Russell has been appointed by two consecutive Mayors, as a member & liaison of the Disability Access Committee (D.A.C.) for his service dog training and community leadership expertise. Russell offers therapy dog training, emotional support dog training, Canine Good Citizen, and service dog training for all in need.
Would you like your dog to go to hospitals, senior centers, and schools to help those in need benefit from your therapy dog? Training for our therapy dog certification will set you and your dog up for success.
Do you have a need for an ESA dog to be with you in your home? Do you need to travel with your emotional support dog to ease your anxiety, fear, or stress? If you need your ESA-trained dog to live with you in no dog allowed homes, apartment buildings and HOA’s, and your landlord or building won’t allow it, start emotional support dog training today.
Do you have a disability that requires the help of a dog to mitigate your disability and help you in life? There are several different kinds of service dogs, including guide dogs, hearing dogs, mobility dogs, seizure alert/response dogs, psychiatric service dogs (PSD), and autism dogs. There are also other types of dogs with jobs that help people, including therapy dogs and emotional support animals (ESA). Every person and service dog is unique, while service dogs are trained specifically to mitigate an individual’s disability, therapy dogs and emotional support dogs are not. Please visit our service dog training page and call if you have a specific disability that a service animal would help mitigate.
Russell has been awarded Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Evaluator and STAR Puppy Evaluator by the American Kennel Club (AKC) for decades. Although Fun Paw Care does not support the AKC, we train dogs to a high degree of proficiency to meet higher standards than their Canine Good Citizen certification test and evaluate and test them after they have been sufficiently trained. Setting a standard higher than being a CGC shows a commitment that you are a responsible pet guardian and that your pet exhibits exceptional manners, behavior, and is well trained.
The CGC and similar designated criteria are regarded by many pet professionals as the stepping stone to becoming a Therapy Dog or Service Dog.
If your dog passes, they will receive a CGC Title by Fun Paw Care’s Canine Good Citizen program and be a CGC dog and maybe on their way to becoming an obedience champion, ESA, Therapy Dog or Service Dog. Please see our more intense first-class therapy dog Boot Camp training for Los Angeles parents that want to focus on a specific behavior and training issue or who want to speed up their therapy dog training.
1 Hour – $295 & Up
(In addition to the one-hour session, you receive a detailed therapy dog training and behavior analysis plan with abundant supporting resources)
List of all recommended therapy dog, and pet products we use and recommend
Before taking the Canine Good Citizen test, parents will sign the Responsible Dog Parents Pledge. Being a responsible dog parent is an integral part of the CGC dog training test whereby parents agree to take care of their dog’s safety, health needs, exercise, training, and quality of life. In addition, parents show responsibility by doing things such as never letting dogs infringe on the rights of others and cleaning up after their dogs in public places.
Once the Responsible Dog Parent Pledge is signed, parents and their dogs are ready to take the dog training test. Items on the Canine Good Citizen Test include:
The dog trainer/evaluator inspects the dog to determine if it is groomed and clean. The dog must appear to be in healthy condition (i.e., clean, healthy, proper weight, and alert). The dog handler should supply the brush or comb commonly used on the dog. The dog trainer/evaluator then gently brushes or combs the dog. In a natural manner, the dog trainer/evaluator will gently examine the ears and gently lifts up each foot. It is not necessary for the dog to hold a specific position during the examination and the handler may praise the dog, talk to the dog, and give encouragement throughout the test.
The parent chooses the position for the stay. The handler may take a reasonable amount of time and use more than one cue to get the dog to sit and then down. The dog trainer/evaluator will determine if the dog has responded to the handler’s requests.
The handler may touch the dog to offer gentle guidance but may not force the dog into position. When instructed by the dog trainer/evaluator, the handler asks the dog to stay and walks forward the length of the 20 – foot line, turns, and returns to the dog at a natural pace. The dog must remain in the place in which it was left (it may change position) until the dog trainer/evaluator instructs the handler to release the dog. It is acceptable to release the dog from the front or the side.
Examples of distractions may include rolling a crate dolly past the dog, dropping a chair, dropping a cane or crutch, or having a jogger run in front of the dog. The dog should not show aggressiveness, bark, panic, or try to run away but may express natural interest and curiosity and/or may appear slightly startled. The handler may encourage and or praise the dog throughout the exercise or talk to the dog.
The dog does not have to stay in one position but should not continually whine, pace excessively, bark, or show anything other than mild agitation or nervousness. Dog trainers/evaluators may talk to the dog but should not engage in excessive petting, talking, or management attempts.
Although some non-aversive equipment may be effective and helpful to prevent your dog from pulling, your dog should be trained well enough to behave without any need for such devices.
Your dog deserves the best dog training LA offers.
Fun Paw Care is the only Certified Dog Behaviorist and Trainer-owned-and-operated private members-only luxury dog boarding, dog daycare and dog training Los Angeles school. With 30+ years of happy-dog experience, we train dogs (and thrill parents) in Malibu, Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Venice, Manhattan Beach, Westwood, Marina Del Rey, Calabasas, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Hollywood, Palos Verdes, San Fernando Valley, and elsewhere in Greater Los Angeles. Read on to see what makes us different, or contact Fun Paw Care today.
