Sarasota-based credentialed handlers
Local trainers credentialed by CCPDT, IAABC, or equivalent — who live and work in Sarasota, not parachute in from out of state.
ADA-aligned standards
Sarasota Service Dog Training Built for Real Disability Needs — Not Just Obedience
Psychiatric service dogs, autism service dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and counterbalance dogs are trained here in Florida by certified handlers. Backed by ServiceDogs.com - the authoritative resource on service dog standards and law.
- Florida-based trainers who know Sarasota public access law
- Owner-train or fully-trained options — your dog or ours
- Public Access Test prep with real-world Florida environments
- No "fake certification" — we follow ADA-aligned task training, not registration scams
FREE · NO OBLIGATION
Talk to a Sarasota county trainer this week.
15-minute call to assess your situation, your dog (if you have one), and the right training pathway for your disability.
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100+
Sarasota County service dog trained or in training
10+
Years training service dogs in Florida
94%
First-attempt Public Access Test pass rate
100%
ADA-aligned, no-shortcut training
VISIT US IN SARASOTA
Service Dogs of Sarasota and Charlotte County
Our Sarasota partner office for in-person consultations, temperament evaluations, and group classes. In-home and public-access training is available across Sarasota and Charlotte County.
Trainer Highlight
Olga Baram
Background
Olga Baram is the owner and head trainer of DogSports4U Academy in Englewood, Florida, with 28 years of experience training dogs — not only family companions but elite working and sport dogs at the world-championship level. Born in Minsk, Belarus, Olga was captivated by working-dog trials as a child and has spent 30+ years raising, titling, and competing with her own dogs across obedience, agility, tracking, and protection. Her true specialty is IGP (formerly Schutzhund), one of the most demanding canine sports in the world. In 2022 she and her Belgian Malinois, D&C's Bravo (IGP3, FH, CGC), earned a place among the nation's top six teams and represented the USA at the FCI IGP World Championship in the Czech Republic. Olga's depth in aggression, natural drives, and impulse control lets her resolve leash reactivity and behavior problems that reward-only or suppression-based methods often can't. She and her team live on the academy's private, secure 6-acre training campus — a football-field-size training field, an air-conditioned indoor building, a canine fitness gym with treadmills, bathing quarters, shaded exercise runs, and an obstacle course — so dogs in board-and-train are never left alone overnight.
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Service Dogs of Sarasota
Powered by ServiceDogs.com — Florida-based service dog training partner
ADDRESS
2193 Keyway Road
Sarasota, FL 34223
PHONE
HOURS
Monday - Sunday 8am-8pm
WHY Sarasota and Charlotte County TRUSTS US
Service dog training that actually meets the standard.
Most "service dog certifications" you see online are scams — the ADA does not require or recognize any certification. We train to the real-world standard: a dog that performs disability-mitigating tasks and behaves flawlessly in public.
Florida Statute 413.08 — Sarasota Coast Ready
Florida's service dog law goes further than the federal ADA. We teach you your rights under Statute 413.08 — including the state's misrepresentation penalty, where anyone who fakes a service dog commits a second-degree misdemeanor and must complete 30 hours of community service for a disability organization — and how those rights apply across Sarasota and Charlotte County beaches, parks, and public spaces. So when someone challenges you on Venice Avenue, at Englewood Beach on Manasota Key, in a Wellen Park shop, or at the SRQ gate, you know exactly what to say.
Backed by ServiceDogs.com
The educational authority on service dog standards and law. Every program is vetted against the same legal and ethical framework we publish for the public — no shortcuts, no scammy certifications, no false claims.
WHAT KIND OF SERVICE DOG?
Programs we train in Sarasota and Charlotte County
Service dog training is not one-size-fits-all. The right program depends on your disability, your tasks, and whether you're owner-training or starting from a candidate dog.
Psychiatric service dogs
Task work for anxiety, depression, panic disorders, and bipolar disorder — including alert behaviors, medication reminders, and tactile interruption.
Learn about psychiatric service dogsMobility service dogs
Brace work, retrieve, button presses, doorway navigation, and balance support — matched to your specific physical needs and your dog's structural fit for the task.
Autism support dogs
Tethering, elopement prevention, sensory grounding.
Learn more about autism service dogsCounterbalance service dogs
Steadying and counterbalance work: light bracing, stair and curb support, and momentum assistance for handlers who need help with balance and stability.
YOUR PATH
From first call to fully-trained working dogs
Most owner-trained service dog take 12-24 months to fully certify. Here's what each phase looks like.
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We learn about your disability, the tasks your dog will need to perform, and your candidate dog (if you have one). No sales pressure — just an honest read on what's possible.
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We match you with a Sarasota-based trainer and build a written plan: tasks, milestones, in-home + public access sessions, and target Public Access Test date.
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Foundational obedience, public access manners, and disability-mitigating task work. We close with a Public Access Test in real Sarasota environments — Brickell sidewalks, Aventura Mall, MIA.
SARASOTA COVERAGE
Neighborhoods we cover
We serve all the following neighborhoods in Englewood, but we also serve the whole counties of Sarasota and Charlotte.
- Olde Englewood Village (Dearborn St)34223
- Englewood Isles34223
- Boca Royale34223
- Park Forest34223
- Overbrook Gardens34223
- Stillwater34223
- Englewood Farm Acres34223
- Manasota Key34223
- Englewood Beach34223
- Englewood East34224
- Grove City34224
- Oyster Creek34224
- Village at Oyster Creek34224
- Eagle Preserve Estates34224
- Bal Harbour33154
Zoe B.
4 weeks ago
This facility took wonderful care of our German Shepherd and Frenchie! We also booked a training consultation that was so full of knowledge that we have been able to utilize the information and tools at home to better our dogs behavior! Thank you all at DogSport we will be back!
Wendy M.
1 month ago
Jesse loves her trainer Irene and is doing very well with her service dog training!
Patrick T.
2 months ago
Olga is awesome! She is great to work with and has an excellent knowledge base to pull from!!!
Raina V C.
5 months ago
Olga has done an excellent job training our puppy. We were so overwhelmed before but now feel like we have a handle on it. Would highly recommend!
Ilona H.
6 months ago
I can't say enough good things about DogSports4u Academy. They trained and boarded both of my dogs, Shadow and Chloe, and the experience was outstanding from start to finish.
Knowledgeable, patient, and clearly passionate about what they do. They took the time to understand each dog's personality and needs, and the results really show. Shadow and Chloe came back better trained, more confident, and genuinely happy and that says a lot about the care they received.
When it comes to boarding, I felt completely at ease knowing my dogs were in such capable and caring hands. The environment is safe, structured, and attentive, not just a place to "keep" dogs but a place where they continue to learn and thrive.
If you're looking for professional, trustworthy training and boarding with people who truly care about dogs, I highly recommend DogSports4u Academy. Shadow and Chloe are proof of the amazing work they do!
Knowledgeable, patient, and clearly passionate about what they do. They took the time to understand each dog's personality and needs, and the results really show. Shadow and Chloe came back better trained, more confident, and genuinely happy and that says a lot about the care they received.
When it comes to boarding, I felt completely at ease knowing my dogs were in such capable and caring hands. The environment is safe, structured, and attentive, not just a place to "keep" dogs but a place where they continue to learn and thrive.
If you're looking for professional, trustworthy training and boarding with people who truly care about dogs, I highly recommend DogSports4u Academy. Shadow and Chloe are proof of the amazing work they do!
Brooke T.
2 years ago
Olga and Becca are truly as great as it gets. They are extremely professional and have excellent communication. I needed help training my dog to become a therapy dog. Olga answered ALL of my HUNDREDS of questions and helped us find the right class. She was also incredibly understanding and patient as I learned about the different certifications and classes.
My dog, Max, and I took their 5-week AKC course as well as one private class, and we had so much fun! The trainers are highly talented and genuinely care about you and your dog’s success. Max and I learned so much, and the Saturday classes quickly became our favorite part of the week. I would highly recommend Dog Sports 4 U to everyone, and we will definitely be taking more classes here!
My dog, Max, and I took their 5-week AKC course as well as one private class, and we had so much fun! The trainers are highly talented and genuinely care about you and your dog’s success. Max and I learned so much, and the Saturday classes quickly became our favorite part of the week. I would highly recommend Dog Sports 4 U to everyone, and we will definitely be taking more classes here!
Tory C
2 years ago
We brought Cerberus to Olga and her team for some retraining on the basics but also to train him to be my service dog. Olga and her team were fantastic and Cerberus passed his first big test with a recent disney trip. He was so well behaved and performed his service dog duties wonderfully. We couldn’t be more pleased with Dogsport4u Academy and the results.
Kathy B.
4 years ago
Olga is fantastic! It has been a long time since we had a puppy in our home. They are adorable but they have so much energy and puppy behaviors that can be very disruptive to your quiet lifestyle. He made our older dogs look like angels! Sam stayed with Olga for two weeks for training. Who would know that the deadliest hurricane to hit Florida in 100 years would occur just days into his training! Olga made plans to evacuate and protected our puppy as if it were her own, training him while they were on the road. I was amazed at how much Sam learned at just 4 months old and look forward to him returning for future training. Olga sent pictures and videos of his progress on a daily basis. They are a great resource for me to reinforce special commands. When Sam hears her voice, he gets so excited and tries to jump on my computer to get to her. I was so excited to have someone with Olga’s extensive dog training experience and professionalism and would highly recommend her!
Jack and Kathy Byron
Sun City Center, Fl
Jack and Kathy Byron
Sun City Center, Fl
Are you a Englewood-area veteran with PTSD?
The VA does not directly fund service dogs, but we'll help you navigate them. Our PTSD program meets the standards used by Mission K9, K9s For Warriors, and similar partner organizations.
- VA mental health treatment plan integration (we work with your MH provider)
- PTSD-specific task training: nightmare interrupt, DPT, anchor & alert
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question isn't here, ask in the consult form — we answer every one personally.
What types of service dogs does DogSports4U Academy train?
DogSports4U Academy trains psychiatric service dogs, mobility assistance dogs, autism service dogs, and counterbalance support dogs, with task work tailored to each handler's specific needs.
Does my service dog need to be certified or registered?
No. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a service dog does not need to be certified, registered, or professionally trained, and no special ID or vest is legally required — what matters is that the dog is individually trained to perform tasks related to your disability. Be cautious of any service selling "required" certification or registration.
What are my rights with a service dog in Florida?
Florida law (Fla. Stat. § 413.08) gives people with disabilities the right to be accompanied by a service animal in all public accommodations, and it goes further than the federal ADA: knowingly misrepresenting a pet as a service animal is a second-degree misdemeanor and carries 30 hours of community service for a disability organization.
What makes Olga qualified to train service dogs?
Olga Baram brings 28 years of experience and a background in IGP, one of the world's most demanding working-dog sports — deep expertise in canine drive, impulse control, and focus that carries directly into reliable public-access task work. She is a Certified Canine Athlete Specialist and trains on a private 6-acre campus with a team certified in canine CPR and first aid.
Do you serve the Venice and Englewood area?
Yes. DogSports4U Academy is based in Englewood, FL, and serves the greater Venice–Englewood area and much of Southwest Florida, including North Port, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Sarasota, and beyond.
Ready to start training your Sarasota service dog?
One free 15-minute call. No pressure, no obligation. We'll tell you honestly what's possible — and what isn't.
Talk to a Trainer Today