Breeding

Service Dogs must have exceptional health, abilities, and temperaments. ECAD's founders, Dale and Lu Picard, have developed an outstanding breeding program, as well as a strong network within the industry. With the exception of some breeder donations, our dogs are Labrador and Golden Retrievers bred by ECAD for outstanding physical and mental health. We take pride in the fact that we have owned all of the female breeders from birth, and we only use studs from other Service Dog programs.

We carefully select females that have even tempers, good learners, and superior health to breed for ECAD.  Our males are confident, excellent health, with a sweet personality.  Each female will have no more than 4 litters in their lifetime and then go on to be exceptional ambassadors for us. On a yearly bases ECAD will whelp between 3 to 5 litters, all with the purpose of becoming Assistance Dogs.

Having our own breeding program helps to ensure the best possible puppies enter our training program. The puppies are whelped at our breeding center in Torrington, Connecticut by the Picard family. ECAD’s early education and socialization program stands the test of time.  Between our Puppy Nanny Program and early exposures to various noises, textures, and objects while still in the whelping box, ECAD has a 85% or better success rate. 

Training

Our program is unique because the pups get the best of both worlds – home and school – right from the start. We are big believers in early education!

Nursery Team

As early as eight weeks of age, the pups are ready to start their journey to become a Service Dog with their Nursery team. The nursery teams are loving people that open their homes and hearts for several months in order to expose their pup to traveling in vehicles, household activities, as well as parks, trails and any place a pet dog can go. Thanks to these amazing volunteers, these Service Dogs in training are begining their well rounded education.

ECADemy

Once the puppies are ready to leave their Nursery Team, they are welcomed into the ECADemy Program.

The ECADemy program: Intermediate Phase focuses on additional socialization of the Service Dogs in Training, visiting places pet dogs are not welcomed. For example, movies, resturants, malls, etc. By the end of the intermediate phase, each dog will have learned up to 60 commands that can be combined to perform even more tasks of daily living designed to help a person with a disability. 

The ECADemy program: Advanced Phase is all about customizing the Service Dog in Trainings skills to meet the clients individual needs. By the time the client comes for team training, each Service Dog has received up to 1500 hours of education and socialization.

ECAD's Canine Magic is a specialized program focused on providing Service Dogs to children with Autism. ECAD is one of the few accredited Service Dog providers which accepts children with Autism as young as two years old.

These dogs assist a child with Autism in areas of social, emotional, and cognitive development, but the dog's primary duty is to increase the child's physical safety by "anchoring". Anchoring is a method in which the dog wears a harness that is attached to the child's belt. The child also holds the harness and is taught to walk with the dog, but a third party facilitator (usually a parent or teacher) holds a second leash attached to the dog's collar. The parent can then give the dog a command to "stay" if the child becomes distracted, frustrated, or tries to bolt away, enabling the child to function well in situations that were previously impossible to handle.

Eligibility:

The caregiver and child must

• Be willing and able to travel to our training center in Connecticut for interviews and a 13-day Team Training.
• Demonstrate they can put into practice the information they have learned in Team Training.
• Develop a bond with their Service Dog and perform safely as a team in public.
• The child must be less than or equal to 70 pounds in weight.
• In need of a Service Dog to assist in activities of daily living due to some type of physical restriction.
• Accepting of his or her disability.
• Able to commit to uphold the training for the life of the dog.
• Able to show that he or she has the appropriate environment and resources to properly care for a dog.

Education:

Primary caregivers must attend a 13-day team training where they are educated through lectures, dog handling drills, and community field trips. Their child joins them for the last 3 to 4 days of training to create the integrated Team of three: caregiver as the primary handler, child and Service Dog. During Team Training, attendees have the option to stay on-site in shared lodging.

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ECAD's Project HEAL® honors and empowers Veterans with combat-related physical and/or psychiatric disabilities including amputees, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), by providing specifically educated Service Dogs for veterans to increase independence and make a positive difference in every aspect of their lives.

The specially trained Service Dogs for vets learn numerous specialty commands to aid Veterans including reminding them to take medications, sensing and warding off hyper-viligance, depression and anger, and offering non-judgemental companionship and unconditional love. Additional these specially educated dogs provide stability, mobility and retrieval assistance. 

Eligibility:

The applicant must be

• A Veteran with a service-connected physical and/or psychiatric disability.
• Willing to learn to incorporate and work with a Service Dog in all aspects of your life.
• Consistently attending therapy sessions and taking prescribed medications.
• Willing and able to travel to our Connecticut training center for interviews, Team Training, and yearly public access testing.
• In need of a Service Dog to assist in activities of daily living due to some type of physical restriction.
• Accepting of his or her disability.
• Able to commit to uphold the training for the life of the dog.
• Able to show that he or she has the appropriate environment and resources to properly care for a dog.

Education:

All participants are required to complete a thirteen-day Team Training, where they are taught commands, skills, and canine behavior through lectures, dog handling drills, and community field trips. During Team Training, attendees have the option to stay on-site in shared lodging.
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