Who are we?

We are a team of qualified, force free dog trainers who have been training family dogs for over 16 years, often helping Owner Trained Assistance Dogs to reach their goals

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Sadly the waiting list for owners to seek help from charities is often long (up to 5 years), or their lists are full due to increasing demand, making it difficult for many owners to access the help they need and taking them further away from their dream of training their dog to assist them in everyday life

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Our mission is to help as many owners as possible to turn this dream into a reality, providing top quality training they can follow from home, along with our personal support and coaching, so that they can train their own dog to become an assistance dog for them.   

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Online Programme

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We provide training through all stages of development, from puppy training and early socialisation, temperament testing, basic to advanced obedience and teaching tasks. We offer our Assistance Dog Awards to members so that they can build clear training plans, and mirror the same high standards being used for assistance dogs around the world.  We are constantly adding new content and you can request specific video tutorials to suit your needs.

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You can find a list of our current members and their achievements here

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FAQ

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1. How does the programme work? Once signed up, you'll gain instant access to over 400 video tutorials covering obedience exercises and tasks. You can work through our Award levels from Puppy to Gold by submitting videos of the training exercises. We also offer an 'access test' level which can be done in person with a local trainer of your choice

2. Will my dog become a registered assistance dog? There is no official registration or certification for assistance dogs in the UK. As long as your dog is well trained and mitigates your disability, you are covered by the Equality Act 2010.  Some organisations such as airlines & universities may require your dog to be registered with ADUK or specific charities ; but please note, this is not legal and they are breaking the law by requesting for your dog to be registered. Our programme does not offer any official 'registration' or 'certification' that would qualify your dog to travel with airlines for example.  If you don't live in the UK, you will need to check your local laws.  

3. Will I be able to access training vests? Yes, once your dog has passed their first award, you can purchase an 'assistance dog in training' vest and settle mat with our logo on it. This will help you with access whilst your dog is still training. An 'Assistance Dog' jacket can be purchased once your dog passes the Access test level.

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Puppy raising & training

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We also provide a puppy raising & training programme.  We are looking for breeders who would like to donate well bred puppies for us to raise, train and match to a person in need of an assistance dog. It costs us over £30,000 to train each puppy for their first 6 months.  Please get in touch if you have a puppy to donate.

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Gifted residential stays

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We offer a limited number of gifted residential stays and one to one lessons each year to members of our Assistance Dog Programme.  Sadly we don't currently have enough members to offer as many stays as we would like. We have provided over £60,000 worth of gifted stays between 2021 to 2022. Our next stays may become available in 2023, but currently we are training a Puppy Candidate full time to gift to someone (Neo)

Our Application Process

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Our programme is open to anyone wishing to train their own dog to aid in their disability. We accept puppies as young as 8 weeks of age to begin their learning journey

Not every dog is suitable to become an assistance dog, and not every dog / owner team will reach the standard of training required to pass all the assessments

You can join us right away and start training. You will need to provide the following documentation:

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• A letter from your doctor stating your medical diagnosis. Or a letter from a health professional stating your diagnosis and the fact that they consider that a dog would support you with your condition. If you require a dog for autism / anxiety / depression, then you will need a letter from a professional stating that they believe you would benefit from an assistance dog

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To train as an Assistance Dog, your dog must:

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• Have a sound temperament; not show any fear or reactivity issues and be in good health.

• Be trained to an advanced level (we can help with this).  Dogs can take the Awards at any age, but Access Tests are only available once your dog reaches 2 years of age. 

• Demonstrate 3 specific skills that provide assistance you need because of your disability (we can also help with this training)

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Dogs with behavioural issues are rarely suitable to train as assistance dogs, so please contact us for a free assessment.

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Assessments

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Assessments are not required by law. If your dog mitigates your disability in any way then you are covered under the Equality Act 2010. Your dog is an auxiliary aid just like a walking stick or wheelchair and as such cannot be denied access. 

However, Owner Trained Teams often struggle with Access issues, so having the assessments to prove training level, along with our training vests can help with access (please note, our programme does not guarantee you won't have problems with Access, especially with air travel)

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Organisations / companies requesting that your dog is trained by a specific organisation or to have an ID book is breaking the law!  There is no 'registration' or 'certification' for assistance dogs in the UK, nor is it a legal requirement. 

We recommend that your assistance dog is trained to a high standard, so that your dog does not cause disruption and can cope with supporting you with your disability in public.  We offer online Canine Community Awards that you can submit videos for you to achieve certificates. 

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A certificate is provided for each level of training, from Puppy to Gold and Access Tests.  If you sign up for the yearly membership, you will also receive a certificate of membership.

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Your dog must have achieved their Puppy Award before being allowed to purchase our Assistance Dog in Training Vests, which can become a great aid for not only gaining public access, but also to ensure that the general public know to ignore your dog.

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Task videos currently available:

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• Retrieve items (keys, medicine)

• Pickup small items (pencils, credit cards, paper etc)

• Find and retrieve scented item

• Take item to designated area

• Open doors

• Close doors (with nose or paws)

• Interrupt anxiety attacks using paws

• Interrupt anxiety attacks using nose

• Make space in crowds

• Deep pressure therapy

• Chin rest

• Provide comfort

• Carry an item

• Turn on a light

• Ring a bell

• Take off socks/clothes

• Walk beside a wheelchair

• Wheelchair training and troubleshooting

• Backup out of doorways

• Target training

• Navigate around a wheelchair in tight spaces

• Nudge arm/foot back onto arm/footrest of wheelchair

• Settle under legs / table

• Remove blanket

• Jump up alert

• Empty washing machine

• Scentwork to alert to seizures, changes in blood pressure etc

• New videos added monthly