. We are looking forward to the group classes and improve her socialization skills.
  • Camille/David Andrade
    Jul. 22, 2025
    Who Says You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? My neighbors certainly did! However, Josephine, the owner and lead trainer, proved them wrong!! Storm, our 11 year old rescue, was out of control when anyone rang the front door bell. He would charge ahead of us, and bark aggressively…non stop. After only 2 lessons with Josephine using DTE’s proven methods, and us reinforcing them daily, Storm now stays in his “place” when the doorbell rings, and is learning to be “quiet”. We just finished the 5th lesson, and we can confidently and safely walk Storm by our side around our neighborhood. He “heels”, is not pulling, or distracted by other dogs and is focused on the commands. If we stop, and he’s told “down”, he goes down with chest and elbows on the ground. This is the hardest command to follow as it means total submission by him. We highly recommend Josephine and her side-kicks, Gracie and Dottie :) The DTE program she is using was developed over 45 years. We learnt that success with Storm would only be possible with mutual trust, consistency, positive reinforcement, and most of all…working with him at least 15 minutes everyday. Thanks Josephine, for teaching Storm, our old dog, new tricks!!!
  • Ashley Parker
    Apr. 22, 2025
    Before training, our year and a half old frenchie was reactive and had no manners! Safe to say he was running our house. After the first session, we noticed a HUGE shift in his behavior! Now that we are 4 sessions in, he is more confident, less reactive and respects us. It’s been amazing to see his progression! We highly recommend Josephine Grace with Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County! It has changed our household.
  • Erica Duncan
    Mar. 18, 2025
    We are about 5 lessons in with Josephine and our 8 month old puppy. We are so impressed with what Buddy/we have learned. Practice is the key, and they give you all the tools you need to have a happy, well-balanced dog.
  • Michelle
    Jan. 27, 2025
    I’m so grateful for the help and insight Josephine provided for my dog. Before my Nailah enrolled in Dog Training Elite, she was a cute and fluffy little menace. After training with Josephine, she is a totally different dog! Not only do Josephine train Nailah, she lovingly trained us as well. I’ve learned so much from here that I never even considered before. Nailah is still cute and fluffy but she is also a beloved member of the family. She’s stopped nipping us and counter surfing. She’s stopped her incessant barking and pulling us during walks. If you’re considering this program-do it. You will have a well behaved companion if you stick with Josephine!
  • Steven J. Callaghan
    Nov. 6, 2024
    We had struggled with our dogs behaviors and patience for years, but we never reached out looking for a professional training program. Josephine worked wonders with our three pups with noticeable improvements in their obedience, socialization, consistency, and behavioral issues. The pulling, barking, and aggression all were handled. I would highly recommend this training to anyone with even a sight curiosity of dog training improvement!
  • Cathi Rush
    Nov. 12, 2024
    Amazing! OMG, I can’t believe this is the same dog! Chaos had such a successful training session today. He stays in his “place” even when he’s in a public place with distractions and people and other dogs. He is calm. He listens. He is so much less “reactive”. The change in this dog is really incredible. I am finally starting to trust him after our private training sessions. Now I can’t wait to start taking him to the group classes for socializing. There is hope for this previously out of control German shepherd!!!! A huge THANK YOU to our trainer, Josephine Grace, for helping make our problem “beast” into a calmer and more manageable dog.
  • Daniel Israel
    Nov. 3, 2024
    Chaos is definitely calming down. And he’s a different German Shepherd than back when we started the training! He’s very smart and learns quickly. Elite dog training has given us some excellent methods for controlling his behavior
  • Lena Jones
    Oct. 25, 2024
    Josephine is amazing! We started working with her when our boy Benny was just six months old. He was a rescue and the unknown carried with the “pit mix” name was something we took very seriously. Not only was she reassuring that she would help us create a happy environment for our three boys but also to made sure that Benny stayed safe and happy! Together we researched his breed and learned about his temperament as we navigated his training. She was so helpful, reassuring, and answered any call or text whenever we had questions! A year later, Benny is still training with Josephine and continues to amaze us with not only how smart he is, but how loving and sweet he is to any and all that meet him! We had an instance a few weeks ago that left me with some questions. As soon as I texted Josephine, she called me a few minutes later and helped me solve the issue and connected me to other great resources! Her wealth of knowledge is priceless! We highly recommend Josephine and her team for dog training (and human training)!
  • Krissy Weinhardt
    Sep. 30, 2024
    Josephine has been absolutely fantastic to work with! She has given us the tools to help our dogs become the best versions of themselves. The difference in just 4 sessions has been night and day for these dogs, we love practicing and working with them every day to get better. Our dogs were very reactive on leash and now family walks are much more enjoyable! Highly recommend taking the time and effort to work with her, she is wonderful!
  • Dwight Divine
    Oct. 11, 2024
    My daughter has a pure bred Corgi. She recently moved into a condo. She brought her dog to live there. She constantly barked The dog was not going to able to stay there. The dog is currently staying at our house. We decided to get a trainer She had several issues. She constantly barked, She jumped on anyone who came into the house and she was aggressive towards other dogs when she was being walked even though she likes other dogs We called and met with Josephine. We decided to give a try. She is making progress we did not think was possible. We have not finished the training but we are happy with the results so far. She still has a ways to go but we think she will continue to make progress and that will be able to live with our daughter. Josephine is very kind and patient and she knows what she is doing.
  • Randy Lebowitz
    Jun. 16, 2024
    Josephine is an awesome dog trainer. She is very easy going and really knows how to not only communicate with our dog, but even more important with the owners. Throughout the process, she’s not only teaching the dog what to do but teaching the dogs owners how to continue the training process, which is probably the most important part of this journey. Our 22 month old Bernadoodle has really progressed amazingly well over just 4 or 5-1 hour sessions. We have also put in the work necessary to make this successful and are constantly hearing comments about how well-behaved our puppy is. I highly recommend Josephine and Dog training elite to anyone Who has not made the commitment to train and learn the follow up for having a well-trained dog
  • Tina Donahue
    Jun. 1, 2024
    We got a rescue puppy who ended up being a completely different mix than we thought. We thought he was a small breed but ended up being a German Shepard/boarder collie mix and was timid and aggressive with age. I was feeling completely helpless and really didn’t think we could keep him but I wanted to try one more thing. Josephine came to our house and as much as she taught him, she taught me more. He gained respect for my authority and I gained control. I no longer have any fears from him! We have had parties with 20 people, multiple different dogs in and out of the house, doors left open and more. We are now confident he can be a part of our family forever. ❤️
  • Todd Morey
    Apr. 23, 2024
    Great so far, lots of progress with my German Shepherd. Excited to see how this develops going forward.
  • MB Davis
    Apr. 17, 2024
    I can’t say enough about Josephine, Gracie and Dottie! Josephine is helping us with our two little pups that we adopted during Covid. They are loving little guys, but were totally out of control whenever company came over or someone came to the door. So much so, that we would have to put them in a bedroom just to open the front door ! They were over excited to greet guests, jumping , barking for attention - absolute chaos! With Josephine’s help - we are able to control them so much better and they are more relaxed when company is over. They are definitely a work in progress, but in a short few weeks we have seen such an improvement in both of them !! I highly recommend Josephine for your dog training needs - you won’t be disappointed!
  • roger lawrence
    Apr. 16, 2024
    We have Cavaliers. Both reactive and one in particular, a large male, demanding and at times quite annoying. That was before a chance meeting with Josephine and her dogs Gracie and Dottie at the Wellington Amphitheater, after which we signed both Cavs up for training with Elite. After a few weeks with Josephine there is a marked difference in obedience and behavior allowing us more freedom to enjoy our pups. In the past we could not walk them if other dogs were around as they wound act like the hounds from hell. Now they pay attention to us and can remain calm which was the number one goal we had with the training. Importantly, the training is probably as much training us as it is our Cavs, but together we have learned how to drastically improve our dog owning experience, keeping all the good that comes with it and filtering out the bad. Josephine has the tools, techniques and knowledge that made it happen. We did not believe it could. But it did! Thank you.
A Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County owner smiling with his dog in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL.

Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County

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
  2. 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!

  3. Therapy Animal
  4. 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.

  5. Emotional Support Animal
  6. 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 Palm Beach County

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 Palm Beach County - PTSD Service Dog Training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL. DTE

PTSD Service Dog

If you're looking to train a PTSD service dog in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL, 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 Palm Beach County - Psychiatric Service Dog Training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL

Psychiatric Service Dog Training

Our psychiatric service dog training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL 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 Palm Beach County - Mobility Service Dog Training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL

Mobility Support Service Dog

Enhance your independence or help a loved one with specialized mobility service dog training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL from Dog Training Elite. Our expert trainers teach dogs the skills they need to support their owners with mobility challenges.

Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County - Autism Support Dog Training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL

Autism Support Service Dog

Bring life-changing support to your family with Dog Training Elite's autism support dog training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL. 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 West Palm Beach / Boca Raton service dog training with Dog Training Elite.

Dog Training Elite Palm Beach County

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 Palm Beach County.

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 Palm Beach County.
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Educate, Empower, Elevate, Elite

Victory Begins With Elite Education

A trainer, a man and his service dog - find the best service dog training in West Palm Beach / Boca Raton, FL with Dog Training Elite.

We Are Committed to Making a Difference

Choose DTE for West Palm Beach / Boca Raton Service Dog Training

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At Dog Training Elite, we are passionate about transforming lives through West Palm Beach / Boca Raton 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 Palm Beach County and experience the difference that elite training and compassionate care can make.