ECAD trains the following types of Assistance Dogs:

"Assistance Dog" is a broad term that includes many different canine job descriptions. ECAD does not specifically place dogs for people whose primary disabling conditions require psychiatric support dogs, seizure response dogs, guide dogs or hearing alert dogs. However, having these requirements as secondary conditions does not necessarily disqualify applicants.

Service Dogs assist a physically disabled individual by mitigating the recipients’ limitations of mobility, coordination, strength, or balance. They learn a vocabulary of up to 80 commands, which can be used to complete an unlimited number of tasks of daily living. For example, the dogs can pick up dropped items from a key to a crutch, retrieve a phone or alert someone in an emergency, turn on lights, pull a wheelchair, or brace for balance. The dogs also open doors, both literally and socially. Many ECAD clients report increased social interaction and decreased depression, loneliness, and health problems after receiving a dog.

Autism Service Dogs assist a child with autism in areas of social, emotional, and cognitive development, but the dog’s primary duty is to increase the child’s physical safety by “anchoring”. This is a method in which the dog wears a harness that is attached to the child’s belt. The child also holds the harness and is taught to walk with the dog, but a third party facilitator (usually a parent or teacher) holds a second leash attached to the dog’s collar. The parent can then give the dog a command to “stay” if the child becomes distracted, frustrated, or tries to bolt away, enabling the child to function well in situations that were previously impossible to handle.

Skilled Companion Dogs perform many of the same functions of a Service Dog. They provide physical, social and emotional support in the home, but the team does not have public access due to the client's age or lifestyle (for example, the client is home-schooled and too young to go out alone).

Facility/Therapy Dogs  assist a trained professional to provide emotional and physical therapy in a professional capacity. They work in assisted living facilities, group homes, hospitals and school environments--any place where extra love and kindness is needed. The dogs live with a caregiver who works at the facility and have many handlers who work with them throughout the day. ECAD dogs participate in Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT) programs as well as Animal Assisted Activities (AAA).