How I Prepped My Service Dog for Public Access (Step by Step) Gym Edition

Preparing a service dog for public access is all about breaking big, overwhelming environments into smaller, manageable steps. One of the most challenging environments for many dogs? The gym. Between the clanging weights, buzzing treadmills, sudden noises, crowds of people, and strong smells—it can be a sensory overload if your dog isn’t ready.

In this video, I walk you through the exact process I used to prepare my service dog in training, Denver, for his very first gym trip. You’ll see how I broke down skills, environmental challenges, and real-life scenarios so the gym felt like just another step forward instead of a huge leap.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why most service dogs struggle with public access—and how to fix it

✅ The step-by-step prep I used to make the gym less overwhelming

✅ The two key skills your SDiT needs before tackling the gym

✅ How to generalize experiences so new places feel familiar

✅ What Denver’s first gym visit actually looked like (and how I managed it)

Whether you’re working on your own service dog’s public access training or just curious about the process, this video will give you insight into how to set your dog up for success in challenging spaces.