Minimum Standards For Training Social Dog Visiting Teams (dog and handler)

These are the minimum standards for all organisations involved in AAA/AAT/AAE that wish to be affiliated with ADEu. All organisations are encouraged to strive to work at levels above the minimum. Emphasis is placed upon the standard of service to both the handler and the dog as a team throughout the training and evaluation process, ensuring the welfare of both parties. The team's suitability (refering both to the skills and the aptitudes for involvement in AAA/AAT/AAE programmes) and the quality of the training of the team will be tested by the programme before the team is authorised to visit.
  1. In the case of "owned-dogs", dogs will be carefully assessed before commencing advanced training to ensure that the correct standards of socialisation and social behaviour have been achieved.
  2. Dogs will have a thorough medical evaluation to determine that they do not have any physical problems that would cause difficulty for a dog involved in AAA/AAT/AAE programmes.
  3. Dogs must be trained with voice and/or hand signals to respond to the following commands: sit, down, stay, come, heel and recall. The handlers must be able to predict their dog's behaviour, give necessary support to and control their dog. The dogs must have good houehold skills.
  4. Dogs must show social behaviour skills as follows: no aggression, no inappropriate barking, no biting, no mouthing, no snapping/growling, no inappropriate jumping on strangers, no begging and no inappropriate sniffing of people.
  5. Dogs must be found to enjoy or at least tolerate certain situations such as crowding and interactions with persons with unusual or brusque movements and to generally enjoy interactions with persons, even strangers. The dog should enjoy being touched, petted and brushed by strangers.
  6. All handlers will be made aware of their responsibilities, as outlined in AD(Eu)'s Minimum Standards for Social Dog Visiting Teams, and will be trained accordingly.
  7. The organisation must require the team to complete re-evaluation every two years in order to renew registration as an authorised visiting team. The organisation will be able to offer further training and advice as required.
  8. All teams must pass testing by the organisation in a number of areas before being registered: The standards of the above tests must be approved by ADEu.
  9. Identification of the registered social dog visiting team will include a laminated ID card with a photo of the dog and handler and names of both and the registration expiry date. During involvement in AAA/AAT/AAE programmes, the team must be clearly identifiable as a social dog visiting team.
  10. The staff of the organisation must demonstrate general knowledge of various disabilities and or social handicaps of clients with whom they work as well as other relevant medical conditions. Organisations shall make available educational material on different disabilities, social handicaps and types of facilities in which programmes might be conducted.
  11. The handler must agree to abide by the Minimum Standards for Social Dog Visiting Teams.
  12. Every AAA/AAT/AAE organisation will have a clearly described procedure for testing the social dog visiting team in the following areas on a regular basis, for the remainder of the team's working life: The standards of the above tests must be approved by AD(Eu).
  13. Organisations will withdraw ID, or not renew ID, of any teams failing to meet the correct standards and/or in the event of re-evaluation proving unsuccessful.
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