Psychiatric Service Dog Training
A fully trained psychiatric service dog costs $20,000–$40,000 and comes with a 2–4 year waitlist. For a lot of people who actually need one, that's not an option.
Owner-training is. And done right, it produces something a purchased dog often can't: a partnership built from the ground up between one dog and one person, trained for that person's specific life and needs.
That's what this work is about.
Most trainers focus on the dog. I focus on the team.
I am a graduate student in Anthrozoology — the study of human-animal relationships — and it shapes everything about how I approach this work. The behavior science matters. The marker timing matters. But the relationship between you and your dog is what every task, every access scenario, and every hard day ultimately runs on.
A calm, confident dog comes from a foundation built with care and consistency. A reliable service dog comes from a handler who understands their dog and trusts themselves. My job is to build both.
I assess you as much as I assess your dog. We build a calm, confident team together. And that’s the real key to growing good dogs.
How it works
Everything starts with a Candidacy Assessment. Before either of us commits to a program, we spend 90 minutes making sure the team in front of me is set up to succeed — or honestly identifying what needs to happen first if they're not.
We cover your dog's temperament and behavioral profile, your lifestyle and capacity, the tasks you need trained, and which program track makes sense for your situation. If you don't have a dog yet, we talk through what to look for and why.
The assessment fee is credited toward your program if you enroll within 30 days.
The Programs
PSD Done-With-You — $4,800 16 weeks | You train your dog, and I train alongside you weekly
You're in every session. You build the relationship. I provide the methodology, the task training framework, the behavioral science, and the troubleshooting.
This is the most durable model — because the person who trained the dog is the person who lives with the dog. Covers public access preparation, task training specific to your diagnosis, legal rights under the ADA and Fair Housing Act, and handler education in behavioral science.
Requires Candidacy Assessment before enrollment. (click to schedule your assessment)
PSD Board & Train — $8,800 6 weeks | Trainer's home | Very limited availability
Your dog lives with me. Full-time task development, public access conditioning, and behavioral foundation work in a real home environment. If your candidate is a puppy, this includes all basic puppy manners. If your candidate is an adult and does not have CGC, please note that basic CGC capabilities will be taught first. PSD Board + Train is just the first step to owning a fully trained service dog. Full training can take up to 2 years or more.
Not every team is right for this track — some handler-dog partnerships need the owner's direct involvement to build the bond that task work requires. I'll tell you honestly at assessment which path makes more sense for you.
Includes structured handover process, weekly video updates, written documentation, 30-day post-program support, and a 1-hour followup session to determine next steps.
Requires Candidacy Assessment before enrollment. (schedule your assessment here)
Good to know
These are owner-training programs. I don't sell fully trained service dogs.
I work with dogs of all breeds and origins — including rescue dogs and bully breeds. The research supports it. So does my own work.
Payment plans available. Reach out and ask.
Note, the package pricing above is introductory pricing and subject to change.
Email kayla@sonorancanine.com with any questions or text 571-317-1562