HEAVEN SENT K-9 · PERRIS, CALIFORNIA
Service Dog Training
Board & Train
A strong foundation. A purposeful partnership.
Build the obedience, focus and handler connection that service work requires. Our pathway begins with Basic Obedience Board & Train, progresses to Advanced Off-Leash Board & Train, and continues with individualized task training through private sessions.
Board & Train takes place at our private Perris ranch, serving Orange County, Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire.
Already completed basic obedience elsewhere? Book a consultation before entering our advanced stage. We assess your dog’s foundation and suitability for this pathway.
Who is this program for?
This pathway is for suitable dogs being trained to assist a person with a disability through specific, individualized tasks. It combines professional foundation training with coaching for the dog and handler as a team.
Under the ADA, service work involves trained actions related to the handler’s disability. Obedience, companionship or comfort from a dog’s presence alone do not establish that role. Learn how the ADA defines a service animal.
- Dogs with a stable temperament and the ability to work safely around people and other animals.
- Handlers who are ready to complete the required training stages and practice consistently between lessons.
- Teams seeking a professional foundation followed by task work tailored to the handler’s needs.
Our temperament requirements
Service dogs work in shared public spaces. For everyone’s safety and the dog’s well-being, our service-dog pathway requires a suitable temperament and no aggression or behavioral issues requiring rehabilitation.
Dogs with these concerns are not eligible for this pathway. Our Behavior Modification & Aggression program is a separate service; completing it does not create eligibility for our service-dog program. These are Heaven Sent K-9’s enrollment standards.
How does the training pathway work?
Each stage builds on the one before it. The two Board & Train programs establish the foundation; private sessions then develop the disability-related tasks and the working partnership.
01 · BUILD THE FOUNDATION
Basic Obedience Board & Train
Start with engagement, sit, down, stay, recall, loose leash walking, heel foundations and everyday routines. Your dog needs this foundation before moving to advanced work.
If your dog completed basic obedience elsewhere, schedule a consultation. We assess whether that training meets our standards before approving entry into the advanced stage.
02 · STRENGTHEN RELIABILITY
Advanced Off-Leash Board & Train
Complete the advanced stage to develop distance commands, responsive recall, impulse control and attention around distractions.
Graduates of our Basic Obedience Board & Train can move directly into this stage. Dogs trained elsewhere need the consultation and approval described above.
03 · TRAIN FOR YOUR NEEDS
Private Task-Training Sessions
After the required foundations, continue through private sessions focused on the specific tasks your dog needs to perform for you.
You participate in the training and practice between appointments. The number of lessons depends on your dog, the tasks and your progress together.
Our final evaluation follows the required training and demonstrated readiness. Completing a boarding stay alone does not complete the service-dog pathway.
What does the program cover?
We want the training to show in everyday life: a dog who listens, settles appropriately and works with their handler. Skills are developed progressively across the Board & Train and private-session stages.
Obedience & communication
Build clear responses to familiar cues, controlled walking, stays and recall. Consistent communication provides the foundation for more specialized work.
Focus around distractions
Practice remaining attentive around other dogs, people, movement and everyday activity. The goal is a dog who can stay connected to the handler while the surroundings change.
Impulse control & settling
Develop waiting, calm settling and appropriate behavior during pauses in activity. These skills support a dog who can accompany their handler without disrupting the setting.
Public-setting manners
Prepare for controlled movement, waiting and calm behavior in different environments. Practice is planned around the dog’s readiness and applicable access rules.
Disability-related task skills
Private sessions develop the specific actions the dog will perform to assist the handler. The task plan is individualized and builds on the completed obedience stages.
Dog-and-handler teamwork
Teach you how to communicate, reinforce skills and maintain your dog’s work. A strong working relationship is developed through your own practice as well as professional training.
Why is advanced off-leash training part of your program?
Our advanced stage strengthens responsiveness and handler connection beyond basic leash guidance. It is a required foundation in our service-dog pathway.
Public-access leash rules still apply. The ADA generally requires a leash, harness or tether, with limited exceptions when it interferes with the task or cannot be used because of the disability; effective control is always required. See ADA guidance, Question 27.
What does a training day look like?
During the Board & Train stages, your dog follows an individualized routine built around their energy, attention and current training goals.
Focused training sessions
We work with your dog in multiple short sessions each day. Lessons reinforce the skills appropriate to their current stage, with timing and pace adjusted to the dog.
Practice between sessions
Managed daily routines create opportunities to reinforce attention, settling, impulse control and appropriate behavior outside formal lessons.
Rest & recovery
Rest between activities helps keep the work manageable and enjoyable. We watch for fatigue or frustration and adapt the day as your dog progresses.
Where does training take place?
The Board & Train stages take place at Heaven Sent K-9’s private five-acre ranch in Perris, Riverside County. Your dog stays with us while working through the foundation programs.
We welcome families from Orange County, Los Angeles County and the Inland Empire. Pickup and drop-off transportation may be arranged upon request, subject to availability. Private-session locations are arranged around the training plan.
Your role after board & train
A private lesson at pickup
Your Board & Train program includes a one-hour private lesson at pickup. We review the work completed, demonstrate the cues and handling, and show you how to continue practicing at home.
Your involvement is essential throughout the service-dog pathway. Continued practice helps the dog apply its training with you. Private task lessons build on that foundation and teach you how to maintain the work in daily life.
How many private task-training sessions will we need?
There is no set number that fits every dog. The number of sessions depends on the dog’s learning pace, the type and complexity of the tasks, consistency in different settings, and how much effective practice you do between appointments.
We review progress together and recommend the next steps. Completion depends on demonstrated skills and readiness, so we do not promise service-dog graduation after a fixed number of lessons.
How do evaluation and certification work?
At least one year old for our final assessment
Dogs must be at least one year old before receiving Heaven Sent K-9’s service-dog training-completion certificate. They must also finish the required training and pass our evaluation of obedience, appropriate behavior and the trained tasks relevant to the handler.
This minimum age is our program’s graduation policy. Foundation training can begin earlier when appropriate, but turning one does not automatically establish readiness.
What does your certificate document?
After successful completion, our certificate documents the training completed and that the dog-and-handler team passed Heaven Sent K-9’s assessment. It provides a professional record you can keep and choose to share.
It is a training-completion document, not a government-issued service-dog license or a guarantee of access or travel approval.
Does my dog legally need a service-dog certificate?
No certificate is required for service-animal public access under the ADA. The Department of Justice explains:
“Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal…”
U.S. Department of Justice · ADA FAQs, Question 17
ADA-covered businesses cannot make a training certificate a condition of entry. You may choose to share your record, but the dog’s trained work and behavior remain essential. The ADA also allows people with disabilities to train their own service dogs. Read the official ADA FAQs.
Dogs still in training do not have service-animal access rights under the ADA; separate state or local protections may apply. Training outings must follow the applicable rules. See Question 6.
Can a service dog fly domestically or internationally?
We have trained and evaluated many dogs whose handlers travel within the United States and internationally. We focus on the obedience, task work and behavior that support those teams.
Flights to, within and from the United States
Qualified service dogs can accompany eligible handlers under U.S. air-travel rules. Airlines may require the DOT Service Animal Air Transportation Form and, for flights of eight hours or more, a relief attestation. Safety, behavior and health requirements still apply; dogs still in training are not covered as service animals under these rules. Read the DOT’s service-animal travel guidance.
How can your training record help?
Our certificate records your dog’s completed training and assessment. The DOT form instructions ask for trainer contact details and allow airlines to verify training; they do not require a training certificate. Our documentation can help you keep that information organized, but it does not replace required airline forms or establish approval to fly.
International travel
Requirements depend on the airline, route and destination. Check service-dog recognition, animal-entry rules and required health documents before booking. Acceptance in the United States does not guarantee acceptance abroad, and our certificate does not override another country’s requirements. Review DOT advice for travel outside the United States.
Ready to build your service-dog partnership?
Tell us about your dog’s training history, the tasks you need and the time you can commit to practice. We will help you identify the right starting point within this pathway.
Starting your dog’s obedience foundation?
Begin with Basic Obedience Board & Train. Let us know that service-dog training is your long-term goal so we can discuss suitability and the stages ahead. You can request dates or start with a free enrollment call.
Already completed our Basic Obedience Board & Train?
Eligible service-dog candidates can move directly into Advanced Off-Leash Board & Train. No additional entry consultation is required for graduates of our basic program. Let us know your service-dog goals when requesting your next stay.
Did your dog learn basic obedience somewhere else?
A consultation is required before entering our advanced program. We assess your dog’s obedience, engagement, temperament and readiness, then determine whether the foundation meets our standards or needs further work.
Orange County consultation
Meet in person in Orange County to review your dog’s foundation and service-dog training goals.
$275 · 60 minutes
Perris ranch consultation
Visit our Perris facility for an assessment of your dog’s current skills and suitability.
$150 · 60 minutes
All Board & Train date requests are reviewed before approval. A free enrollment call offers program guidance and does not replace the required assessment for dogs trained elsewhere.