Reviews and Testimonials
Read some reviews and testimonials from our owner/trainers:
The greatest feeling!
I was nervous at first doing training online but these courses are laid out so well and the support that I received from Zan was beyond what I ever imagined! The courses are detailed and well explained and there are links for YouTube videos that are made from home to show hands on as well if you need a visual guidance. The responses and time that has been put in to answering questions was phenomenal on top of all the work already put in to the individual courses! I started with my own personal dog who knew sit when he felt like it and now I feel so confident in not only his ability to do the commands but our bond as well from all the time spent in the training! At the end of the Foundational Obedience course both I and my dog were presented with certificates of completion and honestly that was the greatest feeling and I can’t wait to see where the rest of our training with ELLAS Animals can take us!
Recommended it to two of my service dog friends!
I had been primarily relying on YouTube to teach me new tasks and what is expected of a service dog but it is way more helpful to have this program to teach individual things and lay out how the dog should do each item. . . . I really appreciate the Google sheet that is used to lay out course completion. It is very clear and shows you what you need to work on and Zan is very responsive to filling in the items once you have completed and submitted them. I so far have not used much support that is available to me because I have not struggled much and the course descriptions are very thorough but now that I am working on tasks and work I may use that more as I have already taught a whole bunch but they likely need polishing in public access. The training verification letter and dog certificate are quite adorable and I have them printed out and posted on my wall. . . . Overall I love this program and have recommended it to two of my service dog friends and will hopefully be able to train a service dog for another person through this program.
Sofia Porter Bacon, Florida and Pennsylvania, successfully completed ELLAS Animals INC’s entire service dog training program with Ronan
We rarely have any accidents in the house now!
The course was really helpful for me especially with potty training as that is what we’ve been struggling with the most. I tried a bunch of different ways to potty train Zero before doing this course, but nothing seemed to work as well as this one! We rarely have any accidents in the house now!
I loved the Puppy Basics course!
I loved the puppy basics course! There was a lot of information that was very helpful that I would never have thought of needing. I think it was well done and will definitely give trainers a great start with their new puppy.
Fun and so helpful!
The Puppy Basics Course is one of the most helpful guides to bringing home a puppy I’ve ever used. The lessons are clear and not only easy to read but fun and so helpful! The quizzes are a good way to remember key points of each lessons, and the advice given has already made my puppy’s transition home so much easier. I find myself referring to the lessons constantly as I raise my pup!
Like we were working with a trainer in the same room!
We started training with ELLAS Animals Inc. at the beginning of 2022. Koda and I have been able to learn and grow so much as a service dog team thanks to ELLAS’ help. The whole program is broken up into three different courses: basic obedience, public access, and then work/tasks. This allowed us to move in a smooth chronological order, keeping us focused without taking on a command we weren’t ready for. Each part of the program has several commands that the team can work on and even a few non-commands that are useful like socialization and moving floors. They’re set up so that you can learn new skills when you’re ready, and keep working on mastering older ones. It really let us continue to learn and make sure that no one got burnt out from one skill constantly. The courses are set up with both reading materials and links to videos too! It was super helpful to us to have access to both a reading and visual way to learn each command. The course materials have a lot of information in each section that is easy to follow, and with enough detail to understand what we were doing. I also really appreciate that ELLAS really took the time to answer any questions we had, or provide more personalized training tips for us. Koda and I had done a little obedience work before starting at ELLAS, so we needed to focus more on shaping certain commands while starting from the beginning on others. The ELLAS team was always willing to communicate, clarify, or give tips to the questions we had. It was like we were working with a trainer in the same room! We absolutely loved working with them.
The Puppy Basics Course has given me so much confidence!
For the past few years I have been looking into getting a service dog for my POTS but it’s so expensive and next to impossible to find a trainer anywhere close to where I live. I haven’t even picked up my puppy yet but the Puppy Basics Course has given me so much confidence and I can’t wait to continue working with ELLAS!
Individual help for our particular needs
After bringing home our golden doodle from the rescue organization, I felt more than a little overwhelmed at the idea of training him. Fortunately, the Foundational Obedience course offered by ELLAS Animals, INC was incredibly easy to implement. The lessons were well written and included helpful video demonstrations showing how to train our dog. The quizzes that accompany each lesson pointed to the important points to master for each command. The best part of the course was the email correspondence. I was able to get individual help for our particular needs as they arose. Our training mentor was very quick to respond and offered thorough explanations and lots of encouragement to help us through the obstacles we encountered along the way. I’m excited to continue training with the Public Access course and recommend the ELLAS Animals courses for anyone hoping to train their furry friends.
Our bond has become stronger by doing this together
Maverick and I have enjoyed the freedom and ability to train together; I feel our bond has become stronger by doing this together. We could follow the course material easily, and Zan always was an email away if we had questions. I have enjoyed becoming a dog trainer, which has opened many possibilities for me; I am currently working on starting a dog training business to help others succeed with their dog. I cannot wait to receive my task and work certificate; that way, I can genuinely train service dogs to give to other people. I am glad to have found this program when I did, so I wouldn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for my dog to become a service dog. I would retake this program if I had a chance.
The most comprehensive
I have taken many training courses over the years and can tell you this was one of the most comprehensive courses out there. The follow up quiz at the end was an excellent way to confirm you absorbed the information. I can’t wait to take the next course in the series.
Susan Aimes, Stars and Stripes Dog Rescue, California
We now have a method and an easy way to follow it!
Hello, my name is Sophie, I live in Italy and I have a psychiatric service dog named Rose. I was lost training her myself because I couldn’t find the right way to do so. Due to my illness, organizing such a big thing as training a Service dog is a hard task. We now have a method and an easy way to follow it! What I loved about it was that I could listen to the lesson instead of only reading them. The videos kept me always engaged and the quizzes were easy and fun to take. Easy to follow. It works for real and Zan is very quick at answering any question you may have! What can I say? It’s great and makes my life easier and more organized. It makes me want to train my dog everyday and we both enjoy it a lot! Thank you! Greetings from Italy!
I can reach out with questions and receive a prompt personal response
I loved Ellas Animals INC’s Puppy Basics, it was a great course! Having a new puppy is so overwhelming, it really helped to follow a straightforward course. I made frequent use of the spreadsheets for puppy schedule and potty training. The most valuable part of the course was being able to reach out for help via email when I needed to adapt training methods to stay effective when my physical disability prevented me from using conventional means.
After Puppy Basics, we moved on to Foundational Obedience, which we recently completed! It was very valuable to work at a pace that made sense for us. Again, I was making heavy use of course materials: Reading and re-reading lessons, watching and re-watching the YouTube videos, checking the command glossary and reaching out with questions. It was worth every moment of hard work when we received our certificate of completion!
We are currently nearing the end of the Public Access course and feeling great about our service dog journey. It hasn’t been easy, but I have felt supported knowing I can reach out with questions and receive a prompt personal response. I love the wealth of resources available to me in these courses. It’s obvious how much this organization cares about the whole team, trainer and dog.
A lifetime of lessons for both owner and dog and deepens the bond between them
Training for a service dog can be very cost prohibitive, requiring either a dog being sent away to a trainer or an extensive wait list for a trained dog. Few organizations offer owner trained programs and I’m glad I found ELLAS Animals INC. They hold true to their mission of reducing the cost and wait time for a service dog for people who need them. Their training programs follow international assistance dog training standards, are easy to follow and most importantly affordable. They teach owners to train their own pets for their specific needs, creating a lifetime of lessons for both owner and dog and deepens the bond between them. As an owner trainer, you have to hold yourself accountable and follow the program with integrity for you and your dog to benefit, but it is worth the time and effort it takes. Thank you Zan for always being responsive, encouraging, and supportive. We are so grateful to you and your organization and would recommend your program without hesitation.
Distance is not a barrier when it comes to providing exceptional service dog training
Earlier this year I decided to devote the time to training my 3 year old Pomeranian, Gertrude, to be a service dog. It was hard to know what organization to choose and whether we should try an online program or in-person. After some research, I came across ELLAS Animals, Inc and decided to enroll. I couldn’t be more pleased with the program. It provided me with a clear structure that was simple to follow, and all of the requirements were explained in detail with video support. Anytime I have had questions or needed support, my trainer Zan responded quickly with thoughtful and thorough feedback and guidance. Despite my initial reservations about online training, ELLAS Animals proved that distance is not a barrier when it comes to providing exceptional service dog training.
The trainers at ELLAS Animals are undoubtedly experts in their field. Despite being online, their passion for service dog training and dedication to their craft shone through. I felt like Zan provided me with the tools and structure I needed to be successful with my dog. The online training curriculum was comprehensive and well-structured, covering everything from basic obedience commands to specialized tasks specific to service dog needs.
Suzanne Antigone Fernandez, Illinois
Dogs/handlers who complete this program are certainly going to be amazing service teams because of this work
As a dog trainer, I hear from many individuals that want to train their own service dog but simply don’t have access to a trainer in their area. I decided to utilize ELLAS myself for a dedicated recipient to determine if this would be a program that I could recommend when I hear from owners in remote areas with no trainers available or those who simply want to train their own dog. I can whole heartedly say that I will 100% recommend the ELLAS program! The lessons were easy to understand and follow and also provide video resources. Owners/trainers submit video of themselves as well for feedback as needed. ELLAS is an amazing program and dogs/handlers who complete this program are certainly going to be amazing service teams because of this work. Working with ELLAS has been a wonderful experience and I will highly recommend them to any owner or trainer that is working with a potential service dog. If a trainer has any questions, ELLAS is quick to respond with input and feedback as well as suggestions when needed. I highly recommend this program for any owner who is wanting to train their own service dog as well as any potential trainers who are training for a dedicated recipient.
Mandie Sanderman, Iowa, successfully completed ELLAS Animals INC’s entire service dog training program with Skye
Crafted in a thoughtful manner with accessibility a key component
Not only would I recommend this program to others, I have been recommending it because I have been happy with the way it allows me to have control over how to train while also being set up to work like modules of an online course, meaning you work at a pace you feel comfortable with and your dog is accepting of. The program is crafted in a thoughtful manner with accessibility a key component as a student of the lessons can either listen, and or read the topic(s) because each lesson is constructed so one can see how a command is broken down into stages of learning for the dog and how the human can go about training said behavior (all with videos for assistance). I have been extremely pleased with my personal experience so far training under the ELLAS Animals INC program. There is a primary puppy basics which helps set someone up for how the course will work. The next two training sections include multiples lessons each varying in length, and every lesson asks the student to seek help if needed, which is a great reminder that does not feel pushy or informal.