Paragon Service Dogs

10/12/2026

Team Training: Day 6! 🐾🚌

After two well-deserved days off, Melissa and Fortune are back and ready for some more advanced outings! One particular adventure required a little extra practice ahead of time.

The outing? The bus! 🚌

To prepare, we created a practice setup using chairs to mimic the limited space and seating on a bus. Buses can be a unique challenge for a service dog team—they can be busy, there may be only a short amount of time to find a seat, and space is often limited.

Melissa and Fortune practiced several different positioning options to find what worked best for them. Once they felt ready, it was time to take their skills on the road!

On the bus, there were already several passengers, so Melissa, Fortune, and Paragon trainer Leah quickly found a seat and tucked Fortune safely under Melissa’s legs. Great job, team! 💙

And just like in real life, the adventure didn’t end when they got off the bus. Melissa and Fortune walked back to the car, giving them another opportunity to practice their walking cues and skills along the way.

Every new experience is another step toward helping Melissa and Fortune become a confident, independent team! 🐕✨

10/09/2026

Team Training: Day 5! 🐾💙

It’s officially the end of the first week of team training! 🎉 Yesterday, Fortune got to spend his first night in the hotel with Melissa. After a quick outing to Walmart on Day 4, this team was ready to take on their biggest outing yet!
First, they practiced using a long line to give Fortune some exercise. This is an important skill that gives our clients confidence in having different ways to meet their dog’s physical and enrichment needs.

From there, they practiced a few sound alerts before heading out for the day.

First stop: lunch! 🍽️

As our clients quickly learn, every restaurant has a different setup, and finding a comfortable, out-of-the-way place for their service dog can look a little different at every table. Melissa and Fortune worked together beautifully, and we enjoyed a wonderful meal!

After a quick walk through downtown, the team made their final stop at the library. 📚 The library provides plenty of opportunities to practice working in a calm but varied environment. Melissa and Fortune worked on elevator safety, weaving through the shelves, and navigating the space around children.
After such a full and successful day, it’s time for two well-deserved days off! 🐕💙
We can’t wait to see what Week 2 brings for this team! ✨

10/07/2026

Team Training: Day 3! 🐾💙

The first week of team training is packed with classes focused on everything our clients need to know to care for, work with, and maintain the training of their service dogs.

Day 2 was all about Public Access—an essential part of becoming a successful service dog team. Our clients learn not only where they can go with their service dog, but also how to confidently navigate the many environments and situations they may encounter in their daily lives.

At the same time, clients begin learning and memorizing their dog’s many cues and putting them into practice. With repetition, patience, and teamwork, those cues become fluent behaviors for both the client and the dog.
Throughout team training, we recreate real-life experiences and visit places our clients are likely to encounter in their everyday routines. One common destination? The local park! 🌳

Melissa and Fortune practiced walking across a variety of surfaces, including concrete and grass. Grass can bring a few extra distractions for Fortune, but this team handled it beautifully! 🐕💙

Every outing is another opportunity for Melissa and Fortune to learn, grow, and become more confident working together.

Stay tuned for more of their team training journey! ✨

10/05/2026

Team Training: Day 1! 🐾💙

It’s team training time! This magical two-week experience is the final step in our service dogs’ training journey, when a client travels to our site to train alongside their new match. This team is Melissa and Fortune!

Day 1 was the first opportunity for Melissa and Fortune to spend some quality time together. For months, Fortune has been checking in, alerting, and focusing on his Paragon trainer, Leah. Now, the torch has been passed to Melissa!
In these early stages, it’s completely natural for there to be a little confusion about who to pay attention to. One of the best ways to build a new partnership? Have fun together! 💙

Melissa and Fortune started building their bond with a good old-fashioned game of fetch, an outdoor walk, and a few training sessions. Each activity is another opportunity for them to learn about one another, build trust, and begin working together as a team. Slowly, but surely Fortune’s focus will be all on Melissa.
We can’t wait to share more of their journey! Stay tuned to see how team training progresses! 🐕✨

09/23/2026

Way to go Atlas for spreading the International Day of Sign Languages!

It's and we want to celebrate our members across the world who raise, train and place Hearing Dogs. Our members are responsible for over 2,200 active hearing dog teams, helping to transform the lives of deaf people.

09/12/2026

Do you want to volunteer in a way that makes a huge impact, AND comes with a wagging tail and puppy breath?? 🐾💜

Paragon Service Dogs is looking for passionate volunteers to join our team! Whether you want to raise a future service dog puppy or support a dog currently in advanced training on weekends, we have opportunities for you to make a difference.

Puppy Raisers: Open your heart and home to a puppy in training for the first year of their life, learning how to socialize and train under the guidance of our trainers and staff, and play a vital role in empowering individuals with disabilities.

Puppy Socializers: Help socialize puppies in training by exposing them to various environments, sights, sounds, and new experiences to build their confidence, while raising them in your home until the puppy turns 16 weeks old.

Weekend Dog Companions (WDC): Provide a weekend home (Thursday afternoon – Monday morning) for a dog in our advanced training program, helping them reinforce their skills and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation.

Want to learn more about what’s involved and how you can get started? Join us for an upcoming Virtual Information Session!

📅 Date: Tuesday, September 29th, 2026

🕒 Time: 6:30pm

📍 Video Link: Join on Google Meet Link in Comments

Come learn more and see if volunteering with Paragon is the right fit for you. We can’t wait to meet you! 🐶✨

09/11/2026

Today, we remember 9/ 11, and the tragic events of that day.

We honor the victims, their families, the first responders, working dogs, and all those whose lives were forever changed by that day.

09/08/2026

Forest and Fortune got a special shipment! sent them a present, and they couldn’t be more excited!

Enrichment toys like these do more than keep our dogs entertained—they also help them learn how to settle, relax, and enjoy some downtime. Those are all vital skills for future service dogs! 🦮💙

Thank you, ! Now we just have to convince Forest and Fortune that they’re supposed to share with all the other dogs!

09/03/2026

Watch and see if Fortune can alert to the fire alarm in various places! To succeed, he must first nudge his handler to indicate a noise, then lie down to indicate the fire alarm. Is he up for the challenge?

08/26/2026

Happy International Dog Day! 🐾❤️

From our dogs in training to the loving companions who fill our homes, today we’re celebrating them all! Three cheers for the dogs who bring so much joy, love, and purpose to our lives.

How does your dog make you laugh?