Minimum Standards For Training Service Dogs That Respond/Alert To Seizures Or Other Medical Conditions

These are the minimum standards for all programmes which train service dogs that respond/alert to seizures or other medical conditions, that wish to be affiliated with ADEu. All programmes are encouraged to strive to work at levels above the minimum.
  1. A minimum of one hundred and twenty (120) hours of training over a period of no less than six (6) months, must take place under the supervision of a programme's trainer. During that time at least thirty (30) hours of regularly scheduled training must be devoted to training in public places.
  2. Dogs must be trained with voice and/or hand signals to respond to the following commands: sit, down, stay, come, heel and off-leash recall.
  3. The dog must show social behaviour skills as follows: no aggression, no inappropriate barking, no biting, no snapping/growling, no inappropriate jumping on strangers, no begging and no inappropriate sniffing of people. Dogs must be unobtrusive and have good household skills.
  4. The dog must be trained to at least one "appropriate response skill" that will enhance the client's independence, for example: vocal alert, physical contact alert, activation of an emergency medical alert system, etc.
  5. The training time with the student prior to graduation must be a minimum of thirty-two (32) hours. By the end of the placement, the student will be able to correctly praise and discipline the dog, care for the dog, monitor and evaluate the reliability of the dog's ability to respond/alert, control the dog and enforce obedience skills. During the placement, the trainer will accompany the student and the dog to train in public places, including shops and restaurants. The programme's trainer will also accompany the student/dog team to a meeting with a local vet and, where applicable, conduct a training session at the workplace of the student. All students will be made aware of their responsibilities, as outlined in AD(Eu)'s Minimum Standards for Assistance Dog Graduates, and will be trained accordingly.
  6. The training programme must require the student to complete a follow-up progress report once a month for the first six months following the placement. Personal contact will be given by qualified staff or trained volunteers within twelve to eighteen (12-18) months of graduation and annually thereafter.
  7. Identification of the seizure response/alert dog will include a laminated ID card with a photo of the dog and graduate and names of both. In public the dog must be clearly identifiable as a service dog that responds/alerts to seizures or other medical conditions.
  8. The staff of the training programme must demonstrate knowledge of the disabilities and/or medical conditions of the clients with whom it works. Organisations shall make available educational material on different disabilities/conditions. The programme staff must be able to provide emergency first aid to students during the training and placement periods.
  9. The graduate must agree to abide by the Minimum Standards for Assistance Dog Graduates.
  10. Every dog will have a thorough medical evaluation to determine that it does not have any physical problems that would cause difficulty for a working dog and, in countries where routine neutering of dogs is accepted by the veterinary profession, every assistance dog will be neutered prior to graduation.
  11. Every training programme will have a clearly described procedure for testing the dog/graduate team in the following areas during the course of its working life: The standards of the above tests must be approved by AD(Eu).
  12. Training programmes will withdraw ID from any dog/graduate teams failing to meet the correct standards, in the event of all refresher-training proving unsuccessful.
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