Your questions, answered

Duo Dogs is a multifaceted 501(c)3 nonprofit service organization building extraordinary bonds between people and dogs that cultivate positive mental health and physical well-being for individuals, families and communities. Duo breeds, trains and places Assistance Dogs that provide courage and independence to people who have physical and hearing challenges, Veterans living with PTSD and facilities that serve vulnerable populations. In addition, Duo certifies volunteers and their dogs as Duo Touch Therapy™ Teams to visit partner facilities like hospitals and schools throughout the St. Louis community.

The most impactful ways to support Duo Dogs include attending Duo’s fundraising events, becoming a financial supporter and an active Duo Volunteer. Click here to see ways to give and click here to view volunteer opportunities.

An Assistance Dog is specially trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability and is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). These dogs have full public access rights. A Therapy Dog may be a personal dog that has received training or certification to provide comfort to people in settings like hospitals or schools. These dogs do not fall under the protection of ADA and have no public access rights. An Emotional Support Dog offers comfort to one person through companionship with no specialized training. These dogs do not fall under the protection of ADA and have no public access rights.

When a crisis occurs in our community, Duo Dogs can help bring comfort and serenity to the people who need it most. The Duo Response Dog program is a crisis response initiative that sends specially trained Duo Touch Therapy™ teams (handlers and dogs) at no cost to schools, organizations and businesses that have been impacted by an acute crisis or traumatic event. Visit our Duo Response Team page for additional information and to submit a request.

Duo Dogs offers various volunteer opportunities! Learn more about our volunteer program and how to apply by clicking here.

Duo Dogs employs certified professional dog trainers that use humane, evidence-based, positive reinforcement training methods that prioritize dog welfare, safety, and education. Positive reinforcement training is an effective way to teach your dog new skills and reinforce desirable behavior. Endorsed by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior and The Association of Professional Dog Trainers, positive reinforcement will help you achieve lasting results while building a trusting relationship with your dog.

Duo Dogs trains Mobility, Hearing, and PTSD dogs for Veterans as well as Facility dogs.

Duo Dogs does not pass the cost of breeding and training onto the Assistance or Facility Dog applicant, allowing us to place our dogs at no cost. There is a $100 application fee for an Assistance Dog or a $200 application fee for a Facility Dog, paid when submitting an application. At the time of placement, the client will need to purchase an equipment kit with all of the supplies needed for the Assistance or Facility dog. The cost is approximately $400-$900, depending on the equipment needed. Applicants are responsible for the $37 background check fee for themselves and their families when applicable. This fee is paid directly to our third-party vendor.

Duo Dogs has their own breeding program as well as relationships with specific and vetted breeders. As these are working dogs, Duo Dogs requires temperament testing, medical history and substantial medical clearances on each canine to ensure they are appropriate for the program and able to handle the tasks for which they are trained.

Duo Dogs uses Labrador Retrievers because of their size, instinct to retrieve and willingness to please people.

To qualify for an Assistance Dog, applicants must be a minimum of 18 years old.

No. The dogs trained by Duo Dogs are trained to help people with physical disabilities as well as people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Duo Dogs does not place any type of medical alert or medical response dogs. Visit www.assistancedogsinternational.org for a list of accredited Assistance Dog organizations who may be able to serve you.

Duo Dogs trains PTSD Assistance Dogs for Veterans living within 120 miles of St. Louis. If you are living outside this area or are a nonveteran, visit www.assistancedogsinternational.org for a list of accredited Assistance Dog organizations who may be able to serve you

No. Duo Dogs will only certify dogs that have been trained through the organization.

Duo Dogs serves applicants seeking Hearing dogs or Facility dogs nationwide. Mobility dogs and PTSD dogs are placed with applicants who live within 120 miles of the Duo Dogs facility (one-way).

There is no definite wait time. Duo Dogs recommends the sooner the potential client can return the application packet with all supporting materials, the faster the approval and placement processes will move.

Duo Dogs does take donated dogs on occasion with proper health clearances and medical history. The dog must also pass a temperament evaluation to ensure it is appropriate for the program.

Duo Touch Therapy™ program requirements:

• The handler(s) must be 18 years old.
• The handler(s) must pass a background check.
• The dog must be between 2 and 10 years old.
• The handler must have had the dog in their possession for at least one year.
• The dog must never have received any aggression or protection training.
• The dog must be current on vaccinations including rabies, distemper/parvo and Bordetella.
• The dog must have completed an adult group obedience course with you as the handler.
• The dog must pass a temperament evaluation prior to enrolling in classes.

To qualify for the program, you must first provide proof of taking an adult group obedience class with your dog. This group class may be taken at any training facility, including Duo. Puppy class, board and train and/or 1:1 instruction does not meet this requirement.

Step-by-Step Certification Process:

1. Basic Obedience Class (6 Weeks – $200)
Before entering the Touch Therapy program, your dog must complete an adult group obedience class. This can be taken through Duo or another training provider. Please note: Puppy classes, board-and-train and private instruction do not fulfill this requirement. If you have taken a group obedience class elsewhere, please provide documentation of completion.

2. Touch Prep Class (6 Weeks – $250)
Touch Prep ensures all applicants are familiar with Duo’s training methodology before entering Touch Therapy. Classes are offered every 7–8 weeks.

3. Touch Therapy Training (12 Weeks – $400)
Training sessions are offered three times per year in January–March, April–June and September–November.

After successfully passing a temperament evaluation (20 minutes), you’ll be eligible to enroll in Touch Therapy training. This course includes: Weekly 2-hour classes for 12 weeks; all required program equipment and materials; volunteer application processing and orientation.

As part of the volunteer process, applicants are required to obtain a background check for a non-refundable fee of $37. You will receive information on how to complete the background check on the first day of class.

No. In order for Duo Dogs to maintain a safe environment for our dogs, staff and volunteers, our Touch Therapy teams are limited to working up to two hours at a time, and they are only allowed to visit Duo-approved and contracted sites. Visits to facilities not covered by a written agreement with Duo are not allowed. Volunteers may not take their dogs to work and use them as therapy dogs at their place of employment, such as teachers, therapists, doctors, or psychologists. They would not be covered by Duo’s general liability insurance policy because compensation is being granted to them for the dog’s work.

No. Duo Dogs does not provide home-visiting services. The Duo Touch Therapy™ program involves volunteers and their personal dogs that are trained and certified through Duo Dogs to visit hospitals and clinics, assisted living facilities and hospice homes, rehabilitation and treatment centers, schools and libraries in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Our volunteer teams are not certified to visit individuals at their private residences or facilities not covered by an agreement with Duo.

For more information regarding other organizations that may provide in-home visits, please visit The American Kennel Club website.

No. The Duo Touch Therapy™ program is made up of volunteers and their personal dogs that are trained at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri and certified to visit Duo-approved facilities in our local community. For more information regarding organizations in other states, please visit The American Kennel Club website.

No. The Duo Touch Therapy™ program involves Duo volunteers and their personal dogs that are trained and certified to visit hospitals, assisted living homes, hospice, treatment centers, and residential facilities in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Duo Touch Therapy™ teams also visit local schools and libraries participating in our Paws for Reading program, designed to help young people by using dogs as an incentive to read. As these programs are volunteer based, there is no cost to facilities receiving visits from Duo Touch Therapy™ teams.

Duo’s 6-week puppy and basic class sessions are $200 and specialty class sessions are $250, with payment due at the time of registration. All class fees are non-refundable.

Proof of canine vaccinations for Rabies, Parvo/Distemper combo and Bordetella are required and must be submitted prior to class. Puppies (12-16 weeks) are welcome in class as long as they have had their first round of vaccinations and are scheduled to receive required boosters at the veterinarian.

Classes are held at Duo Dogs’ facility in the Multi-Purpose Room at 10955 Linpage Place, St. Louis, MO 63132. Upon arrival, please use the ‘Yorba Entrance’ and enter through the first side door along the street/sidewalk on Linpage.

Obedience classes meet for one hour per week for 6 consecutive weeks.