Service dogs begin training when they are eight-weeks old.
It takes more than a village to train a service dog; it takes a group of committed people, patience, and a strong desire to give back in a special way. Service dogs change the lives of people afflicted with a variety of disabilities ranging from blindness to autism and mobility problems. Disabled dog training schools abound in the United States. Tennessee has several quality disabled dog training facilities.
Wilderwood Service Dogs
Wilderwood Service Dogs, located in Maryville, Tennessee, trains puppies and young dogs rescued from shelters and humane societies. Adopting dogs such as these not only saves the life of the shelter dog, but enhances the life of the person with whom the dog will ultimately be paired. Wilderwood Service Dogs specializes in training dogs to assist people with neurological disorders as well as those with autism, dementia and other spectrum disorders.
Wilderwood Service Dogs
1319 Tuckaleechee Trail
Maryville, TN 37803
wilderwood.org
Retrieving Independence
Retrieving Independence trains service dogs for children and adults with any kind of disability with the exception of sight-impaired or mental illness. They have a selective breeding program and only choose puppies which are purpose-bred for the program. They charge up to $16,000 for a highly trained service dog.
Retrieving Independence
900 Carter Hollow
Linden, TN 37096
931-589-3838
riassistancedogs.org
CrittersWork Service Dogs
Located in Bailyton, Tennessee, CrittersWork Service Dogs trains dogs as service and assistance dogs to work with people with mobility issues and other disabilities. Children with autism are often paired with specially trained dogs and CrittersWork trains for that purpose as well. They also train therapy dogs to work in nursing homes, hospitals and other settings. They are a Tennessee 501 C(3) non-profit organization.
CrittersWork Service Dogs
357 Kitchen Branch Road
Baileyton, TN 37743
423-552-1416
critterswork.org
Tags: Wilderwood Service, Wilderwood Service Dogs, CrittersWork Service, CrittersWork Service Dogs, Retrieving Independence