Ironclad Alliance Service Dog Program, a subsidiary of FORTIS Canine LLC, is a structured owner-trainer program for qualified service dog teams. We specialize in foundational obedience, public access skills, psychiatric task development, and real-world team coaching. Our program is built for handlers who are ready to train their own dog with professional guidance, clear standards, and honest evaluation.

This is not a certification mill and not a shortcut. We help you build a working team through a phased training system focused on reliability, safety, and functional task performance.

Ironclad Alliance Service Dog Program is a mission-based subsidiary of FORTIS Canine LLC. We help qualified handlers develop reliable service dog teams through a structured owner-trainer model. This program is designed for people who need a task-trained service dog and are ready to do the daily work required to build one under professional guidance.

Our focus is on strong foundations, clear standards, public access readiness, and disability-related task training. We do not offer shortcuts, fake certification, or “done-for-you” service dogs. We coach the handler to train and maintain their own dog while we guide the process step by step.

Who This Program Is For

Ironclad Alliance is designed for:

• Veterans and civilians with qualifying disabilities
• Individuals seeking a psychiatric service dog, especially for PTSD, anxiety, or MST-related trauma
• Handlers who want professional guidance while training their own dog
• Teams willing to commit to structured homework, logs, and regular coaching
• Dogs with the temperament, health, and stability needed for service work

What This Program Does

This program helps qualified teams develop:

• Foundational obedience and neutrality
• Public access skills
• Task training related to the handler’s disability
• Real-world reliability through structured proofing
• Handler confidence, consistency, and long-term maintenance skills

What Makes Our Program Different

Most people do not fail because they care too little. They fail because they do not have a clear system. Ironclad Alliance provides:

• A phased owner-trainer curriculum
• Coaching tailored to the handler’s disability-related needs
• Screening for both dog and handler suitability
• Public access preparation
• Task training support
• Clear benchmarks and written homework
• A professional, ethical standard without inflated claims

What We Do Not Offer

To keep the program honest and defensible, we do not offer:

• Service dog certification or registration
• Guarantees that every dog will complete the program
• Legal representation or ADA letters
• Emotional support animal training marketed as service work
• Placement of fully trained service dogs
• Unlimited access or open-ended timelines

Program Format

Ironclad Alliance is a structured coaching program where the handler trains their own dog under supervision.

Standard Program Length:

• 9 months

Possible Extension:

• Up to 12 months, if approved

Format Includes:

• Private coaching sessions
• Public access field sessions
• Written homework
• Training logs and progress tracking
• Task development support
• Mock evaluations and readiness reviews

Session Length:

• Most sessions are 60 minutes
• Field or advanced sessions may run 60–75 minutes

Program Eligibility

Admission is not automatic. Each team must be screened for fit.

Handler Requirements

• A legitimate disability-related need for a task-trained service dog
• Ability to participate consistently
• Willingness to complete homework between sessions
• Ability to care for the dog physically, financially, and practically
• Commitment to working within program policies and timelines

Dog Requirements

• Appropriate temperament for service work
• Stable around normal environments, people, and mild distractions
• No bite history
• Physically sound for the intended work
• Capable of learning, recovering from stress, and working in public

Not every dog is a service dog candidate. If a dog is not suitable, we will say so clearly and recommend the next best path.

Program Syllabus

Below is the general syllabus for the Ironclad Alliance Service Dog Program. Every team follows the same core structure, with task work and proofing adjusted to the individual handler’s needs.

Phase 1: Intake, Screening, and Foundation

Timeline: Months 1–3

This phase builds the base for the entire program. We assess the dog, screen the handler’s readiness, establish training structure, and begin the core skills every future service dog team needs.

Focus Areas

• Dog temperament and service dog suitability screening
• Handler intake and goal setting
• Foundational obedience
• Engagement and reinforcement systems
• Neutrality around people, dogs, and routine distractions
• Handling skills for the owner-trainer
• Introductory logging and progress tracking

Skills Introduced

• Marker system and reward timing
• Sit, down, stand, place, recall
• Loose leash walking and heel foundations
• Door manners
• Settle on place
• Calm handling and equipment acceptance
• Default attention and check-ins

Client Goals for This Phase

• Learn how to train clearly and consistently
• Build a daily routine for practice
• Develop reliable foundation behaviors
• Confirm whether the dog is suitable to continue

Phase 2: Task Training and Controlled Public Access

Timeline: Months 4–6

This phase introduces disability-related task work while beginning structured public access training in controlled environments. The dog learns not just to behave well, but to perform useful trained work tied to the handler’s needs.

Focus Areas

• Psychiatric task development
• Controlled public access training
• Structured exposure to real-life environments
• Handler timing, cue clarity, and reinforcement
• Proofing obedience under distraction
• Building calm, functional team movement in public

Task Examples

Task work is individualized, but may include:

• Deep pressure therapy
• Grounding nudges
• Interruption of escalating behaviors
• Guide-to-exit patterns
• Retrieve of a named item
• Nightmare interruption, where appropriate
• Tactile interruption and redirection

Public Access Skills Introduced

• Entering and exiting buildings calmly
• Walking past people and dogs neutrally
• Settling in waiting areas or under tables
• Ignoring food, noise, and movement distractions
• Controlled leash handling in public spaces
• Maintaining focus through transitions

Client Goals for This Phase

• Develop at least 1–2 useful disability-related tasks
• Improve reliability in moderate-distraction settings
• Strengthen handler confidence in public work
• Build consistency between sessions and home practice

Phase 3: Public Access Integration and Team Independence

Timeline: Months 7–9

This phase brings everything together. Tasks, obedience, and public behavior are merged into real-world handling scenarios so the team can function with greater independence and consistency.

Focus Areas

• Real-world outing practice
• Task proofing in multiple environments
• Public access polishing
• Functional scenario training
• Team evaluation and maintenance planning

Real-World Applications

• Store-style environments
• Waiting rooms and lobby spaces
• Parking lots and transitions
• Narrow aisles and public foot traffic
• Controlled distraction scenarios
• Long-duration settles

Client Goals for This Phase

• Work more independently as a team
• Demonstrate task reliability across environments
• Meet program standards for public access behavior
• Leave with a maintenance plan for continued success

Optional Maintenance Extension

Timeline: Months 10–12, if approved

Some teams benefit from a short extension for extra proofing, polishing, or transition support. This is not automatic and is offered only when it supports a realistic final outcome.

May Be Used For

• Additional public access proofing
• Task polishing
• Transition into more demanding environments
• Maintenance planning and troubleshooting

What Clients Can Expect

Clients in this program can expect:

• Clear coaching and honest evaluations
• Written homework after sessions
• Professional feedback without false reassurance
• A structured path from foundation to advanced team work
• Real standards for both dog and handler
• A program designed around progress, not hype

What We Expect From Clients

To succeed in this program, clients must:

• Practice regularly between sessions
• Keep training logs as instructed
• Follow safety and management rules
• Be open to feedback and course correction
• Accept that not every dog will be suitable for service work
• Understand that reliability comes from repetition, not enrollment

Program Outcomes

The goal of Ironclad Alliance is to help teams develop toward:

• Safe, stable public behavior
• Reliable disability-related task performance
• Increased handler confidence and independence
• Stronger day-to-day functioning
• Clear standards for continued maintenance

Completion of the program means the team has progressed through our curriculum and assessment process. It does not mean the team is “certified,” “registered,” or guaranteed public access in every circumstance.

Closing Contractual Statement

Ironclad Alliance Service Dog Program is a pilot mission program operating under FORTIS Canine LLC and is not currently a nonprofit entity. Participation in this program is limited, conditional, and subject to successful completion of all intake, screening, temperament, health, and handler suitability protocols.

To be considered for entry into the Ironclad Alliance Service Dog Program using a personally owned dog, the client must first complete the required foundation training pathway through FORTIS Canine LLC. This includes enrollment in and payment for the applicable Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced Obedience training phases, as determined by FORTIS Canine LLC based on the dog’s starting level, training history, temperament, and suitability for service work.

This required training pathway serves as the client’s demonstrated commitment to the process and allows FORTIS Canine LLC to evaluate:

• the dog’s temperament, stability, recovery, and public working potential
• the handler’s consistency, follow-through, and training mechanics
• the team’s ability to meet program standards for obedience, neutrality, public behavior, and task-training readiness

Progression into the service dog development phase is not automatic and is granted only when the client and dog have successfully met program benchmarks and passed all required screening protocols. These benchmarks include, but are not limited to:

• completion of assigned training phases
• consistent attendance and homework compliance
• demonstrated handler understanding of training mechanics and program expectations
• dog performance that meets foundation, socialization, and public behavior standards
• suitability for continued service dog task development as determined solely by FORTIS Canine LLC

Once the client’s commitment has been validated and the dog has been approved to continue into the service dog development phase, the remaining task training phase and extended socialization/public access phase will be provided at a reduced cost-recovery rate of $1.00 per mile, round trip, for travel only. No additional labor fees will be charged by FORTIS Canine LLC for these phases under the pilot program unless otherwise stated in writing.

Beyond this reduced travel cost, the client accepts full and sole financial responsibility for the dog and all related expenses, including but not limited to:

• veterinary care
• emergency veterinary care
• food and supplements
• grooming
• boarding or daycare
• medications
• equipment and gear
• licensing
• training supplies
• transportation
• any other routine or unexpected canine-related costs

Enrollment in the pilot program does not guarantee that the dog will successfully complete service dog training, qualify for public access work, or remain in the program through final assessment. FORTIS Canine LLC reserves the right to pause, modify, or terminate participation at any time if the dog or handler fails to meet program standards, if suitability changes, or if continued participation is no longer appropriate, safe, or within scope.

By enrolling, the client acknowledges that Ironclad Alliance Service Dog Program is a structured owner-trainer development program, that initial paid training through FORTIS Canine LLC is required as a commitment standard, and that all advancement decisions, screening outcomes, and continuation determinations remain at the sole professional discretion of FORTIS Canine LLC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this a done-for-you service dog program?

No. This is an owner-trainer coaching program. You will be doing the daily work with your dog. We provide the structure, instruction, and evaluation.

Do you provide service dog certification?

No. We do not sell certification, registration, or ID cards. We train and evaluate service dog teams according to real working standards.

Can any dog join the program?

No. Dogs must pass temperament, health, and suitability screening. Some dogs are excellent pets but not appropriate service dog candidates.

Do you guarantee my dog will become a service dog?

No. Service work is not suitable for every dog. Progress depends on the dog’s temperament, the handler’s follow-through, and the team’s consistency over time.

Do you only work with psychiatric service dogs?

That is the primary focus of Ironclad Alliance, especially for PTSD, anxiety, and trauma-related disabilities. Other service needs may be considered if they fit program scope.