Assistance Dog Specialist Program – Dog Training College

Course Content

Module 1 - What is an assistance dog?

Lesson 1 – What is an assistance dog?

Lesson 2 – What makes an assistance dog?

Lesson 3 – Types of assistance dogs and their work

Lesson 4 – Organisation or owner trained?

Lesson 5 – What makes an assistance dog trainer?

Module 2 - Assistance dogs and the law

Lesson 1 – Dangerous Dogs Act

Lesson 2 – Equality Act 2010

Lesson 3 – Disability Discrimination Act

Lesson 4 – How this translates into reality

Module 3 - Choosing and raising an assistance dog

Lesson 1 – Choosing an assistance dog

Lesson 2 – When to start training

Lesson 3 – Equipment for assistance dogs

Module 4 - Health and welfare

Lesson 1 – Physical health and welfare

Lesson 2 – Emotional health and welfare

Lesson 3 – Handler health and welfare

Lesson 4 – Canine body language & handling stress

Module 5 - Supporting the handler

Lesson 1 – Types of disabilities

Lesson 2 – Training skills

Lesson 3 – Building the handler/AD relationship

Module 6 - Life skills in practice

Lesson 1 – Skills needed in public #1

Lesson 2 – Skills needed in public #2

Lesson 3 – Skills needed in public #3

Module 7 - Public Access Training

Lesson 1 – Teaching “Paw Target”

Lesson 2 – Teaching “Retrieve” to “Door Pull”

Lesson 3 – Teaching “Impulse Control”

Lesson 4 – Teaching “Pattern Games”

Lesson 5 – Advancing “Mousey Mousey” (frustration tolerance)

Lesson 6 – Demonstrating “Deep Pressure Therapy”

Lesson 7 – Teaching “Paws Up”

Lesson 8 – Teaching “Responding to an alarm”

Lesson 9 – Teaching “Stop”

Lesson 10 – Teaching “Medical Alert”

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