IAADP Minimum Training Standards

IAADP Minimum Training Standards Since all of the training will be documented on this blog, we will be able to use these pages, videos, and posts to document his amount of training that we've completed at home, and in public spaces. 1. Amount of Schooling: an assistance dog should be given a minimum of one hundred twenty (120) hours of schooling over a period of Six Months or more.* At least thirty (30) hours should be devoted to outings that will prepare the dog to work obediently and unobtrusively in public places.** 2. Obedience Training: a dog must master the basic obedience skills: "Sit, Stay, Come, Down, Heel" and a dropped leash recall in a store in response to verbal commands and/or hand signals. 3. Manners: a dog must acquire proper social behavior skills. It includes at a minimum: 4. Disability Related Tasks: the dog must be individually trained to perform identifiable tasks on command or cue for the benefit of the disabled human partner. This includes alerting to sounds, medical problems, certain scents like peanuts or situations if training is involved. For a definition of a "task" and "individually trained,” and “what is not a task” and many examples of tasks performed by different kinds of assistance dogs, Click Here. 5. Prohibited Training: Any training that arouses a dog’s prey drive or fear to elicit a display of aggression for guard or defense purposes is strictly prohibited. Non aggressive barking as a trained behavior is permitted in appropriate situations. (See IAADP’s ban on the enrollment of protection trained, attack trained or aggressive dogs as an assistance dog with our organization. Click Here) 6. A Trainer’s Responsibilities: Trainers function as ambassadors for the assistance dog movement. This includes a disabled owner trainer, a provider’s staff or a volunteer with a puppy or adult dog “in training.” It also includes an assistance dog partner or able bodied facilitator helping a disabled loved one to keep up an assistance dog’s training. At a minimum, you should: Know pertinent canine laws (i.e. leash laws and public access laws) Ensure the dog is healthy, flea free and the rabies vaccination is up to date Take time to make sure your dog is well groomed and free of any foul odor Show respect and consideration to other people and property. Use humane training methods; monitor the dog’s stress level; provide rest breaks. Carry clean up materials. Arrange for prompt clean up if a dog eliminates or gets sick. Be polite and willing to educate the public about assistance dogs and access rights. * The 120 hours of schooling includes the time invested in homework training sessions between obedience classes or lessons from an experienced dog trainer. **Eligibility for Certification from a provider who supports IAADP’s Minimum Training Standards for Public Access may require you turn in a weekly training log to document your dog received a minimum of 120 hours of schooling over a period of six months or more. (See Sample Training Log)