Within the UK there is no legal requirement for an assistance dog to be trained by anyone specific. This means that there are multiple ways that you can acquire an assistance dog.

Programme trained dogs

When people think of assistance dogs, these are the dogs they generally think of. Programme trained dogs are dogs which are bred or acquired by an assistance dog organisation and then trained by them. They are then placed as a fully trained assistance dog with a disabled individual. Some programmes may have handler involvement in some areas of their training while others this will not be the case. Each assistance dog programme is unique in how they place their dogs and other factors such as cost and eligibility criteria. Programme trained dogs often have the longest waiting lists out of any training option, but you don’t have the stress of training a dog yourself.

Aided-Owner Training

Aided-Owner Training is known by multiple names and is a sub-category of owner training where you train your own assistance dog with the help of an assistance dog organisation. Generally this means you must pass internal assessments and follow certain rules when training an assistance dog. You generally have to acquire a dog yourself or have a current pet dog to train under these organisations. This can be a good way to provide structure to owner training and have ongoing support when you need it. Some non-organisation assistance dog training providers may come under this category if they have a structured assistance dog pathway.

Owner Training

Owner Training is when you train the dog yourself with or without a trainer. There is no legal standards to train to but it is generally recommended an assistance dog reaches the IAADP Minimum Training Standards for Public Access