Skip to content

Ryan Gaughan, BS, CSDT

Ryan Gaughan, BS, CSDT #6202 — Executive Director | MyPSD.org — TheraPetic®
Ryan Gaughan, BS, CSDT #6202 — Executive Director, TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group Certified Service Dog Trainer

Ryan Gaughan BS, CSDT #6202

Executive Director & Lead Certified Trainer

Executive Director — TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group (2022–Present)
Lead Certified Trainer & Training Director — Official Service Dog
Certified Service Dog Trainer with a passion for animals spanning his entire career — from marine mammal care and exotic animal husbandry to leading the largest nonprofit service animal documentation network in the country. Every certificate issued by Official Service Dog is reviewed and signed by Ryan.

🎓 BS, Psychology & Animal Behavior · Kent State 🐕‍🦺 CSDT #6202 📹 Video-Based Task Evaluator 📋 Training Attestation Authority 🏢 Executive Director, TheraPetic® ⏱️ With TheraPetic Since 2016
Experience
10+ Years Animal Care
Expertise
BS + CSDT #6202
Authoritativeness
Independent Attestation
Trustworthiness
Verified Certificates
Expertise

Education & Certification

Every training attestation issued by Official Service Dog is backed by formal education and professional certification in service dog training.

Education

Bachelor of Science (BS) — Psychology

Kent State University · Specialization in Animal Behavior
Undergraduate education in psychology with a specialization in animal behavior, providing the scientific foundation for understanding canine cognition, learning theory, and behavior modification that informs Ryan's approach to service dog task evaluation.
Professional Certification

Certified Service Dog Trainer (CSDT #6202)

International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP)
Professional certification in service dog training covering task training methodology, canine behavior assessment, handler team evaluation, and ADA compliance standards. One of fewer than 10 active CSDT-certified trainers worldwide.
Specialization

Video-Based Task Evaluation

Official Service Dog — Training Standards
Specialized methodology for evaluating service dog task performance through submitted video evidence. Each task is scored individually against published training standards for reliability, handler control, and real-world readiness.
Experience

Training Areas & Task Evaluation Expertise

Ryan evaluates and attests to service dog task performance across a comprehensive range of disability-related trained behaviors.

🐾

Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT)

Evaluating trained tactile grounding responses for anxiety, panic, and PTSD episodes

🦮

Mobility & Balance Assistance

Assessing bracing, counterbalance, and physical support tasks for mobility disabilities

🧠

Psychiatric Task Work

Verifying trained interruption, alerting, and grounding tasks for psychiatric conditions

⚕️

Medical Alert & Response

Evaluating scent detection alerts and trained medical response behaviors

🔔

Hearing & Sound Alerts

Assessing trained sound-specific alerts for deaf and hard-of-hearing handlers

🎯

General Obedience & Public Access

Evaluating foundational obedience, public behavior, and handler team readiness

Authoritativeness

How Ryan Reviews Your Submission

Every Official Service Dog certificate goes through a rigorous, professional evaluation process — not an automated system.

Video Submission Received

Handler uploads video evidence of their service dog performing each trained task in real-world conditions.

Individual Task Scoring

Ryan evaluates each task independently against published training standards — scoring reliability, handler control, and real-world readiness.

Professional Assessment

A comprehensive assessment evaluates the overall team's performance, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.

Certificate Issued

Ryan signs the official Training Attestation Certificate documenting specific tasks, scores, and verification code for instant lookup.

Experience

Professional Background

A career built on genuine passion for animals — from marine mammal care and exotic animal husbandry to leading a national nonprofit network and professional training attestation organization.

2022 — PRESENT
Executive Director
TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group — 501(c)(3)
Promoted from Assistant Director to Executive Director, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the TheraPetic® network — including mypsd.org, officialservicedog.com, and the full suite of 11 specialized service animal documentation websites serving all 50 states and Canada. Manages provider network operations, quality assurance, client services, and organizational growth while maintaining the nonprofit's mission-driven approach to legitimate clinical documentation.
2026 — PRESENT
Lead Certified Trainer & Training Director
Official Service Dog — Washington, DC
Leads all service dog training attestation operations. Reviews video-based task submissions, conducts individual task scoring, and issues professional Training Attestation Certificates. Developed evaluation methodology and published training standards used across the platform.
2016 — 2022
Assistant Director
TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group — 501(c)(3)
Joined TheraPetic® at its founding, contributing to the buildout of the nonprofit's clinical documentation infrastructure, client services protocols, and operational systems. Supported the growth from a small operation to a multi-state network while developing expertise in service animal documentation, ESA evaluation processes, and ADA/FHA compliance.
PRIOR EXPERIENCE
Marine Mammal & Exotic Animal Care
Miami Seaquarium · Zoo Miami
Hands-on experience in marine mammal care, enrichment programs, and exotic animal husbandry at two of South Florida's premier zoological institutions. Developed foundational expertise in animal behavior observation, welfare assessment, and species-specific care protocols that directly inform Ryan's approach to canine behavior and service dog evaluation.
RETAIL MANAGEMENT
Store Manager
Pet Supermarket
Managed daily retail operations with a focus on high-quality customer service, animal care, and inventory management. Oversaw staff scheduling, drove sales performance, and ensured compliance with company policies and animal welfare standards. Combined genuine passion for animal welfare with operational leadership and customer-facing expertise.
Trustworthiness

Partnership & Verification

Official Service Dog operates as an independent attestation body in partnership with the TheraPetic® Healthcare Provider Group.

Where Clinical Meets Training

Official Service Dog validates the dog's trained tasks. TheraPetic® validates the handler's clinical need. Together, they provide the most complete service dog documentation available — combining independent training attestation with licensed clinical evaluation.

🐕‍🦺
Official Service Dog
Training Attestation · Ryan Gaughan, BS, CSDT #6202
Executive Director, TheraPetic®
🏥
TheraPetic® Network
Clinical Evaluation · Dr. Patrick Fisher, PhD, NCC

Get Your Service Dog's Training Professionally Verified

You did the work. Let a certified trainer recognize it.

Get Started View Training Standards