DYLAN'S STORY

Owner, Head Trainer, CCDT

I'm known as Dylan Thunderbolt (he/him), and I am currently 26. I've been in the service dog community since 2017. I've always had a passion for all things dogs and being a leader. I was set to graduate with my BA in film directing in 2019 with the help of my first service dog, Scout. I got her from a program that didn't have the training knowledge I expected and they left me hanging with an untrained dog. I had to finish training Scout on my own and was forced to learn the realities of owner training: it is frustrating, it can break you, and it will drain you. 

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The unfortunate experience of dealing with a fraudulent service dog training program left me driven to discover my own solutions to properly train service dogs. I committed to researching the best available techniques to incorporate into service dog training, which further confirmed that the methods I’d seen from other trainers were more destructive than productive. 

I now seek to use the knowledge I’ve gained through years of study to help those who were in the position I found myself in when I needed that help. In addition to service dog knowledge, in terms of disabilities, I have a great deal of experience. Our program provides a unique experience because both myself and my co-trainer understand the hardships of being disabled.