Service Dog Questions Answered!

From the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) website:

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

We are firm believers that it is not a  specific breed or purebred dog that makes a great service dog, but the dog itself. Gutsy Mutts are typically mutts (hence our name). We like to rescue a dog with the hopes of the dog paying it forward to its person.

Each service dog is different in his learning of trained behaviors, so there is no specific time. But, in general, it can take up to one year to complete the training.

Gutsy Mutts service dogs are trained in a home environment. We feel this is the most realistic place to train and the dog is constantly trained by a watchful trainer. The dog is part of the family and loved like it is one of our pets.

A seizure alert service dog alerts its person of an impending seizure. This allows the person to remove himself from an environment and find a safe place, or call for help. Gutsy Mutts works directly with the client and trains the dog with specific tasks beneficial to that client.

At Gutsy Mutts, we use seizure samples collected during a seizure. This "scent" sample is then used to train the service dog to alert when he smells that specific scent.

A PTSD and/or anxiety service dog helps its person to break the anxiety pattern and distract its person from self harm. The dog can provide comfort to its person, and also give its person a feeling of safety when entering a room.

A diabetic service dog can alert its person when blood sugar is too high or too low. The dog can smell the scent of low or high sugar from the breath of its person.

A service dog trained to work with someone with autism can help its person by calming the person and also by distracting self harm behavior. 

Of course! Please contact us to discuss your needs.

Absolutely not! We are happy to work with clients no matter the location. 

Yes, we have service dogs currently available for adoption. Please contact us for information.

 Bigger companies typically charge $30,000 - $40,000 for a service dog. Gutsy Mutts keeps costs at a minimum and still provide superior service dogs. Our costs are typically a third less than the bigger companies and we come to you! Bigger companies may require a two week stay near their facility, and that can be difficult, expensive, and not ideal. It is better for you to learn how to work with your service dog in YOUR environment. Prices start at $22,000 (excluding travel expenses). 

For a dog to become a service dog, it takes countless hours of training. Training can last well over a year. So, you're not just paying for the dog, its vet care, feeding, grooming, and medicines, but also for all those hours for that dog to become a service dog. Gutsy Mutts will do all we can to try to keep these costs low to make them more affordable to those in need.

Gutsy Mutts likes to get to know our clients. We want to make sure the union of dog and client is a happy and successful one. We like to match the personality of the dog with the personality of the client. Once that is established, a deposit is required to "hold" the dog until it is ready for adpotion. During this time, we will train the dog to you and your lifestyle. When the dog is ready, the process of bonding and learning for both dog and client begins. We slowly transition the dog into your life. We are here to guide you through the process. We also provide help and guidance after the adoption. Owning a service dog is like any relationship, there is always work to do to keep the relationship going in the right direction, and we will be at your side helping you through.

Here is an example of our fee schedule. We do not take a deposit until we agree on a service dog. Travel expenses vary due to time and location. We do our best to travel on cheaper days and stay at moderately priced hotels. We only rent a car if necessary (i.e. client can't drive). Final payment is due on Day 3 of transition/placement, this allows you to see your dog in action. Most dogs cost $22,000 unless excessive additional training is required. This rarely happens.

Example:

Application Fee - $50 nonrefundable. Due when applying.

Deposit - $5,000 nonrefundable. Due when we agree on a specific dog.

Travel Expenses - varies, typically around $1,000. Due approximately one month prior to delivery of dog.

Final Payment - $17,000. Due on Day 3 of Transition/Placement.