ADI | Standards for Training Service Dogs

These are intended to be minimum standards for all service dog centers that want to be affiliated with ADI. All centers are encouraged to strive to work at levels above the minimums.

1. A minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of training over a period of no less than six (6) months, must take place under the supervision of a program's trainer. During that time at least thirty (30) hours of regularly scheduled training must be devoted to field trips and public exposure.

2. Basic obedience skills the dogs must master with voice and/or hand signals are: sit, stay come, down, heel and off leash recall.

3. The dog must show social behavior skills of no aggression, no inappropriate barking, no biting, no snapping/growling, no inappropriate jumping on strangers, no begging and no sniffing of people.

5. The training time with the student prior to placement must be a minimum of no less than 60 hours. This is both public and private. All graduates must be given a solid education in appropriate behavior of the team. The dog should stay as invisible as possible and not interfere with people.

6. The training facility must require the recipient to complete a follow-up progress report once a month for the first six months following the placement. Personal contact will be done by qualified staff or program volunteer within twelve to eighteen (12-18) months of graduation and annually thereafter.

7. Identification of the Service Dog will be accomplished with a laminated ID card with a photo of the dog and partner and names of both recipient and dog. In public the dog must wear a harness, backpack or slicker with a logo that is clear and easy to read and identifiable as a service dog.

8. The staff of the training center must demonstrate knowledge of the disabilities of the clients it works with. Organization shall make available educational material on different disabilities.

9. The recipient must agree to abide by the Minimum Standards for Assistance Dog Partners.

10. At the onset of training, every dog will be spayed or neutered and will have a thorough medical evaluation to determine that the dog does not have any physical problems that would cause difficulty for a working dog.

A Seizure Response/Alert dog is a dog trained and placed to work with an individual who has Epilepsy or other seizure disorders. The dog is trained to perform a task or tasks which benefit the recipient by alerting him/her to or by responding appropriately to seizure episodes.

The program must demonstrate knowledge of seizure conditions including but not limited to Epilepsy. The program staff must posses the ability to provide emergency first aid to students during the placement period.

2. The dog must be able to perform both on and off leash obedience skills with voice and/or hand signals. These commands will include: sit, stay, come, down and heel. Dogs must demonstrate absolute control on and off leash.

3. The dog must show social behavior skills of no aggression, no inappropriate barking, no biting, no snapping/growling, no inappropriate jumping on strangers, no begging and no sniffing of people. Dogs must be unobtrusive and have good household skills.

4. The dog must be trained no less than one "appropriate response skill" i.e.: vocal alert, physical contact alert, activation of an emergency medical alert system, etc.

5. The training time with the student prior to placement must be a minimum of no less than 60 hours. Instruction must include obedience skills, proper behavior and implementation into the home.

6. The training facility must require the recipient to complete a follow-up progress report once a month for the first six months following the placement. Personal contact will be done by qualified staff or program volunteer within eighteen (18) months of graduation and annually thereafter.

7. Identification of the Seizure Response/Alert Dog will be accomplished with a laminated ID card with a photo of the dog and partner and names of both recipient and dog. In public. In the public the dog must wear a harness, backpack or slicker with a logo that is clear and easy to read and identifiable as a service dog.

8. At the onset of training, every dog will be spayed or neutered and will have a thorough medical evaluation to determine that the dogs does not have any physical problems that would cause difficulty for a working dog.

9. It is the program's duty to educate the client to his/her responsibility to inform, in advance, their support system of the proper response to the seizure alert/response dog.

Minimum Standards for Training Service Dogs