Service Dog Minimum Standards
From Service Dog Training
There are many conflicting ideas of what the minimum standards should be for a working, fully trained service dog. As usual, I have an opinion as well. There are two main recognized standards out there; the ADI standard/public access test and the Delta Society standard (standard only, no test specified). I, and many other owner trainers out there, believe the ADI public access test/minimum standards are far too minimal. The ADI test in my mind is in no way superior to the CGC or TDI tests, and in certain areas it is inferior. The ADI test, for instance, does not specifically test a service dog's reaction to other dogs in a working environment. The Delta Society standards on the other hand require several things that I really do not feel are critical for a working service dog, such as the on/off commands, unless these commands are part of the dog's tasks.
On this page, I will propose my own set of minimum standards that I feel are realistic and represent the necessary public behaviors for all service dogs. These are not task specific skills, and it is assumed that every service dog will be able to perform at least one trained task related to the handler's disability. I'm writing this more as a narrative than a checklist, but I do plan to eventually develop a public access test covering these skills.
Minimum Standards
First, the dog must be house trained and not show behaviors typical of an untrained dog, such as jumping up and inappropriate chewing.
The dog must possess solid, reliable basic obedience. This obedience must include sit, down, stay, come and a heel that is consistent with the nature of the dog's tasks. The dog must be able to do these skills in its normal working gear, without gear intended solely to control the dog, such as prong collars, electric collars or head halters (if the head halter is not the dog's regular gear used in place of a leash attached to the collar). The dog should respond to these commands on the first command, given by either verbal or physical cue or both, and within a reasonable amount of time. The dog must be able to perform these skills in a high distraction environment. In an extremely high distraction environment, a second command or a brief correction is acceptable.
The dog must ignore distractions including people besides the handler, other animals or other things in the environment. The dog should not solicit attention from other people, steal food or objects from the environment or respond to the approaches of other animals except as necessary for self-preservation. The dog must regain focus quickly if it does become distracted and must respond at once to commands to "leave it".
The dog at no time can act in an aggressive fashion unless the need for self-preservation is clear. The dog must tolerate surprise attention and rough handling by adults of both sexes and children. Some mild avoidance of unwanted petting is acceptable if it does not interfere with the dog's work and is not displayed aggressively.
The dog must be able to work in large crowds without soliciting attention from passing individuals. The dog must tolerate loud noises and startling sights without his response affecting the quality of his work. The dog must not vocalize inappropriately unless it is part of a trained task.
The overall point of these minimum standards is to assure that a service dog is quiet, unobtrusive and polite in public. A service dog should be noticed only by the high quality of his training and work and never because of inappropriate behavior.
Public Access Test
To do this test you will need:
- Service dog team with all necessary equipment
- Tester
- At least one testing assistant
- A well behaved dog and handler (need not be a service dog)
- A rowdy, loud or hyper dog and handler (dog must not be aggressive)
- A crowded indoor environment such as a busy mall or supermarket
- A restaurant
- An outdoor area such as a sidewalk or parking lot
- Some form of transportation, public or private
The testing items can be done in any order, the order presented below is simply a suggestion.
The service dog team (afterward referred to as "team"), tester and testing assistant should start at a neutral location (training center or team's house). They should get in whatever form of transportation is being used in the test. The handler must safely load his dog in a reasonable amount of time so that it does not interfere with the safe use of the transportation. The dog must remain calm and under control. The team and testers should proceed to the indoor location. The handler must safely unload his dog in a reasonable amount of time. The dog should not bolt from the vehicle or be otherwise out of the handler's easy control. The team should enter the indoor location with the testers following. The team should demonstrate their ability to safely navigate the entryway of the building. Testers should ask bystanders to refrain from holding the door.
The team should navigate the building, not avoiding crowds, for a minimum of 20 minutes unless the physical ability of the handler requires a shorter test. Breaks may be taken as needed to work within the ability of the handler. The dog must be calm and controlled and under direct control of the handler at all times. The dog should not solicit attention or attempt to sniff or lick merchandise. Attempts by the dog to do so should be immediately and effectively controlled by the handler with one verbal and/or appropriate physical correction. The dog's behavior should not require excessive corrections. At least once during this test, the testing assistant should approach the team, shake hands with the handler and exchange brief small talk. The dog should not attempt to approach or sniff the assistant. At least one other time during the test, the testing assistant should briskly approach the team, ignoring the handler, and speak to and pet the dog from the front. At least one other time during the test, the testing assistant should approach the team from behind and pet the dog from the back without warning. The dog should be calm and controlled for petting, though mild avoidance that does not interfere with the dog's working duties is acceptable. Aggression or a strong startle is not appropriate.
The team and testers should then go to a restaurant, preferably a sit-down style restaurant. The team should enter the restaurant and either find an appropriate seat or request one (depending on the type of the restaurant). The handler should place the dog in an appropriate location so he is not blocking an aisle and is as inconspicuous as the layout of the restaurant allows. The handler and testers should proceed to order and eat as they would normally. The dog must remain quiet and calm and should not beg for food or attempt to take food from the handler or testers or off the table. The dog should remain out of the way politely and be under the control of the handler at all times.
From the restaurant, the team and the testers should move to an outdoor area, preferably a sidewalk, though a parking lot is acceptable. The team should walk normally as they would on a leisurely walk. During the course of the walk, the team should meet a well controlled dog and handler. The handlers should stop, greet each other briefly and continue. The service dog should remain calm and well controlled around the other dog and should not approach the other dog or handler. Further on the walk, after the other dog is out of sight, the team should meet the rowdy dog and handler. The team should not stop but should proceed past the rowdy dog. The service dog must not stop, lunge, growl or otherwise act inappropriately towards the rowdy dog. Some avoidance is acceptable. At no time should the service dog endanger his handler.
