Cali Pals Service Dogs
Cali Pals helps families train their own Service Dogs. Our goal is to provide healthy, confident, and easy to train puppies. We then will provide private training sessions or suggest that you find a trainer in your area if you are not local to Hollister, CA.
Considering a Service Dog?
Things to consider when thinking about training your own Service Dog.
Is a Service Dog right for you or your child? When deciding if you should get just a pet or have the puppy trained as a Service Dog you need to look at many factors. There are a few vital things we look for when we believe a family is ready to take on the task of training a Service Dog for themselves or their child.
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Do you qualify for a Service Dog? In order for you to qualify you have to have a disability that a Service Dog can help you with. Also what tasks will the dog perform for you that are necessary for your specific disability? A Service Dog is required to perform specific tasks pertaining to your specific disability.
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What disabilities generally qualify? Hearing impairments, vision impairments (must get a guide dog from a special organization), autism, PTSD, diabetes, MS, among others.
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Does depression and anxiety qualify? This is a tricky one. If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness and cannot comfortably go into public places alone, then yes. You qualify. If you sometimes get a hint of anxiety but can live your day to day life mostly normal then you do not qualify for a service dog.
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How old is your child? A child’s age will determine if a dog can bond to a child of that age. The BEST age to place a dog with a child is between 8-10 years old, earlier than this it is more difficult to get a dog to bond to a younger child, the way a lot of families want them to. The dog is always going to look at the parent for direction as a natural hierarchy in the “pack”.
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How active are you or your child? Is the person the dog is going to work for constantly moving, running, playing outside, active? Or is the person more of a calm, movie watcher, lots of iPad time, home body? These are going to factor in what type of puppy you should be looking for to be your or your child’s Service Dog. People who are at home a lot need to have a calmer puppy, while people who are active need a dog who can keep up and is not hesitant to jump right into the middle of the active lifestyle. If your child is mostly preoccupied by the TV or iPad, you may need to reconsider getting a Service Dog for them, as the dog will be more of a nuisance to them.
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Do you have a doctors note stating you would benefit from having a Service Dog? You must have a disability to qualify for a Service Dog. Having a doctors note on file is a good idea. Also printing a copy of the law and making sure you are educated to deal with the public in a responsible polite way is important.
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Have you trained dogs before? This is something we always take into consideration. If you have zero dog experience this is going to be a lot for you. If you are experienced in the dog world and have the basic knowledge of what it is going to entail is always a good thing. If you have never owned a dog, you need to do lots of hands on experience with dogs. Maybe dog sit a friend’s dog, start walking a neighbors dog, volunteer at an animal shelter or read a dog training book.
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Are you willing to be honest with yourself about this dog? There are times where a dog goes through training and doesn’t make it as a Service Dog or there are red flags where a professional trainer needs to be hired to help fix an issue. You need to be honest with yourself that you will make sure you do what is right, if a dog shows fear or aggressive behaviors in public, then you need to stop taking the dog into public and seek professional help and be willing to except the help. Not every dog is cut out for Service Dog work and it can be difficult to make that decision. But you need to remember the safety of yourself and others while in public. This is the hardest part about “self-trained” Service Dogs.
What to expect in training your own Service Dog.
How much time are you going to spend training?? Training your own Service Dog is a full time job. You have to be proactive in taking your dog into public and working on obedience training at home. Your Service Dog in training needs to go into public with you everywhere you go. If you are more of a home body you will need to make arrangements to be able to take your dog into public every single day. Even if it’s a quick trip to the grocery store.
Rules: Yes, there are rules that you need to follow. First off, a Service Dog is NEVER allowed to ride in the cart. Your Service Dog needs to have all 4 feet on the floor at all times unless there is a task that the dog is taught later on for your disability where it requires the dog to jump up on you. But other than that your dog needs to remain on a leash and on the ground. Your dog is not allowed to use the restroom inside a public building. Your dog is not to eat human food from the table. Your dog is not to sit on a chair. Your dog cannot bark in public, sniff people, or pull you towards something. Your dog needs to remain under control at all times.
What is home life like?
You want to treat the dog like a semi-normal dog when at home and your dog is “off duty” which the dog still needs to be willing to work for you but it knows it can also be a dog and be comfortable at home. Playing with toys, chasing the ball, etc. is totally ok. Puppies need lots of play and play is important for their proper development.
Having people stare at you or watch you while in public.
People will watch you, they will talk about you and your dog, and stop you to pet your dog or talk about their dog that they have at home. Some people like this attention, some people do not. It is something to remember when wanting a Service Dog.
A Service Dog should be used as a medical device. It is not a pet, and there needs to be a level of professionalism when taking your Service Dog out into public.
Knight - Service Dog
Maui - Service Dog
Briar - Service Dog
Tricia Saldivar is a Certified Service Dog Trainer through Bergin University of Canine Studies. Cali Pals has successfully trained many Service Dogs for people with a variety of Disabilities including: Seizure Alert Dogs, Diabetic Alert Dogs, Hearing Dogs, Autism Dogs, and more! We also have placed Started Puppies in homes to be trained as Therapy Dogs and Facility Dogs. Bergin University trained Tricia to be able to pick out quality temperaments to breed and train for Service Dog work. Cali Pals has developed a breeding program that we are proud of, they have produced many Service Dogs for our program and have been very successful.
Please contact Cali Pals if you are interested in training a puppy to become your Service Dog.
You must provide a doctors note stating you would benefit from having a Service Dog. We take our job of training Service Dogs very serious so unless you have a Disability please do not contact us for a Service Dog.
Below are Cali Pals working Service Dogs!
Clifford
Service Dog in Training
F2BB Goldendoodle
DOB:
Parents: Sandy/Ace
Clifford is a Service Dog in training to assist a little boy. Clifford is a pretty mellow guy and was very easy to train.
Trainer: Diane Clarkson
Ruby
Service Dog in Training
F2BB Goldendoodle
DOB:
Parents: Sandy/Ace
Ruby is a Service Dog in training to assist a little boy. Ruby has an amazing temperament. Very calm and gentle.
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Jack
Service Dog
F2B Goldendoodle
DOB: 10-20-17
Parents: Tinsley/Finley
Jack is Service Dog for his boy! He goes to school with him everyday. Jack is an amazing dog and his owner loves him VERY much!
Trainer: Diane Clarkson
Prince
Facility Therapy Dog
F2B Goldendoodle
DOB: 6/28/18
Parents: Tinsley/Finley
Prince is a Therapy dog. Prince started out with our "Started Puppy" program and finished his training with his owner. He loves what he does and was completely made for his job working for the Memory Care Facility down in Southern California.
Trainings: Tricia Saldivar & Owner
Merlie
Autism Service Dog
F2B Goldendoodle
DOB: 3/30/18
Weight:
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
San Jose, CA.
Rain & Finley Litter
Maui
Service Dog
F2B Goldendoodle
DOB: 10/4/17
Weight: 65 pounds
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
San Jose, CA.
Rain & Finley Litter
Blaze
Service Dog
F2B Goldendoodle
DOB: 10/7/16
Weight: 75 pounds
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
San Jose, CA.
Trainer: Diane Clarkson
Rain & Finley Litter
Chip
Hearing Dog
Border Collie/ Goldendoodle
DOB: 3/19/17
Weight: 50 pounds
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Reno, NV.
Trainer: Diane Clarkson
Briar & Wyatt Litter
Titan
Service Dog
Multigenerational Goldendoodle
DOB: 1/23/17
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Blair & Finley Litter
Hope
Autism Service Dog
F2B Goldendoodle
DOB: 10/7/16
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Parents: Rain & Finley Litter
Knight
PTSD Service Dog
Multigenerational Goldendoodle
DOB: 8/29/16
San Mateo, CA.
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Parents: Briar & Finley
Abby
Hearing Dog/Diabetic Alert Dog
Multigenerational Goldendoodle
DOB: 7-31-15
San Jose, CA.
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Parents: Briar & Dudley
Strider
PTSD Service Dog
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Trainer: Tricia & Daine
Parents: Briar & Dudley
Westley
Service Dog
Brightwood, OR.
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Daisy Hills Labradoodles
Sunny
Autism Service Dog
San Jose, CA.
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Daisy Hills Labradoodles
Service Dog
Muttley is an F2 Goldendoodle. He is working as a PTSD Service Dog.
San Jose, CA.
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Father: Dudley
Cooper
Emotional Support Dog
Reno, NV.
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Breeder: Daisy Hills Labradoodles
Violet
Autism Service Dog
Violet is a F1B Labradoodle and working for her little boy as an Autism Dog.
San Jose, CA
Has passed the "Public Access Test"
Certified through Cali Pals Service Dogs!
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Harper
Multigenerational Goldendoodle
Diabetic Alert Dog
Arizona
Trainer: Tricia Saldivar
Buzz, our very first Service Dog trained by Cali Pals! Buzz served his girl for many years and passed away peacefully in his sleep in 2021. Bless his sweet soul. He truly was an angel!
Autism Service Dog
Buzz is a F1B Labradoodle. He is working for his little girl as an Autism Dog.
Edina, Minnesota
Trainer: Tricia & Diane