Pilot Dog Training
Our three-phase training program creates strong, confident teams.
Phase 1: Puppy Raising
The puppy-raising phase is an essential part of the Pilot Dogs training program. Our crew of volunteer Co-Pilots provides housing, care, training (with our help!), and LOTS of love for our Pilot Puppies from the time they are around two months old until the age of about 18 months. Learn more about the Co-Pilot program
Phase 2:
Advanced Training
After the puppy-raising phase is complete, the dog works with our professional trainers for about five months. Throughout the training process, the dog learns how to navigate conditions that their future handler may encounter, including traffic, buses, revolving doors, escalators, and elevators, and more.
The goal of the advanced training phase is to shape a confident Pilot Dog who can safely guide their handler through daily life.
Phase 3: Team Training
In the final phase, students complete an onsite residential training program. Students who are getting their first Pilot Dog will spend three weeks at our campus, and students who have already had a Pilot Dog will stay for two weeks.
When a student arrives to start their training program, they immediately begin to take care of their dog, performing tasks including bathing and short, simple walks with our trainers. Walks and obstacles become increasingly challenging over the following weeks until the team can find their way around stores, onto and off of buses, and across busy streets together. Learn more about the student residential experience