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Service Dog Training in Providence / New Bedford


Dog Training Elite Rhode Island Near You

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401-399-4177


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Or Call to Schedule FREE In-Home Assessment

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Service Dog Training Near You

What makes a dog a service dog? Who can have a service dog, and why? We answer all these questions and more, as well as explain what sets Dog Training Elite Rhode Island apart from any other dog training service.

Dog Training Elite Rhode Island offers top rated service dog training near you in Providence / New Bedford.


Not all training packages may be available at our Dog Training Elite Rhode Island location, please reference our pricing page for complete information on services offered.


Dog Training Elite Rhode Island is proud to have professional service dog trainers near you in Providence / New Bedford.

Service Dog Training FAQs


Service dogs are dogs that have been specially trained to assist their handler or owner with specific tasks. Dog Training Elite Rhode Island trains dogs to assist people with epilepsy, diabetes, PTSD, autism, and various mental illnesses.

Service dogs are for any individual dealing with a disability that lowers their quality of life. For example, someone who suffers from epilepsy may avoid going out in public due to a fear of falling or other consequences related to seizures. This may inhibit their independence and sense of well-being.

In addition to improving the lives of individuals, service dogs can bring a sense of security to families, such as families with autistic children. Children with autism can often feel isolated and a service dog becomes a 24/7 companion to share experiences with, connect with and love. They can also help children reintegrate into society and connect with others.

Families who have children with autism experience a decrease in stress as they are more able to engage socially in public settings and experience less anxiety at home. A service dog increases safety and has a calming presence that can minimize emotional outbursts, allowing the family to feel more secure and a child with autism to better participate in family activities.

Service dogs are for all individuals or families that are experiencing a decrease in quality of life due to disability.

Service dog training begins with puppies. Dog Training Elite Rhode Island’s service puppy training program works with breeders to adopt puppies that are fully obedience trained by six months and are ready to undergo extensive socialization and additional training to ensure they are well-suited for service and therapy needs.

Then, Dog Training Elite Rhode Island places puppies with families or individuals. Further specialized service training takes place alongside the new handler. It generally takes 1-2 years for a service dog to become fully trained.

Service dog training focuses on two main areas: public access behaviors, and how to “do work or perform tasks” that assist with a disability.

Public access behaviors refer to how a service dog acts in public - well-trained service dogs remain calm in public situations and in turn help their handlers to stay calm, and are attuned to any other handler needs.

As for “do work or perform tasks,” the ADA requires that service dogs be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability.

For example, to assist handlers with PTSD, Dog Training Elite Rhode Island trains dogs to de-escalate anxiety, wake handlers experiencing night terrors, and so on.

The ADA does not require special certification for service animals. State and local government agencies, businesses and non-profit organizations may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry. Mandatory registration of service animals in the city of residence is also not permissible under the ADA.

However, service animals are not exempt from local animal control or public health requirements, such as vaccinations, or local dog licensing and registration requirements.

Dog Training Elite Rhode Island sets itself apart from other dog training methods by focusing on positive reinforcement with a personalized, in-home approach. This method empowers owners and handlers to be an integral part of the process for sustained dog obedience and service training. For service dogs especially, it is important that handlers be present and involved every step of the way.

The positive reinforcement approach, also referred to as “Classical Conditioning” or the “Pavlovian” model has shown to be more effective with longer lasting results than any other training method.

Dog Training Elite Rhode Island does not use punishments or shock collars to break bad habits. Instead, Dog Training Elite Rhode Island pairs positive reinforcement training with a vibration electronic collar. An electronic collar is not a shock collar and does not harm the dog. It is used to gain the dog’s attention, similar to a tug on a leash. It is never used as a punishment for bad behavior.

Another unique aspect of training with Dog Training Elite Rhode Island is that while most dog training programs train dogs at their own facilities, Dog Training Elite Rhode Island specializes in in-home training, customizing training to the dog, its owners and its environment for long-lasting success.

Positive Reinforcement Training


Training takes time, commitment and balance and Dog Training Elite Rhode Island is there every step of the way. With Dog Training Elite Rhode Island, dogs will learn the highest level of obedience, even in the face of the toughest level of distractions. The positive-reinforcement method focuses on encouraging good behavior through ongoing praise, creating a dog that wants to please from the inside out and creating deep-rooted, sustained obedience as well as a strong bond between dog and owner.

Our Balanced Theory

We base our training around the "Classical Conditioning" model (a.k.a. "Pavlovian" or "respondent conditioning"). This includes developing conditioned or automatic reflexes to commands. In its simplest form (after proper conditioning), when the owner says "sit," the dog automatically sits without thinking about it. Our unique techniques ensure our program is a success no matter what behavior we encounter.


Dog Training Elite Rhode Island is the top company near you that uses professional positive dog training methods.
Empowering Owners

We empower owners to train so their dog knows who to obey at all times.

Personalized

We deal with problem behaviors on a personal basis.

Environment Specific

We train wherever issues tend to arise (i.e. jogging, park, home).

Supportive

We support owners in the off-hours (when training is "not in session").

Involved

We work with all members of the household.

Simplified & Customized

We plan training around the owner's schedule and require only 20 min/day follow-up practice.

Continued Training

Additional programs / group sessions offered after in-home training.

Lifetime Investment

We follow up & are invested in the owner's success long-term.

Satisfaction Ratings

Our high client satisfaction rating sets us apart from competitors.

See Our Pricing

We help your dog become a valued companion and beloved member of the family. Read what our customers have to say and then give us a call!

I’d like to be president of Danielle’s fan club when theres a job opening. She transformed my 1 yr old Black Mouth Cur into a happily obedient roommate. Danielle is accomplished and elegant with dogs, patient and quietly firm until she gets the desired results. It’s been an amazingly happy and positive experience that we will expand and treasure for many years to come. So worth it!
— Jack
Posted September 24th 2024
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Danielle is the BEST! She is one of those people who just has a natural "connection" with dogs. She is very patient, kind, understanding, and extremely helpful. I can't say enough good things about her, and I'm so glad we are lucky enough to have found her for our training. 😊
— Charles Peckham Jr.
Posted September 2nd 2024
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Danielle is the BEST! She is one of those people who just has a natural "connection" with dogs. She is very patient, kind, understanding, and extremely helpful. I can't say enough good things about her, and I'm so glad we are lucky enough to have found her for our training.
— Charles
Posted September 2nd 2024
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Danielle is absolutely fantastic! She has a true understanding of each dog's temperament and abilities. She knows just how far to push them each class so that they can reach their full potential.
— Michelle Pacheco
Posted August 31st 2024
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Danielle is amazing! She has been working with me and our newly adopted Alaskan Malamute, Storm. She has been patient and kind as Storm and I work together to become a pet therapy team. Storm adores Danielle and enjoys every class we attend.
— Donna Zannelli
Posted August 18th 2024
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I adopted a two year old Alaskan Malamute. When we got her, she was nervous, suffered from separation anxiety, and constantly used her big paws to get our attention. Danielle has been so patient and kind with both me and our Storm. Working with Danielle, Storm now walks on a lead with confidence, no long uses her paws to get our attention, and can now be left alone at home without her howling or being destructive. Storm actually looks forward to our lessons, and so do I. Danielle has helped us become a team. I highly recommend Danielle and Dog Training Elite to anyone who has a dog, regardless of their age or breed!
— Donna Zannelli
Posted August 18th 2024
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Danielle is an amazing trainer! I couldn’t recommend her enough. She was patient and kind during all sessions. My dog is an amazing service animal thanks to Danielle and it’s made a huge difference in my life.
— T Tat
Posted July 8th 2024
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Danielle is the best by far of dog trainers I've known. She knows what she's doing and does it exceptionally well.
— Andrew Frisch
Posted June 22nd 2024
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Danielle helped us to train our Great Dane puppy in no time. We have a toddler and a new born in our house and we wanted to be sure Ringo would be gentle and respectful of the kid’s personal as well as listen to all his commands. With Danielle’s help, we were able to get our 7 month old, 70 lbs, Great Dane to place where we feel comfortable with him around not just the toddler, but the new born baby and guests as wel with minimal supervision.
— Paul Fickenwirth
Posted June 6th 2024
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Outstanding training and outstanding results. Our minigoldendoodle was a wild one until we enrolled him. After 5 lessons he is a pleasure to have. The group lessons are a plus as our pooch does not interact with bigger dogs like he does at group class. The decision to use Danielle proved to be very well worth it!
— paul
Posted May 20th 2024
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Danielle is amazing!! She has trained our Dutch Shepherd puppy and totally transformed her. She has learned so much from her private lessons and our group lessons. I highly recommend Danielle at Dog Training Elite!
— Robin Cook
Posted May 11th 2024
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Danielle is amazing. You can tell her love for dogs as soon as you meet her. She is so patient, and her instruction is very clear. Our dog Odie has made great strides in his training both at home and in group. I highly recommend Danielle at Dog Training Elite.
— Pat Small
Posted May 6th 2024
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Dog Training Elite RI has been a game-changer for Sully, our dog, thanks to the exceptional training provided by Danielle. Her commands for both the dog and the trainer are comprehensive and effortlessly understood. She is undeniably a seasoned expert in her field. I highly recommend her services to anyone, regardless of their dog’s breed or size.
— James Lampman
Posted May 4th 2024
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We reached out to Danielle regarding our 6 year old hound mix who’s part beagle and we are not sure what else. Lexi was your typical dog, behaved generally well and knew commands such as sit, stay, down, etc. She barked at pretty much anything, and would jump on anyone who walked through our door to try to lick their face. Fast forward to late 2022 we noticed Lexi become more skittish and would appear anxious since our son would at times lunge at her unexpectedly. This lasted through the year and she was getting more and more anxious. Fast forward to winter of 2023, our son HATED bath time for a bit as two year olds do, and Lexi started to not quite attack me when clean up his toys but would get aggressive and put herself between me and the toys I was trying to clean. We resorted to locking her in a room at bedtime for my safety since I was pregnant at the time. She also started going after our dog when other dogs would just walk by our home, or if we accidentally so much as stepped on her paw, she would attack our other dog, most times drawing blood. We were at a point of, “do we re-home her”, we have young children and we’re not sure we could trust her to not hurt them or us. This was a dog who completely changed from an easygoing dog to one who became so anxious with children in the home. We are BEYOND grateful to Danielle for coming and working with us, it saved our first baby and showed us that if you put in the love, time, and effort you can also have your beloved pet back. Danielle came out in the end of March for our first one on one session. After the first class we practiced the “come, off, quiet” and within that first week, we noticed a big difference with her barking, jumping on people and coming after me at bedtime. Others who came over that she normally jumped on also noticed a big difference. As the weeks went on, we continued through the program and we got Lexi to the point of being on a leash not pulling, lunging at other dogs and was able to walk along side Danielle’s dog in the final one on one. If you are hesitating, do we try this?, DO IT! We have a completely different dog back and she listens better than she ever has. We are so grateful for this training.
— Shannon Tacelli
Posted April 26th 2024
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Danielle was great. We have a 10 month old bully mix who is very energetic we also have a child on the way and knew we needed help before she arrives. She helped us to get him to listen to us and follow directions both around the house and while out on walks. We have seen steady improvement with our dog as his training progresses.
— Benjamin Phillips
Posted April 23rd 2024
google
I am a student at Roger Williams University working on a dog scent project. I couldn’t have been happier with picking Dog Training Elite to help me out. Kona was very well trained puppy who showed great work doing her smell training. I would highly recommended this company for all type of training. Danel greatly helped me out answering any and all questions I had. And she did it with a smile on her face the entire time.
— Seth Jablonki
Posted April 23rd 2024
google
In Dec 2022 I brought home an 8 week old, highly energetic, husky malamute shepherd mix. It was immediately clear that I needed more training than I knew at the time and I enlisted the help and expertise of Danielle at Dog Training Elite. I started with the puppy training package which provided the fundamentals. I then followed that with Advanced Training, which built on the fundamentals and included e-collar training and group classes. The group classes are where the rubber meets the road and the practice of all the training you’ve done comes together in practical application. Danielle excels at providing patient instruction to the dog and the owner. She offers solutions to problems that aren’t a one size fits all solution. I chose Danille because I highly valued a balanced training approach that came by way of treats and praise, as well as using the modern tools at our disposal including prong collars and e-collars. The e-collar is an invaluable communication tool and I knew it would be the right method for my dog. I highly recommend Danielle, her approach, and her training.
— John Babb
Posted March 30th 2024
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I would definitely recommend Dog Training Elite!! The amount of care and one on one experience is worth the money! I've seen such improvement in my pup since we started!
— Kimberly Thompson
Posted February 26th 2024
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Excellent organization, and Danielle is awesome!
— Joe Crabb
Posted February 10th 2024
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We recently got a puppy to be little sister to our 6-year old lab mix, and looked into training for them both. We couldn’t be happier to have found Danielle at Dog Training Elite RI. They have both come so far with their obedience training, and we will also be doing service animal training. Danielle’s love of dogs shines through in all of her classes. This was the best decision for the happiness of our fur babies!!
— Robert Bolt
Posted December 2nd 2023
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