Puppy Programs
Choose How Far Your Puppy Goes With HSD
Every HSD puppy begins with the same commitment to health, temperament, and a strong foundation.
You choose how long your puppy remains in professional training before coming home.
The longer your puppy trains with HSD, the more time we have to develop skills, maturity, public-access experience, and service dog task foundations.
Puppy Programs
Program Age at Go-Home Price
Puppy 8 weeks $4,900
Foundation 12 weeks $8,500
Building Blocks 16 weeks $11,500
Started Service Dog 6 months $19,500
Started Service Dog & More 9 months $29,000
Service Dog in Training 1 year $38,000
Service Dog 2 years $75,000
All program prices include the price of the HSD puppy.
What Changes as Your Puppy Grows?
8 Weeks — Puppy
Your puppy has an early foundation and goes home with you to continue training.
The foundation starts:
Potty and crate training
Early socialization
Proprioception and body awareness
Grooming exposure
Clicker introduction
Basic engagement and communication
Your Puppy Goes Home With
Health certificate
Age-appropriate vaccinations
Microchip
Limited AKC registration
Service Dog Success online course
$4,900
12 Weeks — Foundation
Your puppy remains with HSD for additional foundational training focused on engagement, communication, impulse control, and problem-solving.
Training starts:
Lure-and-reward training
Name and attention
Auto-focus on handler
Touch
Sit, down, and come
Recall foundations
Structured play
Retrieve foundations
Physical and mental development
Your Program Includes
Additional professional training
Select training equipment
6 months of access to the HSD online training school
Additional puppy training sessions
Hands-on go-home training
$8,500
16 Weeks — Building Blocks
At 16 weeks, we build on the foundation and introduce more advanced skills, increased distractions, and the building blocks that will eventually support service dog work.
Training may include:
Targeting
Find-it and scent games
Focus on handler
Heel foundations
Paws up and off
Proprioception
Retrieve foundations
Continued structured play and problem-solving
Your Program Includes
Additional professional training
Select training equipment
6 months of access to the HSD online training school
Additional puppy training sessions
Hands-on go-home training
$11,500
6 Months — Started Service Dog
At six months, your puppy begins transitioning from foundation work into service dog training.
Training expands to introduce:
Public-access foundations
Real-world outings
Leash and heel work
Place and stay
Distraction training
Individualized task foundations
Handler advocacy and public-access skills
Your puppy will be started on at least one service dog task, depending on their development, temperament, abilities, and the needs of the future handler.
Additional Milestones
Dogs in this program may earn or complete appropriate AKC titles and assessments as part of their development.
A six-month-old dog is still young and still developing. Continued training and maturity are essential after placement.
Your Program Includes
Professional service dog training
Select training equipment
12 months of access to the HSD online training school
Continued training sessions
Hands-on go-home training
$19,500
LEARN MORE ABOUT STARTED SERVICE DOG
9 Months — Started Service Dog & More
Three additional months can make a meaningful difference in a young dog's maturity and development.
Your dog receives:
Additional public-access experience
More advanced obedience
Continued socialization and exposure
Continued task training
Greater reliability around distractions
More professional training before going home
The dog's training continues to be individualized based on temperament, development, abilities, and the future handler's needs.
$29,000
1 Year — Service Dog in Training
At one year, your dog has received substantial professional training and has had significantly more time to mature.
However, a one-year-old dog is still a service dog in training.
Training includes:
Advanced public-access work
Continued task development
Real-world environments and distractions
Continued socialization
Team training
Individualized service dog tasks
Your dog will have at least three service dog tasks started, with training based on your disability-related needs and your dog's abilities.
Milestones
The program includes preparation for appropriate AKC titles and the HSD Public Access Assessment.
Your Commitment
The longer programs require hands-on participation.
You will need to travel to HSD for scheduled training visits so that we can work with you and your dog together.
$38,000
2 Years — Service Dog
Our Most Comprehensive Training Program
Two years gives us significantly more time to develop maturity, reliability, public-access skills, problem-solving, and individualized task work.
By placement, your dog will have:
Extensive public-access experience
Completed the HSD Public Access Assessment
Completed appropriate AKC training titles
At least three developed service dog tasks
Extensive professional training
Individualized task training based on your needs
Significant hands-on training with you
Training the Team
We don't simply train a dog and hand them over.
We train the team.
The two-year program requires regular visits to HSD and substantial hands-on training before go-home.
You should plan on:
At least 2 visits per year
Hands-on training with HSD
A 14–30+ day go-home/training period
Continued training after placement
$75,000
Training Doesn't End at Go-Home
No matter which program you choose, bringing your dog home is not the end of training.
It is the beginning of your life together.
Your dog's skills will need to be reinforced and developed as your partnership grows.
The longer your dog trains with HSD, the more foundation and professional development they receive before coming home—but every service dog team requires continued training and teamwork after placement.
Which Program Is Right for You?
The right program depends on:
Your experience with dogs and training
How much hands-on training you want to do yourself
Your timeline
Your disability-related needs
Your ability to travel to HSD
How much professional training you want completed before your dog comes home
If you're not sure which program is right for you, we're happy to help.
Ready to apply?