Pawsitivity’s programs are wide-ranging and each one is designed to empower U.S. military veterans with disabilities.
Besides training PTSD service dogs for veterans, we also train service dogs to help veterans with seizures, deafness, blindness, as well as training several types of helper dogs for first responders. You can explore these program-specific pages through the links above.
In addition to training service dogs, we expand our impact by:
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Training other service dog providers:
Pawsitivity offers training programs for other service dog providers. These programs teach providers how to train service dogs and how to work effectively with people with disabilities. Our training curriculum is so widely respected that our textbook, Service Dogs: The Rescue and Training of Heroes, won the Midwest Book Award in 2016. -
Helping rescues:
Pawsitivity supports rescues by offering resources, guidance, and practical help. We also assist rescues in finding adoptive homes for dogs that are a good fit for service dog training. To support this work, we created a mobile app that helps shelter workers identify rescue dogs with strong potential for service dog skills. This app is called Good Dog! and it has been a game-changer for shelters. -
Sharing with educators:
Pawsitivity shares its knowledge with educators through workshops and training programs for those interested in learning more about service dogs. Our Theory of Change and Logic Model are published on ResearchGate, making them available to all academics and nonprofits. This reflects our commitment to improving our programs and expanding our impact.
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We use a four-stage training program. The entire process takes one to two years, and each stage is critical to preparing a well-trained, reliable service dog.
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