Assistance Dog Programme

At Adolescent Dogs, we offer one of the most comprehensive and accessible Owner-Trained Assistance Dog Programmes in the UK.

With over 20 years of experience, we provide unrivalled support for individuals training their own assistance dogs, covering a wide range of disabilities, including physical, medical, psychological, and neurological conditions.

Unlike other programmes, we have:

✅ No waiting lists – Start training right away: get approved and started within 24 hours

✅ No breed restrictions – All legal breeds are welcome.

✅ Design your own vests – Fully customisable to your own style and colours

✅ The most extensive training resources available – Over 450+ step-by-step video tutorials, task tutorials, structured training plans, live trainer support 7 days a week and weekly Live Q&A with the Head Trainer

✅ Training beyond the Internationally recognised standards– Our Gold Award level takes dogs beyond the Public Access Test, ensuring the highest level of reliability and control

✅ Flexible learning options – Train entirely from home with our Online Assistance Dog Programme and optional assistance dog workshops, or fast-track progress with our residential stays, One to one or Stay & Train programmes.

✅ Support for all stages – From puppy training to advanced public access skills, we guide you through every step.

✅ Neurodivergent-informed training and support – Led by a neurodivergent team, our programme is designed to be inclusive and accessible.

✅ Public Access Tests Available –

Guildford, Surrey, Brighton, West Sussex, Birmingham and occasionally other locations in the UK

What Disabilities
Do We Support?

We support all disabilities where a dog can be trained to provide task-based assistance. Some of the conditions we work with include, but are not limited to:

🔹 Physical Disabilities – Including wheelchair users, PoTS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, ME, Spina Bifida, Cerebral Palsy, spinal injuries, brain injuries, strokes, amputees, and more.

🔹 Medical Assistance Dogs – Supporting diabetes, high/low blood sugar, epilepsy, seizures, Addison’s disease, allergies, blood pressure regulation, migraines, Crohn’s disease, and non-epileptic seizures.

🔹 Guiding & Hearing Support – While we currently offer light guiding and hearing assistance training, our trainers are happy to support owners in developing these skills further.

🔹 Psychiatric & Neurological Assistance – Providing support for Autism, Down Syndrome, PTSD, C-PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder, FASD, Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, Severe Anxiety, and more.

Dogs must be trained to mitigate symptoms through specific tasks such as deep pressure therapy, panic attack interruption, grounding techniques, or sensory regulation

🔹 Emotional Support Dogs – While emotional support dogs offer comfort and companionship, they do not qualify as assistance dogs in the UK and do not have public access rights.

Our fully trained assistance dog teams

Graduates of our programme exceed the Internationally Recognised Standard for Assistance Dogs, ensuring they are fully prepared for public access and disability-specific tasks.

Our fully trained teams:

🏆 Pass a Public Access Test exceeding recognised international standards.
📚 Complete advanced obedience & behaviour training to ensure reliability in all settings.
⏳ Log over 200+ hours of public access training before certification.
🦮 Perform disability-specific tasks tailored to their handler’s needs.
💛 Pass two temperament assessments to assess suitability for assistance work.
🩺 Are fully health checked by a vet, up to date with vaccinations and treatments.

📌 View our list of PAT tested teams

Legal Recognition & Disability Requirements

To qualify for an assistance dog, handlers must meet the Equality Act 2010 criteria, meaning their disability must have a substantial and long-term impact on their ability to carry out daily activities. We do not discriminate based on diagnosis and welcome individuals with any condition that meets the legal definition of disability, including those with psychiatric conditions when recommended by a medical professional.

Our goal is to ensure every handler has access to the highest quality training and support to develop a life-changing partnership with their dog.

📌 Join our programme today and start your journey toward a fully trained assistance dog!

See below for the different training options available, including our online programme, residential training or one to one lessons

Online Programme

Train your dog with us from home via our online programme.

You'll access over 400 video tutorials, webinars and Live trainer support covering all levels of training. Watch the videos and train your dog from home with the remote support of our trainers.

Weekend workshops for members are available to book, as well as one to one lessons

You'll be able to take your dog through all 5 Awards via video submissions including Puppy, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Mitigating Tasks before taking a Temperament Assessment and Access Test with us in person in Surrey, UK

Find out more

Residential Trainng

Our residential training programmes can help to fast-track specific areas of training or we offer a full programme that gets your dog access test ready over an 18 month period (4 x 4 week stays as your puppy grows). Giving you expert support through all stages of the training journey. Ideal if you need your dog to be fully trained, but are unable to carry out all of the training yourself.

Each of the Award levels takes around 4 weeks of intensive training, or a stay can be utilised to help overcome any emerging behavioural problems

Lifetime access to the Online Programme is included in the cost, as well as full practical training for you

Find out more

One to one Training

Experience tailored one-to-one training designed to meet your assistance dog’s unique needs.

Our bespoke training packages fit around your schedule, offering expert guidance in obedience, task training, public access skills, and behaviour refinement.

Whether you're working towards assistance dog certification, refining task work, or overcoming training challenges, our personalised coaching ensures lasting progress and real-world reliability.

Find out more

Workshops

Our Assistance Dog Workshops provide hands-on training support for members of our Owner-Trained Assistance Dog Programme, helping you work towards your Puppy, Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards in a practical, supportive environment.

These relaxed monthly workshops are tailored to meet the needs of each team, offering expert guidance

Find out more

How to Obtain Funding for Assistance Dog Training in the UK

Eligibility, Routes to Funding, and How to Apply Assistance dogs can be genuinely life-changing, offering increased independence, safety, and wellbeing for disabled people. However, the cost of training an assistance dog—particularly when done properly and ethically—can be a barrier. The good news is that funding is available , and not just through large charities. Many people are unaware that assistance dog training can be funded through a variety of statutory and non-stat

Adolescent Dogs

Reviews

Team Success Stories

Blogs

What Age Should You Start Training an Assistance Dog?

If you're bringing home a puppy with the hope of training them as an assistance dog, you may have been told not to start too soon. A common piece of advice is to forget about assistance dog training for the first few months, concentrate on socialisation and "let your puppy be a puppy". There is some good advice hidden in there. A young puppy shouldn't be treated like a fully trained assistance dog. They don't need hours of formal training, they shouldn't be expected to cope w

How to Obtain Funding for Assistance Dog Training in the UK

Choosing the Right Breed for Assistance Dog Work:

The Breed You Need , Not Just the One You Want When it comes to choosing a dog to train as an assistance dog, one of the biggest decisions you’ll make is selecting the right breed. It’s also one of the most common areas where heart and head can clash. Many people are drawn to a particular breed because they’ve always loved them — perhaps they grew up with one, admire their looks, or have heard how intelligent they are. But when training an assistance dog, the breed you love m

Assistance Dogs for Multiple Sclerosis: How They Can Change Lives

Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) can bring daily challenges — from fatigue and muscle weakness to difficulties with balance, mobility, and coordination. In the UK alone , there are now over 150,000 people currently living with MS , and about 7,100 new diagnoses each year . Globally, the figure is estimated at around 2.9 million people living with MS. But for many people, an assistance dog can make an extraordinary difference. These specially trained dogs don’t just offer

The Role of Assistance Dogs in Supporting Stroke Survivors

A stroke can change life in an instant. Everyday tasks — getting dressed, walking safely, or making a cup of tea — may suddenly become challenging. Recovery often involves finding new ways to do familiar things, rebuilding confidence, and regaining independence. One source of support that’s making a real difference for stroke survivors is the partnership between people and assistance dogs . The scale of the challenge According to the Stroke Association , stroke is one of the

Assistance Dogs for Functional Neurological Disorder (FND)

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is a complex condition that affects how the brain and body communicate. People living with FND can experience a wide range of symptoms, including seizures, limb weakness, mobility challenges, tremors, and difficulties with speech or coordination. These symptoms can be unpredictable, often fluctuating in intensity and frequency — making everyday life uncertain and sometimes frightening. Assistance dogs can provide life-changing support fo

How to Get an Assistance Dog: Your Guide to the Different Routes

An assistance dog can be life-changing, offering independence, confidence, and essential support to people with disabilities or long-term...

Assistance Dog Temperament Assessments: Is Your Dog Ready?

Before advancing to the higher stages of assistance dog training, every dog in our programme must pass a Temperament Assessment . This...

🐾 Training an Assistance Dog for a Child Handler: What Every Family Should Know

The idea of a loyal, supportive assistance dog helping a child navigate daily life is a powerful and heart-warming one. For many...

Assistance Dog, Emotional Support Dog, or Therapy Dog? Understanding the Differences and the UK Law

In the UK, dogs play an increasingly important role in supporting people’s physical and mental health. But terms like assistance dog ,...

Assistance Dog Training FAQ: Everything You Need to Know

Discover answers to the most common questions about our Assistance Dog Training Programme, including costs, suitability, tasks, certification, and how to get started with your dog

When to Start Public Access Training with Your Assistance Dog

Public access training is a crucial part of your assistance dog’s journey, but knowing when to start is just as important. Read our blog

Puppy Assistance Dog: Where to start

Embarking on the journey of training an assistance dog is a rewarding endeavour, and starting with a puppy can be a fantastic way to build a lifelong partnership. While it's important to wait until your puppy is older before diving into serious tasks or public access training, there is tremendous value in beginning early with the fundamentals. Early training isn’t about forcing your puppy into “work mode”—it’s about laying a solid foundation through positive socialisation, ba