When a service dog candidate team completes our foundation training and socialization in either private session or a combination of group and private training, usually between their fourth and eighth month of training and socialization and always after their dog is a minimum of six months old, we will administer a Preliminary Public Readiness Test. This test will include a series of behaviors the handler and dog will perform together as well as a report that the handler will complete that will address behaviors that may not be able to be observed at the time the test is administered. This will help us determine whether the dog is ready to move on to practicing in public as a Service Dog In-Training.

Through our professional experience training service dogs, we have developed a curriculum for public access training that is designed to help our clients successfully navigate public environments with their service dogs. We will help you develop your dog’s assistive tasks based on your needs and symptoms, as well as guide you in training your dog to perform those tasks when needed.

During this stage, the team will be working in public environments, including those where only service dogs are allowed. They will be mastering their curriculum behaviors in a variety of environments with a trainer’s guidance. Handlers will also receive a thorough education on how to handle common situations that come up when working in public with a service dog. At home, they will work with their trainer to teach their dog the Assistive Tasks the dog will perform to mitigate the symptoms of the handler’s disability. Teams will begin to practice these tasks in public when they are ready.

The time a team remains at this stage depends on the age and maturity of the dog and the complexity of assistive tasks the dog will learn. The dog may be able to pass our Public Access Test when their curriculum and behavior in public places is appropriate and they can functionally use at least 3 of their tasks. If more tasks are desired by the client, the dog can continue to learn these after achieving public access.

When a team has completed our Public Access & Task Training Curriculum, they can schedule a Public Access Test. Our Public Access Test is based on the testing criteria used by Assistance Dogs International and are designed to assess the team’s ability to navigate public spaces safely and effectively. The public access test will also evaluate the dog’s ability to perform the trained Assistive Tasks in a way that is functional for the handler. (Note: Assistance Dogs International does not currently accredit for-profit service dog training organizations, so our organization is not affiliated with ADI at this time though our trainers have experience training to their standards.)

After passing our Public Access Test, you can remove the “in-training” identification from you Service Dog’s vest and we will provide a program certification stating that the dog has passed our testing criteria and has been task-trained in accordance with ADA law. Remember, there is no certification required by law for a service dog to work, but we provide these things in order to provide legitimacy to our teams who have completed all requirements and are appropriate for work.

Speed bumps & washing out - As anyone involved in service dog training knows, becoming a service dog is not for every dog, and this is a reality about which we must maintain open communication. Although many behaviors can be modified successfully, sometimes dogs show us through their behavior that they don’t want a career as a working dog for the rest of their lives, or they may do behaviors that are dangerous or incompatible with public access. While we hope your dog’s journey as a service dog goes smoothly, we will also advise you when there are speed bumps and help you with behavior modification if public access training needs to pause or end. If your dog doesn’t become a service dog, we can help you continue your dog’s training in another direction and/or support your search for a new service dog candidate.

Each year, we will review your dog’s working status, and we will support your continued training needs as-needed.