Therapy Dog Program
Canines For Comfort

What is an Service Dog?
A service dog is a dog individually trained to perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability other than blindness. Service Dogs perform a wide variety of tasks which enable individuals to experience increased independence and enhanced quality of life. Street-certified dogs accompany their person in all situations. They are certified for public access under the ADA of 1990.

Service Dogs
The addition of a service dog into a person's life is a big commitment. The benefits, both physical & emotional, are significant. We encourage interested parties to apply for a dog. This in no way commits the applicant to a decision, but instead indicates an interest and allows us to schedule an interview to discuss the specifics of the program & how a dog would fit into the individual's life.

We work with a wide range of medical needs.

Training
Our training process involves careful assessment of each dog, basic skills, public access training, and the training of individual assistive skills needed by each handler. All training methods are positive and motivational.

Behaviors are shaped using operant and classical conditioning (clicker training). We use an event marker (clicker) to let the dog know the right move/behavior has been made and follows that signal with a motivating reward (treats or a toy or play). Because animals understand precisely which action earned the click and their reward, they learn new behaviors quickly, easily, and enthusiastically.

Training can last from six months to two years depending on the behaviors we are teaching that individual dog. Each participant works one-on-one with an instructor to reach a level of proficiency and skill that will enable the team to pass a

CGC Test - Certified Good Citizen Test & the
PA Test - Public Access Tests.

Service Dogs and Autism
In 2008, Colorado Service Dogs, Inc. will introduce a very special project, extending its services to help children with autism and their families. The new service, aims to help families with an autistic child to lead a more fulfilled life through the provision of a specially trained assistance dog.

For a child with autism life can be terrifying, the world becomes a confusing puzzle, a mass of pictures and noise that never makes sense. There is no known cure for autism, and every individual is affected differently, but one thing remains the same, with a child trapped in there own world by a devastating condition, normal life stops for the whole family.

An autism assistance dog is highly trained and socialized to help with the needs of the child and their families. Their role will be to act as a guide, anchor and continuous focus for the child and in so doing will offer the whole family the chance to open their doors to the outside world again.

While the effects on the autistic child are not fully understood, the results can be dramatic; a child with autism can become calmer within just a few weeks of commencing their training, tantrums and bolting behavior is reduced and the child shows a greater focus that has the potential to offer improvements in learning and communication – sometimes for the first time.

With the presence of a highly trained assistance dog, the family can hope to visit the shopping mall, go to the park and even attempt a holiday, simple things that all too often can become a distant memory for the family with an autistic child.

Fees & Areas Served
The cost of training the dog,
ranges from simple foundation training $7,000.00
to more intricate training $15,000.00.

Colorado Service Dogs works with clients who live in Colorado ONLY, within the C-470 loop.
Whom reside in the 7 County Metro Area (Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas & Jefferson).

Public Access Test & Per Hour Training is $50

Please contact us if you believe our service would be a benefit
to you, and you reside outside the 7 county metro area. 303-669-5916

AS OF JANUARY 2010, there are no scholarships available.
Participants may choose to secure sponsorships from service groups, family or friends to help defray training costs. Fund raising is another option available to potential participants.

Please Note, CSD dose not work with:
Dogs for Visual Impairment

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All money donated to Colorado Service Dogs, Inc.
is applied to the general fund.

Copyright © 2010 Colorado Service Dogs. All Rights Reserved