ASA Service Dogs Inc.

ASA offers private, one-on-one training lessons for owner-trained assistance dogs, focusing on advanced obedience, public access skills, and customized tasks. Training typically requires 10–20+ lessons depending on the dog’s progress and the number of tasks needed. They also provide free educational courses via Skool and offer a video-recorded testing day to verify training for housing or travel purposes. Therapy dog training and certification are available through preparatory classes and testing.

Pricing Summary

Private training lessons cost $150 per 45-minute to 1-hour session. No package pricing is listed, but a questionnaire is offered for personalized feedback before committing to lessons.

ASA Service Dogs Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Plant City and Lakeland, Florida, that provides fully trained Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs, and Therapy Dogs. They also offer private owner training lessons for individuals who wish to train their own dogs for assistance roles, including advanced obedience, public access skills, task training, and medical odor alerting. Their training is led by Amanda Taulborg, a trainer with over 20 years of hands-on experience in assistance dog training, specializing in autism, PTSD, mobility, and medical alert tasks. ASA stands out by offering free educational programs like Read to the Dogs, volunteer opportunities, and a free online course through Skool for owner trainers. They do not certify or register dogs as service dogs but provide a video-recorded testing day as verification of training for housing, travel, or public access needs.

They serve clients across the United States and focus on personalized, goal-oriented training aligned with the handler’s specific disability needs. Their programs emphasize compassion, education, and community awareness, with a strong emphasis on ethical, positive training methods.

ASA also offers puppy raising and foster training programs, volunteer roles in events and social media, and supports literacy and disability awareness through community events.

Accomplishments

Amanda Taulborg, Training Director, has over 20 years of professional experience in assistance dog training, including specialized training in autism communication, medical odor alerting, scent detection, and aggression rehabilitation. She has apprenticed with renowned trainers worldwide and founded ASA Service Dogs in 2013. The organization provides free community programs like Read to the Dogs and supports literacy, disability awareness, and volunteer development.

How to Get Started!

Prospective clients must complete an online questionnaire to receive personalized feedback on whether their dog is a good candidate for assistance dog training. Afterward, they can schedule private lessons or apply for a trained assistance dog through the organization’s application portal.