This course covers detailed information regarding a variety of cues and skills which are used to mitigate disabilities or symptoms related to mobility or balance. Examples of such tasks include retrievals, balance assistance, momentum pull, as well as important information about gear and mobility equipment.
You will gain in depth skills to help you train skills related to mobility assistance dogs. This is a great course for trainers and service dog handlers/owner-trainers alike.
How You Will Learn
Atlas’ Mobility Disability Skills Speciality course is an online, self-paced course. To ensure this is the best fit for your learning style, please make sure you understand the following about the course structure and what will be required of you.
- Learn through a mix of written material, hand-outs, worksheets, and videos, all hosted on our online learning platform.
- You will be asked to complete short quizzes along the way to ensure you understand the material.
- You will be asked to submit two video assignments where you are either working with a client and dog (if you are a trainer) or with your own dog (if you are taking this course to provide additional training to your service dog). You will get individualized and valuable feedback!
- You will have the opportunity to discuss your tests and assignments with Atlas faculty as well as retake tests as needed.
- You will be in charge of your own time management and are responsible for going through the course.
- Cost: $325
- Timeline: You will have access to the course for SIX months. With advanced notice, you may make arrangements with Atlas if you believe you will need additional time to complete the course due to extenuating circumstances.
- CEUs: This course qualifies for 12 continuing education units with CCPDT.
- Who is it for: This course is geared towards experienced dog trainers as well as those training their own service dog. To be successful in this course, trainers and owner-trainers alike will need/should have a basic understanding of positive training methods, how to use a marker, how to deliver reinforcement and how to set up a training session. This course is not for the novice handler who does not have prior dog training experience. For the dog : Some of the skills taught in the course should not be introduced to dogs under two years of age due to their physical requirements. In general, before moving onto more complex task training, dogs should have a foundational level of training. This course is not appropriate for puppies or young adolescents.
Trainers typically begin with Dog Training Foundations before advancing to mobility task training.
FAQs
We give you six months access to the course. It is entirely self-paced, so depending on how much time you spend on it each week, you could complete it in far less time. Regardless of how fast you complete it, you will have access for six months.
$325 for six months access.
If you have not completed the course within six months and wish to continue, we do offer a two month extension for $50 to give you additional time. If you do not wish to continue beyond the six months, you will lose access to the course
Great! Please visit our Trainer Certification page for information about the program and its requirements. Having completed this course first will give you a discount on the Academy.
While this course goes over a wide range of tasks that service dogs can perform, your dog knowing said tasks does not automatically make your dog a service dog. Under the ADA, a service dog is a dog that is trained to perform at least one task that directly mitigates their handler’s disability, and the dog must be well-behaved in public. You may not claim that Atlas Assistance Dogs has trained your dog as a service dog upon completing the course.
Learn more about Atlas’ Client Certification program here.
Maybe. This is a self-paced, online course. You will get plenty of feedback on the assignments you submit and opportunities to talk to instructors. The assignments you submit are meant to help you apply the course material with the dog(s) you are working with. But you will not be watching live demos or have instructors coaching you live as you work with a dog. Please consider your learning style before signing up.
This course is not geared for the novice dog handler. While you do not need to be a professional dog trainer, to be successful in this course, participants will need/should have a basic understanding of positive training methods, how to use a marker, how to deliver reinforcement and how to set up a training session.
If your dog is a puppy or young adolescent, this course is not right for them. You will be learning advanced disability tasks. This is something that should only be introduced once your dog has a foundational level of training and is mature enough.
If your dog is under 14 months of age or does not have the appropriate foundations, consider our Teams Set in Motion course first.
Atlas Assistance Dogs believes in using positive reinforcement, non aversive, and scientifically backed training methods. We do not endorse the use of pain, fear, intimidation, or force when working with dogs (or people). Any student signing up for our course will be asked to commit to using positive training methods.