Frequently Asked Questions

At Ability Dogs, you train your dog under the close supervision of our instructors. While other service dog providers train and deliver dogs to people, our proven model helps you and your dog create a lasting bond, and ensures that you fully know one another’s needs. It also allows the added benefit of becoming part of a community.

1. Application

2. Dog Matching (Tucson only) OR Pet Assessment

3. Acceptance into Program

4. Training Program (12-18 months, on avg)

5. Certification

6. Recertification (every 1-3 years)

We proudly serve veterans, civilians, adults, and children.

Tasks include:

• Diabetic Alert

• Hearing Alert

• Physical & Mobility Assistance

• Psychiatric Assistance including PTSD and panic disorders

• Seizure Response

• POTS

This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you have different needs please ask us.

Experts do this for us. We take great care to ensure that everyone we serve qualifies for our services. Before starting the program, we require forms from medical and/or mental health professionals. We call each office to verify the forms are valid.

In Phoenix and Las Vegas, training is done in home or in public, about once per week. You’ll work out a convenient schedule with your instructor.

In Tucson, lessons are generally 4 times per month. Some will be at the training center and others in public settings around the area. Most teams take 12-18 months to complete the program. Close adherence to the schedule is necessary to reach certification.

Possibly! Many service dogs in our program start out as pets. The success of our program depends on the connection between a dog and a person. Age, temperament, and size are primary factors, along with the tasks your dog will be required to perform.

At Ability Dogs, the true cost of training a Service Dog is heavily subsidized by donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

We operate on a Pay-As-You-Can model, ensuring that everyone has access to our services via scholarships, regardless of financial circumstances.

We ask that all teams contribute something to their training, even if it’s a small amount. This ensures that we have the funds to serve every qualified applicant as quickly as possible.

Here’s the breakdown in fees:

Initial Consultation - $30
Monthly cost - $260 (Tucson) and $340 (Phoenix and Las Vegas)*
Certification Test Fee - $250

If you are in Tucson and applying to the Matching Program, there may be an additional fee for a purpose bred dog.

*Outside of Tucson, all training is currently one-on-one, resulting in the higher fee.

Currently, applicants must live in the greater Tucson, Phoenix, or Las Vegas areas. Because of our program requirements, we cannot accept applicants who cannot commute to and from these cities once a week.

Absolutely. Certified teams (dog + human) are welcome to attend group classes in Tucson free of charge, so long as the class has space and you re-certify your dog regularly.

For those who can’t make it to Tucson, we’re always a phone call away if you have questions or concerns.

No reputable training organization certifies dogs they do not train. In our case we could lose our ADI accreditation.

We only offer certification tests for dogs who have been trained at Ability Dogs. If your dog performs tasks for you already and you join the program, it will take a minimum of 6 months, per ADI standards.