Courteous Canine offers:

• Individualized training plans

• Experienced coaching

• Structured learning progression

• Public access training

• Task training tailored to your needs

• Ethical, science-based training methods

• Ongoing support throughout your service dog journey

Our mission is to help handlers and dogs become confident, capable teams ready for everyday life.

Looking for service dog training in Rhode Island? Courteous Canine Service Dog Training Program helps individuals and their dogs develop the skills needed for reliable task work, public access, and everyday partnership through ethical, science-based training.

Whether you're starting with a puppy or evaluating an adult dog, our structured program guides you through every stage of becoming a confident service dog team.

No. In the United States there is no federally recognized certification or registration for service dogs.

Instead, we prepare teams to meet high standards for:

• Public access behavior

• Reliable obedience

• Task performance

• Handler communication

• Confidence under distraction

Our program does meet the guidelines for the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners Membership.

A service dog is a dog individually trained to perform specific tasks that directly assist a person with a disability. These tasks mitigate the handler's disability and allow for greater independence. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs are permitted to accompany their handler in most public places.

No. Courteous Canine specializes in owner-trained service dog programs. We coach individuals to train their own dogs through private lessons, group classes, public access training, and individualized task training.

Courteous Canine proudly serves clients throughout Rhode Island seeking professional service dog training, public access training, and task training.

Our structured program combines private coaching, group classes, and real-world training to prepare teams for success.

Clients may self book appointments using the links on the pages for in home locations within a 30 minute driving radius of 212 Main Street Wakefield RI

Please contact us to schedule appointments outside this service area. If our schedule accommodates, we will consider clients beyond our service area.

Our program supports individuals with disabilities that may benefit from a trained service dog, including, but not limited to:

• Mobility disabilities

• Psychiatric disabilities

• Autism spectrum disorders

• Hearing impairments

• Medical response needs

• Other qualifying disabilities

Training is customized to the specific needs of each handler.

Not every dog is suited for service work. We evaluate each dog's:

• Temperament

• Confidence

• Sociability

• Recovery from startling situations

• Trainability

• Health

• Neutrality around people and dogs

• Ability to work in distracting environments

Our goal is to ensure every prospective service dog has the qualities needed for long-term success.

Our comprehensive program follows a step-by-step progression:

Initial Consultation: A one-hour consultation to discuss goals, evaluate your dog, and develop an individualized training plan.

Step 1 – Foundations Program

Step 2 – Applied Foundations Program

Step 3 – Advanced Training Program

Step 4A – Public Access Confidence Program

Step 4B – Task Training Program

Step 5 – Public Access Outings & Final Team Evaluation

Comprehensive public access training and final team assessment.

Your journey begins with a Service Dog Consultation.

During this one-hour appointment, we'll:

• Learn about your goals

• Discuss your disability-related needs

• Evaluate your dog (if applicable)

• Explain our training program

• Answer your questions

• Develop a personalized training plan

Ready to begin? Contact Courteous Canine today to schedule your Service Dog Consultation and take the first step toward building a successful service dog team.

We begin working with puppies as young as 8 weeks old through our Service Puppy Foundations Program.

Adult dogs may also qualify after completing a temperament and training evaluation.

Many breeds and mixed breeds can become successful service dogs. We evaluate the individual dog's temperament, health, motivation, and ability to perform service work rather than selecting dogs based on breed alone.

Every team progresses at its own pace.

Most owner-trained service dog teams complete training in approximately 18–24 months, depending on:

• Dog's age

• Previous training

• Required disability-related tasks

• Public access skills

• Handler consistency

• Individual learning pace

Tasks are customized to each handler's disability and may include (but not limited to):

• Retrieving dropped items

• Opening doors

• Deep pressure therapy

• Anxiety interruption

• Nightmare interruption

• Medication reminders

• Light switch activation

• Item retrieval

• Medical response behaviors

• Other disability-related tasks

All prices include RI Sales Tax.

• Initial Consultation $222

• 1 ~ 90 minute session $166

• 1 ~ 60 minute session $143.11

• 3 ~ 60 minute sessions $577.80

• 4 ~ 60 minute sessions $667.68

  Rates subject to change without notice.

Include people in our training sessions, if they will be involved in the daily training or management of your pet. If everyone can not attend, plan a time to review my recommendations and plan with them after each session.

Of course! We will provide support by phone or email if you have questions or problems at any point in your dog's training, which may continue long after our training program has ended. If you feel you need additional help after your training program has ended, you can always schedule individual follow-up sessions to keep you on track.

Yes. Public access is an essential part of our program.

Teams progressively learn to work confidently in:

• Grocery stores

• Restaurants

• Medical offices

• Shopping centers

• Parks

• Parking lots

• Community events

• Busy public environments

Our focus is on developing calm, reliable behavior in real-world settings.

We guarantee that you will be satisfied with our services. However in our industry it is considered highly unethical to guarantee specific changes in behavior. We will be able to discuss our success using specific methods with dogs that presented with similar problems. The success of your dog's training program is dependent on many factors outside of our control including the cause of your dog's behavior (such as genetics, traumatic experience, etc.) and your ability to follow all instructions as provided.

Because of those factors, guaranteeing an outcome is unethical and, as such, is prohibited by our professional membership with the Certification Council of Professional Dog Trainers.

Courteous Canine uses science-based, positive reinforcement training that builds confidence, communication, and lasting reliability.

Our training emphasizes:

• Reward-based learning

• Clear communication

• Ethical handling

• Confidence building

• Relationship-focused training

Learning continues outside of class. We recommend several short training sessions each day and encourage handlers to practice skills during everyday routines and community outings.

Consistency is one of the most important factors in building a reliable service dog team.