Shelter to Service now offers psychiatric service dog training for individuals with personal dogs who meet the program requirements outlined in our program application. Personal dogs are carefully assessed for their potential for psychiatric service work before being admitted into the training program. Our team evaluates personal dogs for qualities including focus, confidence, affiliation with handlers, calmness, and response to reward-based training.
Interested in being matched with a shelter dog who is being trained as a psychiatric service animal? Shelter to Service can find the perfect dog for your needs and lifestyle.
“With my dog by my side, nothing’s gonna hold me down.”
– Brandon, Shelter to Service Graduate
Please note: applicants must submit their personal dog’s proof of spay/neuter and current vaccination records, as well as any prior training certifications earned when applying.
Is a Psychiatric Service Dog Right for You?
Like all service animals, psychiatric service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks that address symptoms of their handler’s condition. Tasks can include providing deep pressure therapy, creating space, reminders, interruptions, and more.
The presence of a psychiatric service dog can help with the following:
- Stabilizing emotions, leading to more predictable routines and a greater sense of control over one’s life.
- Regaining access and improving confidence in social activities and settings.
- Grounding or soothing their handler after an emotional episode or night terrors.
- Alerting to and interrupting anxious behavior(s) or panic attacks.
- Reminding handler to take medications or finding lost items.
- Inspiring sociability, relationship building, and improving positive outlook.
Psychiatric Service Dog Applicant Requirements
Applicants must submit a letter of recommendation from their licensed mental healthcare provider, written within the last year. Please note that our Participant Services Manager will be following up with the provider to confirm ongoing support. This letter must include:
- The applicant’s name.
- The date the letter was written.
- The state the mental healthcare provider is licensed in.
- The licensed mental healthcare provider’s signature, printed name, license number, title, contact information, and physical address.
- How long the applicant has been under the mental healthcare provider’s care.
- The applicant’s specific need for a service dog and what the service dog would do for the applicant.
Applicants must submit a letter of recommendation from a family or household member. This letter must include:
- The date the letter was written.
- Their relationship to and how long they’ve known the applicant.
- How the applicant would benefit from the assistance of a service dog.
- Confirmation that the applicant has the capacity and physical ability to consistently train and care for a service dog.
- Family member’s name, signature, phone number, and email address.
Applicants are responsible for training and handling candidates in adherence to our program guidelines in order to meet the expectations required for graduation.
Applicants must be willing and able to travel by car to our Walnut Creek campus to attend the following:
- A three-day program orientation (one hour per day for three consecutive days)
- Hand-off training classes (two-hour training classes, five days per week, for two weeks)
- Foundational training classes (two-hour classes once per week for a minimum of three months)
- Service task and public access training classes (one-hour training classes, twice per week, for a minimum of two and a half months)
Please note: Applicants under the age of 18 must have their application filled out by a parent or guardian.
General Program Eligibility Requirements
Each different type of Shelter to Service service has individual eligibility requirements for applicants. More information is available on their specific program pages. But all applicants must have the following qualifications.
- Applicants must live in a stable, personal residence.
- Applicants must demonstrate willingness and ability to provide proper care and a safe home environment for a dog for their lifespan.
- Applicants must be at least 16 years or older.
- Applicants must submit a copy of their photo ID.
- Applicants must be willing and able to travel by car to our Walnut Creek campus.
The Journey to Psychiatric Service Work
How does a dog become a psychiatric service dog? From the time of initial evaluation to graduation from the program, psychiatric service dog candidates go through several stages of assessment, exposure, and training to prepare them for assisting their handlers with mental health conditions.
Step 1 – Assessment
Our team conducts extensive assessments to determine whether the dog is a suitable candidate for the Shelter to Service program.
Step 2 – Volunteer Foster Training
Dogs that display both motivation and aptitude for the program spend 15 weeks going through foundational training with their owners, honing skills that will prepare them for service work.
Step 3 – Service Tasks and Public Access Training
Program participants and their candidates build specific skills for at least 12 weeks in order to best support the participant.
Step 4 – Graduation & Adoption
Once the team has completed the training curriculum and passed the program assessment, the team graduates from the program, earning their psychiatric service dog certification.
Step 5 – Specialized Training
Graduated psychiatric service dog teams may attend additional specialized training for specific situations, such as visiting an amusement park or travelling on an airplane.
Step 6 – Recertification
All graduated teams participate in an annual recertification to ensure standards are being met for continued status recognition through the Shelter to Service program.
Get Involved with Shelter to Service
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