National Service Dog Month

September is National Service Dog Month! Service dogs are dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.

This month is dedicated to raising awareness and educating the community about service dogs that provide greater independence and support to their partners.

Service Dog PROS

Canine Companions has transformed more than 8300 lives over the past 50 years, providing service dogs to children, adults and veterans with disabilities.

Golden, named after our Golden Anniversary, along with her fellow puppies, are the next generation of service dogs who are preparing to make a life-changing difference.

Nika and Service Dog Waverly

Colt and Service Dog Wink

Josh and Service Dog Maverick

Service dogs are professionally trained and partnered with adults and children with disabilities to assist with daily tasks and increase independence. They help with a variety of tasks that make a significant impact on the lives of their partners.

Tasks could include pulling wheelchairs, picking up dropped items, alerting people who are hard of hearing, mitigating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and more.

At Canine Companions, every 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. Then, they spend six to nine months in professional training, mastering up to 45 tasks before graduating with our client. All our service dogs and follow-up services are provided free of charge.

Service Dog Month Fun and Games

Learn more about service dogs by taking quizzes and completing activity pages! Request an activity kit that includes coloring pages, a crossword puzzle and a word search game for all.

How much do you know about service dogs? Test your knowledge to find out.

50 Years of Service Dogs Quiz

Test Your Service Dog Knowledge!

Working Dog Match Quiz

Help End the Wait

More than 500 people are waiting for a Canine Companions service dog. Help end the wait—your gift will be doubled by an anonymous donor, up to $50,000.

Sponsor a Puppy

Sponsor a Canine Companions puppy and follow their journey from puppy to service dog.

Learn More About Service Dogs

How to Participate

There are many ways to promote Service Dog Month in your community and beyond.

Sign our petition urging Members of Congress to pledge to uphold the ADA and protect it from changes that would negatively impact people with disabilities.

Get your city and state to officially proclaim September as National Service Dog Month!

Join a wide range of events, such as DogFest, galas and graduation ceremonies, to meet supporters in your community and celebrate service dogs together.