Our Training Philosophy:
Cali Pals has been training Service Dogs for over 15 years. Over that time, our training program has continued to develop into a program that works not only for our clients, but also for our trainers and, most importantly, for the dogs we train.
Every dog raised and trained by Cali Pals becomes a member of one of our trainers’ families while they are in our program. Our dogs are raised and trained in a normal home environment, with real families, real routines, and everyday life. They experience a normal home, a backyard, car rides, outings, visitors, household noises, and all of the little things that make up daily life.
We believe dogs learn best when training is incorporated into their everyday lives—not when they spend their days living in a kennel and only come out for scheduled training sessions. Our goal is to raise dogs who are confident, well-mannered, adaptable, and prepared to become a true working partner for their future handler.
Our training focuses on building a strong foundation from puppyhood and gradually introducing the skills, environments, and expectations each dog will need as they progress toward their individual goals. We take the time to get to know each dog as an individual, because every dog learns differently and every future handler has different needs.
Below is an overview of how we raise, train, and prepare our dogs for their future as Service Dogs.
*Our program is not for everyone, we require the owner to be involved in the training process. Please read carefully the info below to make sure this is a good fit for you or your family.
Photo of: Maple, a working Therapy Dog at Ormondale Elementary School.
Step 1: Application & Consultation
The first step in our Service Dog process is to complete our application. Please email us at calipals@yahoo.com, and we will send the application to you.
Once your application has been completed and returned, Tricia will be in contact with you shortly. We will schedule a video call so we can get to know your family, talk about your specific needs, discuss what you are looking for in a Service Dog, and answer any questions you may have. This conversation also gives us an opportunity to ask any additional questions we feel are important in determining whether our program is a good fit for your needs.
We require a doctor’s note confirming that the individual who will be receiving the Service Dog has a disability-related need for a Service Dog. This documentation is an important part of our application and placement process.
Once we have reviewed your application, spoken with you, and received the required documentation, we will let you know whether we feel Cali Pals is a good fit to move forward with you in the Service Dog process.
Step 2: Determining the right dog or litter.
Once we have determined that Cali Pals is a good fit for your family, the next step is finding the right puppy or litter for your specific needs.
We do not believe that every puppy is suited for every person or every type of Service Dog work. Each puppy has its own personality, temperament, energy level, confidence, sensitivities, and learning style. Our job is to carefully evaluate those qualities and determine which puppy has the best potential for the work it may eventually be asked to do.
When possible, we will discuss upcoming and current litters with you and explain what we are seeing in the puppies as they develop. We consider the puppy's temperament, structure, confidence, ability to recover from new experiences, engagement with people, environmental stability, and overall suitability for Service Dog training.
Our goal is not simply to find you a puppy you love—we want to help find the right puppy for you.
Sometimes the best match may come from a litter that is not currently available, or we may recommend waiting for a future litter that we feel better matches your needs. We would rather take the time to make the right match than rush the process.
Choosing a Service Dog is a significant commitment, and we believe the foundation of a successful partnership begins with selecting the right dog from the very beginning.
Choose Your Training Option:
Once we have selected the right puppy for your family, you will have several options for how you would like your puppy's training to continue. We understand that every family has different schedules, goals, and budgets, so we offer a flexible approach rather than requiring every family to follow the same training program.
Option 1: Take Your Puppy Home at 8 Weeks
You may take your puppy home at 8 weeks of age and continue the training with your puppy at home. We will meet with you for weekly training sessions to help you continue building your puppy's foundation and address any questions or challenges along the way.
Puppy price: $3,000
Training sessions: $150 per session
Option 2: Cali Pals Started Puppy Program
Our Started Puppy Program allows your puppy to remain with Cali Pals for an additional four weeks after the puppy would normally go home. During this time, your puppy lives with one of our trainers and begins developing the important foundation skills needed for continued training.
The Started Puppy Program generally includes:
Crate training
Potty training
Basic obedience
Home manners
Loose-leash walking
Socialization
Exposure to everyday environments and experiences
The Started Puppy Program is $6,000, and your puppy will go home at approximately 12 weeks of age with a stronger foundation in these skills.
Option 3: Continue Training After the Started Puppy Program
After completing the Started Puppy Program, you may choose to continue your puppy's training with Cali Pals. Each additional month of training is $2,500 per month while your dog remains living with one of our trainers.
We do not require you to commit to a specific number of additional months. Instead, we believe in evaluating the dog as an individual and determining together how much additional training is appropriate.
Each month, we ask the family to come to Cali Pals to evaluate their puppy's progress, spend time with their puppy, and continue building the bond they will have with their future Service Dog. This also gives us an opportunity to discuss what the dog has accomplished and what goals should be worked on next.
We are happy to continue working with your dog through approximately six months of age. At that point, the dog will transition to living with you full-time, and you will take over the day-to-day training and handling.
After your puppy comes home, Cali Pals can continue to assist you with task training, public-access training, and other areas of Service Dog training through individual training sessions. These sessions are $150 per session and can be scheduled based on your dog's needs and your family's goals.
Our goal is to give you flexibility while making sure that your puppy receives the right amount of training and support to build a strong foundation for its future work.
Step 3:
A Service Dog Is a Team Effort
We understand that this approach may not be the right fit for every family, and that is completely okay. Training and living with a Service Dog is a significant commitment, and the work does not end when the dog comes home. The handler and family will need to continue practicing, reinforcing skills, and building a strong working relationship with their dog.
Please be honest with us, and with yourself, about whether you are ready and able to take on that responsibility. If you are not able to participate in your dog's continued training or provide the time, consistency, and commitment needed to develop a successful Service Dog, our program may not be the right fit.
Our goal is not simply to place a dog with a family. We want to create a successful partnership between the dog and the person it will serve. Being honest about what you and your family are able to commit to helps us make the best decision for both the dog and your family.
We believe that the things that are most meaningful in life are often the things that require the most work—and a Service Dog is no different. A Service Dog is not simply a dog that is trained for you; it is a lifelong partnership that is built through time, patience, consistency, and commitment.
The training we provide is designed to give you and your dog a strong foundation, but the relationship continues to grow once your dog comes home. The time you put into practicing, reinforcing skills, learning how your dog communicates, and building trust together is what turns training into a true working partnership.
Everything worth having requires work, and a successful Service Dog partnership is no exception. We are here to give you the foundation, guidance, and support along the way—but the greatest part of the journey is the work you and your dog will do together.
Public Access Testing & Team Certification
Once your dog has mastered their trained service tasks and successfully completed public access training, Cali Pals is available to provide a Public Access Test. This is the final step in our training process and gives us the opportunity to evaluate you and your dog as a working team in real-world public settings.
Once your team successfully completes the Public Access Test, Cali Pals can recognize you as a fully trained Service Dog team and, with your permission, add your team to our website as a Cali Pals Service Dog team.
Please contact Cali Pals @ calipals@yahoo.com
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