Standards Development

Scope

This document specifies the competencies required of assistance dogs’ professionals. The purpose of this document is to improve and ensure the quality of professionals working in a role within an assistance dog organization. Each speciality of assistance dog requires a specific set of role competencies and there are some common core competencies.

Core competencies:

— breeding;

— puppy raising;

— dog care;

— assessors;

— orientation and mobility;

— trainers;

— instructors.

Specific competencies:

— guide dogs;

— hearing dogs;

— medical alert dogs;

— mobility assistance dogs;

— autism and development disorder dogs;

— team training instructor.

It is accepted that assistance dog organisations vary greatly in structure and not every organization will have all the roles identified. Where one person performs more than one role, it is expected that they will have the competencies of all the roles they perform e.g. a dog trainer may also have the competencies of a dog care specialist. And there will be some organisations where some of these roles are not required, e.g. those with no breeding programme will not require the associated role competencies.