I offer a bespoke Assistance Dog training program tailored to you and your dog's needs.

At the end of your dog's training you can sit an optional Public Access Assessment. Whilst this is not a requirement for access under the Equality Act 2010, it offers peace of mind about your dog's level of training, and may help to prevent or resolve access refusals.

For dog's who have passed their Public Access Assessment, branded vests are available for purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can my dog be an Assistance Dog?

It is possible to train any breed of dog to be an Assistance Dog, with the exception of those on the banned breed list. You may be eligible for help with training your dog to be an Assistance Dog if:

• You or your child have a disability, within the definition set out by the Equality Act 2010;

• You have an existing pet dog under the age of 7 years, or intend on acquiring a puppy;

• Your dog is of sound temperament and passes a Suitability Assessment;

• Your dog has no unmanaged health conditions and has been signed off to work by their vet;

• You commit to training and working your dog aversion-free.

What can my dog do to help me?

Assistance Dogs can be trained for almost any disability. Assistance Dogs are trained to perform practical tasks to assist their handler such as:

• Alerting a Deaf person to an alarm, doorbell or fire alarm;

• Fetching medication or a mobile phone for a person with a medical condition;

• Opening doors, removing clothing and picking up dropped objects for someone with a mobility impairments;

• Interrupting self-harming behaviours, performing pressure therapy or responding to meltdowns for an autistic person;

• Waking a person with PTSD up from night terrors.

Please be aware I am currently unable to assist with training guide tasks for visually impaired people, or medical alert tasks.

How does the training work?

Assistance Dog training typically takes place over three stages: obedience training, task training and public access training.

Obedience training ensures your dog can behave in an appropriate manner in public and covers basic cues such as sit, down, stay, come, and leave it, as well as skills such as loose lead walking, calm greetings, settling, and recall.

Task training teaches your dog the behaviours that will mitigate your disability. All Assistance Dogs should be trained in at least one task.

Public access training teaches more advanced obedience such as heelwork, ignoring distractions and off lead work, as well as introducing non-pet friendly settings such as shops, restaurants and cinemas.

Once your dog has completed their training they can then sit their Public Access Assessment. 

How long does training take?

An Assistance Dog shouldn’t be considered fully trained until at least 18 months old. If your dog begins training as a puppy you can expect them to be fully trained by 2 years of age. If your dog begins training as an adult, the length of training will depend on what level of obedience they start with.

Can my dog go anywhere?

Assistance Dogs are permitted to accompany their handler in any public space other than in “exceptional circumstances” such as sterile areas or food preparation sites. In general, Assistance Dogs should be allowed to access shops, restaurants, cafes, banks, hotels, cinemas, public transport, universities and most workplaces.

What is the difference between Assistance Dogs, Therapy Dogs, and Support Dogs?

Assistance Dogs are dogs who are trained to assist a person with a disability through trained tasks. Assistance Dogs require formal training and are the only one of the three types of dog who have access rights into non pet friendly spaces such as shops.

Therapy Dogs accompany a human volunteer to support multiple different people in public settings such as schools, hospitals, nursing homes and prisons. Therapy Dogs don’t require any specific training and cannot access non pet friendly places unless permission is sought.

Support Dogs support a person who does not have a disability. Support Dogs do not require any specific training and do not have access right to non pet friendly places without permission.

Note: The term ‘Service Dog’ is used in the USA to describe dogs who are trained for people with disabilities, however in the UK a service dog is a dog working for the police or military. Service Dogs do not have access rights into non pet friendly spaces.