| Little Angels Service Dogs ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Other species of animals, whether wild or domestic, trained or untrained, are not service animals for the purposes of this definition. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the handler ́s disability. Examples of work or tasks include, but are not limited to, assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks, alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds, providing non-violent protection or rescue work, pulling a wheelchair, assisting an individual during a seizure, alerting individuals to the presence of allergens, retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone, providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities, and helping persons with psychiatric and neurological disabilities by preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors. The crime deterrent effects of an animal ́s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship do not constitute work or tasks for the purposes of this definition. Based on the ADA Service Dogs are allowed public access when accompanied by their disabled handler, as long as the above is met. Dog Breeds Certain breeds are preferred for service dog work, depending on the handler’s disabilities and needs. We generally use Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, all sizes of Poodles, and sometimes various mixes of these breeds. More important than the breed is the dog's temperament, intelligence, and health. It should be noted that most of our Service Dogs come from our own Labrador Breeding Program as we can insure the history of their genetic health. Practicing an Off-Leash Heel during Handler Training A socialization outing at Sea World during Specialized Training Little Angels Trainers on field trips to local shopping A Recipient learning how to groom her dog during Handler Training A recipient working with his dog for the first time during Handler Training |
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| Changing lives . . . one dog at a time! Little Angels Service Dogs is a group of trainers and volunteers who work to provide highly trained dogs to assist disabled children and adults throughout the United States. Our dogs are trained to assist in a variety of ways to help with daily tasks and to increase independence. Most of the dogs we place are puppies that have come from our own breeding program, and are raised and molded from birth with the specific goal of being an Assistance Dog. Each dog's training is personalized in tasks to help their individual handler. For more information on each type of service dog we offer, please select each of the buttons above. |
| Training Your Own Service Dog Little Angels concentrates on training dogs directly in our own program, however there are options available for us to assist you in training your own Service Dog. Local Residents For those residing in Southern California, we offer two options; We can invite you to attend our Service Dog Training Clinics, or to leave your dog in our care for our Service Dog Boarding School. Clinics are held twice a month and concentrate on everything from advanced obedience for public access, to training for specialized tasks. These clinics are very different from traditional classes and the focus is on service dogs in training. For registration and clinic details click here; Training Clinics For information on our Service Dog Boarding school please email; littleangelsdogtraining@yahoo.com Long Distance For those who reside out of state, we will suggest one of our books. Each book is a step-by-step guide on how to train your own service dog. If you still have specific questions or difficulty in any areas after reading the book we will be more than happy to assist you via email. For book orders and review please click here; Service Dog Training Books |
| Maley has been placed with a 9-year-old boy with Cerebral Palsy. Maley was trained for Mobility Assistance, and helps brace his handler for balance, and retrieves hard-to-reach items. |
| Bailey is a Seizure Response Dog, and alerts the mother of a 1-year-old baby before the infant has a seizure. |
| Cost It is our goal that all dogs are placed at little, to no cost, to the disabled handler. We understand the importance of adding a service dog to your life. We would never want finances to be the deciding factor. We work directly with each handler and their family members, to raise funds through donations, grants and gifts so that they do not need to pay out of pocket for their Service Dog. The first step is to contact us so we can send you an application. This allows us to assess your goals and see if a Service Dog is right for you. If we agree that a Service Dog is in your best interest we would initiate a training plan and begin coordination on the dog that would be the best fit for you. In order to show your commitment we would then require an initial non-refundable deposit of $500.00. However, this $500.00 is gifted back to you once the funds are raised for your dog's training, when all training is complete. Although we don't want you to have to pay anything to receive a dog, it is still important that you are able to provide financially for your dog's maintenance and health care for the next 10-12 years. |
| One of our dogs on a socialization outing at Sea World. |
| Out of State Travel If you do not live in Southern California, travel will be necessary. Arrangements can be made for a trainer to come to you, but in most cases you would take a short 'vacation' to San Diego, California for your Handler Training. In some cases we are able to arrange the payment of travel expenses through fund raising. Handler Training Hander Training is where the disabled party (or assistant of the disabled party) learns how to work with the dog as a team. This generally takes 7-14 days, with training every day. This is when the dog learns to respond to the commands of the handler, and when the handler learns how to reinforce the training that the dog has already received. We cover practical, day-to-day life experiences so you will feel confident taking the dog into your care. After the completion of Handler Training we work together on a series of field tests, which are administered by the trainer. After graduation, you and your dog will be certified as a working team. A certification card will be provided to the handler, as well as a service vest and aluminum identification tag for your dog, which labels him or her as a service animal. We have a lifetime commitment to each recipient and each dog that we place. Once you and your dog have graduated we maintain contact to insure that your dog's training and assistance remains in tact, that the dog remains healthy and happy, and that the dog is improving your quality of life. |
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