Service Dogs
Canine Companions is a national nonprofit organization, providing service dogs to adults, children and veterans with disabilities and facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice and educational settings.
We’re one of the first ADI-accredited service dog providers, and we offer our working dogs and all follow-up services completely free of charge to our clients.
Every Canine Companions service dog spends their first 16 to 18 months with a volunteer puppy raiser to learn basic tasks and socialize in public and private settings.
The journey is followed by professional training at a regional center for five to nine months to master advanced skills. By the end of the program, every dog is trained to complete up to 45 tasks to offer the ultimate support for their future partners.
Our service dogs are trained to support their partners with every day tasks by helping retrieve dropped items, opening doors, turning on lights and much more, to enhance independence for people with disabilities.
Our facility dogs are partnered with handlers working in hospitals, schools and law enforcement. They provide support to a wide number of individuals and situations, utilizing skills they mastered in training.
Veterans Initiative program service dogs provide physical assistance, as well as perform tasks that directly disrupt escalation of anxiety, hypervigilance, generalized fear and symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Is a Dog Right for You?
A service dog is a great tool for many people with disabilities. Get educated on whether a highly trained service dog could be a good fit for you or someone you know.
Service Dog FAQs
Curious about Canine Companions service dogs? Check out our FAQs to learn about the dogs we place, the training process, the tasks they do and the application process.
Science & Technology
At Canine Companions, we take pride in being at the forefront of research in the field of service dogs. See what’s new in research and genetics, training and canine health and cognition.
CanineAlert™
Canine Companions groundbreaking CanineAlert™ Device is a patented wearable technology designed to provide clients with essential support.
Sponsor a Future Service Dog
Help the next generation of service dogs become their very best! Sponsor a puppy to follow their service dog journey and to ensure they, and their fellow pups, get the support they need. In return, you’ll receive exclusive updates, an adorable mini plush and other special goods – and love from a future hero.
