Service Dog/public access test

K9 Alliance to TEACH LawfulAssistance Dog Public Access Self-Certification Examination Version .01 (Beta)

ADPASCE Test Worksheet

Handler name _____________________________ Animal name ______________ M/F Altered?__ Acquisition date __________ License number __________ Breed_________________DOB________ Vaccinations: _______________________________________________________________________ Exam start date __________ Completion date ______ Third party trainings: _____________________ General location of testing: ____________________________________________________________ Observers __________________________________________________________________________

Examination must include various public settings with numerous people and distractions. This should include indoor and outdoor settings including food service establishments, quiet office-style environments where the dog must be quiet and unobtrusive and public transportation. 

Final Scores 1___ 2___3___ 4___ 5___ 6___ 7 ___ 8 ___ 9 ___ 10___ Pass Fail

Grading the Assistance Dog Public Access Self-Certification Examination

A+ Exemplary performance; breed and service dog ambassador A Excels even with respect to service animal expectations B Performance superior to pet companion animals as routinely expected of service animals C Average performance typical of pet companion animals lacking special training D Poor performance which must improve prior to outings

1. Vehicular navigation/disembark: The dog is tested on manners on exit from a car, truck, van or trailer. This may be a bike trailer if that is the normal method of transit. The dog must remain calm and in control if routinely needed items are unloaded such as wheelchair, walker, crutches, oxygen tanks, etcetera.) The dog will ideally wait until "released" by command before attempting to exit the vehicle but this is not absolute. It is normal to exit with the handler, but a well-trained service dog arguably suppresses the natural spontaneous impulse to follow. However, ADPASCE permits the handler to issue a stay, sit or down command. The animal is entitled to some direction so she can distinguish between specially hazardous vehicle exits from an ordinary romp on the home-turf driveway. This command may be verbal, by hand signal, both or by manipulating the dog. The important point is that the dog can be trusted to not jump out into traffic posing a safety hazard. ADPASCE does not require you to fail a dog which requires command direction if it is not clear to exit the vehicle.

The ADPASCE is also distinct from other tests in that extra points are allowed if an animal is able to be safely off-lead in a parking lot and remain close to the vehicle in a held sit/stay/down. Other tests seem to expect that the dog will never be off-lead but if that is the case then it is not so important that the dog exhibit exemplary self-control in these potentially dangerous situations.

Generally, public access is permitted for any pet dogs in cars and parking lots, not just service dogs. Therefore if a dog needs improvement in this station it should not be a basis for a fail since skill in exiting a car in a parking lot is not a special service dog situation. It is nice if the public sees that the dog is restrained and cautious around cars but that is not the most important thing on people's minds once a dog actually enters into an area which is off-limits to pets.

An animal which needs improvement in this station can simply remain on leash, and, absent any inordinate lack of discipline, should be allowed a self-certification PASS despite the need for improvement at this station. . 

Automatic FAIL should nevertheless be self-enforced for any animal which will strain at the leash or attempt to chase vehicles or run at other dogs in a parking lot. Please do NOT attempt public access with such an animal until behavior modification has been successful. If absolutely necessary to do so please use extreme caution.

Location of test:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:___________________________ Comments _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

2. Negotiating the parking lot and public sidewalks: Handler leads canine assistant through the parking lot to approach a public building. This should be done with various type buildings: shopping centers, free standing stores and restaurants, government buildings, movie theaters and public transportation terminals. Exits must also be accomplished without excessive anxiety. There should also be a plaza or an apron which has people, wheelchairs and other dogs.

The dog should be tested to resist the distraction and fright potentially caused by cars, animals, wheel chairs, traffic or construction noise, falling objects, pneumatic drills, hammering, radios and must display a relaxed attitude through diverse distractions.Obedience trial heeling is not required but the animal should stop, start, accelerate and decelerate along with the handler. The dog accrues points for maintaining a functionally relevant “heel” or “Fuss” position with minimal verbal or manual cuing. But what is important is that the dog not pull or forge inordinately ahead without excessively frequent correction; a Halti or Gentle Leader or other special collar may be used to retest if required. If so, the dog must accept placement and you as the self-certifying handler must know how to place it on the dog. .

Automatic FAIL should nevertheless be self-enforced for any animal which will strain at the leash or attempt to chase vehicles or run at other dogs in a parking lot. Please do NOT attempt public access with such an animal until behavior modification has been successful. If absolutely necessary to do so please use extreme caution.

Location of test:_________________________________ Dates: ___________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:___________________________ Comments _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

3. Building and public transportation entrances: This station is self explanatory and the same requirements obtain as with the foregoing. It is important to train and test your dog on all types of entries. This should include revolving doors if you live in or may visit a city that has them; escalators; narrow doors, crowded doors, nloud creaky doors and doors that swing open in both directions. strain against the lead or try to push its way past the individual but must wait patiently while entry is completed.

Automatic FAIL should nevertheless be self-enforced for any animal which will strain at the leash or attempt to chase vehicles or run at other dogs in a parking lot. Please do NOT attempt public access with such an animal except as absolutely necessary, and if so use extreme caution.

Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:_________________________________ Comments_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

4. Good conduct in public interiors: This station is self explanatory and the same requirement obtain as with the foregoing. It is important to train and test your dog on all types of public spaces. Observe and grade the animal's behavior in at least one grocery store, a hotel lobby or government building and a crowded restaurant, preferably both fast food and white linen establishments. The dog must be able to walk with a slack leash without the need for obtrusive verbal or manual direction, including through crowded space and places where people are walking around rapidly. High scores accrue to an animal which is trained to know full well that however attractive the smells may be, there is little likelihood there will be any eating and begging, solicitation or sniffing of food or diners is not tolerated. The dog must be immune to cats, corners, wheelchairs, wires, cables, rolling stock, people with canes, loud music, jostling and occasionally catching a shoe or leg without tripping anyone.

Automatic fail: Any sign of aggression as a result of non-threatening crowd behavior means that you cannot self-certify the dog at this time. Please do NOT attempt public access with such an animal except as absolutely necessary, and if so use extreme caution.

Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:_________________________________ Comments_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

5. Recall It is essential that a service animal come when called. This must be demonstrated particularly when off leash, for the safety of the handler, the dog, and the public. It is also important that the dog return when on lead without the need to haul them in. The test should be conducted in a location where there are distractions and at least once where there is automobile traffic. If the dog has ever slipped off leash in an environment where there is heavy traffic, document that event and enter it into comments here. That is a much more compelling test of the animal than any formal test procedure but it is all too dangerous to include in a deliberate test scenario. As emphasized by ADI, “ [return upon] recall should be smooth and deliberate without the dog trudging to the individual or taking any detours along the way.” It is acceptable to drop down low, feign an “invisible treat” or use any other special means to communicate; the important thing is that the dog come when called, off leash or on. This test segment can also include the”dropped leash” test in which the animal is required to remain calm and accessible when the leash is dropped.

Automatic fail: Any sign of aggression when off leash or distant from the handler is especially troublesome. In this case, or if the dog bolts, runs off or requires extended cajoling, you cannot self-certify the dog at this time. Please do NOT leave the house or a fenced yard with a dog which will not return when called; if nothing else it jeopardizes the dog who may get lost or hit by a car.

Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:___________________________ Comments _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

6. Sit through distractions and unsolicited petting: The established test is that the dog will sit 3 times with no more than two commands each time. Aim though for a dog to sit and hold the sit with a single command. Self certification gains credibility to the extent that self-certifiers can make a specific claim to have exceeded other testing schemes through accredited agency hierarchies, but that is not necessarily difficult.

Testing convention also include the dog being required to sit through and resist food temptation. If your dog is properly trained, this presents no problem because your dog knows that if it wants access to the food, compliance with your directions is the fastest means of obtaining that reward. (Hint:There is no restriction on tone of voice, but it is advisable, in order to emphasize that you mean business, to use pitch variation, rather than a harsh, bossy tone as this will have a better effect on the animal and people around you.) 

A second sit is executed with a distraction such as a shopping cart going by. This should be easy. The third sit requires that someone come up from behind, talk, and pet the dog without any authorizing command from the handler. The difficulty and propriety of this part of the test is wildly variable depending upon how it is presented to the dog. It is not especially endorsed for the ADPASCE because in many low-income, high-crime neighborhoods this is not behavior which would be reasonably required of a dog. Many service animals have vests asking people not to pet, most people know they are not supposed to do so without permission, and in many jurisdictions interference with a service animal is unlawful.

However, it is advisable that the dog not be unduly alarmed by an unauthorized contact, especially from someone who has engaged the handler in friendly discussion. Holding the sit is required by the convention but not by law or regulation. Self-certifiers can use their judgement with respect to whether or not toinsist upon a held sit but a verbal or other command to hold sit is a very good way to make sure that the dog does not respond with undue defensiveness or aggression. Any protective value of the dog is not damaged if the dog knows that the sit command means to not become protective. Thus, the ADI convention does not necessarily ruin a dog for use in a high crime context.

The important thing is to be aware of expectations of a service animal and be sure that the dog behaves within a ranger of acceptable behaviors consistent with your particular situation.

Automatic fail: Any sign of inappropriate aggression as a result of a come-from-behind pet from someone engaged in friendly conversations means that you cannot self-certify the dog at this time. Please do NOT attempt public access with such an animal until this unskilled behavior has been re-trained, except as absolutely necessary, and if so use extreme caution.

Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:___________________________ Comments__________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

7. Platz (down) on command- This repeats station (6) as above. The food may be up on a table with the dog of course on the ground or floor. However, the precedent includes petting from both child and adult hence it is important to test and document a favorable response to both. “Verbal and physical corrects” are permitted for the precedent tests hence it is advantageous if you can record that your self-certified animal exceeds that standard, ie. If your dog holds Platz without the need for coaching you can claim that your self-certified dog exceeds the establishment certification protocol if and only if you document the claim and maintain the dog in that skill level.

The ADI-PAT calls for only “normal, reasonable behavior on the part of these helpers, with no “extraordinary gestures”. Since many service dogs wear “Do Not Pet” or “Ask to Pet” vests, an unauthorized physical contact with the the animal is not so ordinary but it is very useful to evaluate, control and train animal response to it.

Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:_________________________________ Comments_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

8. Falling object/noise- The convention is for a helper to drop a clipoard behind the dog and handler. Startle is acceptive but inordinate fear, trembling or aggression are prohibited. This is of course very easy to train for, and a diligent self-certification process would repeat the test with various objects, large and small. Thus, the self-certification can boast a status in which the dog exceeds the good conduct convention. Unless your dog has inordinate phobias, a general reduction of anxiety resulting from your love and attention will assure that your dog will take unexpected noises in stride.

Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:_________________________________ Comments_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 9. Emergency preparedness- crates, muzzles and alternative tack The dog is willing to accept an effective soft or wire muzzle in the event of a fire, earthquake or other emergency situation, even if the dog is not considered to be a bite risk. Civil authorities or public opinion may require one and your ability to safely navigate a crowd may depend upon people’s perception that the dog will be safe. You should also be able to put a Halti or Gentle leader, a harness and a backpack on the dog in case these are needed or are all that is available. It is valuable if the service dog can be exposed to fire drills and learn not to panic when there is a fire; this may be trainable and testable through community emergency response training or at the sideline of a fire or other emergency in progress. If the dog has experienced an earthquake,flood,hurricane,tornado,tropical storm or flood ir is useful to document the dog's calm behavior during such incidents. Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:_________________________________ Comments_________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________

10.. Dog can be handled by appropriate third persons including emergency responders On command, the dog is willing to allow a helper to take the dog’s leash and hold the dog while the handler walks away. If the nature of the handler's disabilities result in loss of consciousness the dog must allow third parties such as paramedics to approach and handle the dog's handler without aggression. The dog must sit to meet and greet people on command without aggression and must submit to children with flawless nonviolence. It is not impermissible for the dog to be protective in the presence of threatening strangers particularly after dark on the streets provided this behavior is carefully controlled and kept within reasonable bounds. Such behavior maybe controversial or place the dog's status at risk if it is trained into the dog; check with legal advisers if this is an issue. Crime deterence which occurs as a result of the mere presence of the animal should not be a problem provided the dog does not appear to present a risk to public safety of law abiding persons. A service animal should be trained to respond in a low key, easy going manner to law enforcement and emergency personnel and this should be demonstrated and tested under a variety of conditions including emergencies in progress, accidents and vehicular stops. A service dog should allow medical personnel to examine and treat the handler' if the dog and handler live in a high crime area the dog should be capable of distinguishing low risk and high risk persons and relax protectiveness on command and, if the handler is unconcsious, by virtue of the dog's ability to judge the intentions and character of the third party. Location(s) of testing:_________________________________ Dates: _______________ Score ___ Videotapes _________________________ Also present:_________________________________ Comments_________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

K9 Alliance to TEACH

LawfulAssistance Dog Public Access Self-Certification Examination

Version .01 (Beta)

Bus/train endorsement

Check or grade each item

The service dog must be able to wait at the side of the track or on the curb as the bus or train approaches and shall not attempt to board until signalled to do so. The dog shall wait courteously while fare is being paid and ideally shall sit. The dog must then immediately take position below the seat or as otherwise required. The dog should ignore passengers unless commanded to greet. On long trips, the dog must utilize station stops to excrete and wait between stops. In case of emergency, the dog should signal a need to go and this should not occur except for rare instances involving dietary, infection or extended periods between stops The dog should be capable of utilizing pads in train bathrooms if necessary and/or tolerate diapering. The dog must debark the train and the platform in a safe manner and remain calm when trains or buses pull into or leave the station. The dog must tolerate baggage trucks of all kinds, crowds of people, waiting in line and the presence of food, children and noise.

First time training ride of short duration occurred on ______________________________________ (Or this is the first ride Y/N) Complete a separate sheet for each ride or each ride of greater length than previous rides.

Train or bus company:_____________ Payment record at _______________ Overall grade ___

Videotapes _________________________ Also present:________ Length of trip _____________

Train/bus___________Departing from __________________ Date/Time _________ Track______ __________ Arriving at _______________ Date/Time _________ Baggage___________ Train was Packed/crowded/moderately crowded/ not at all crowded Rough sections of ride? Y/N Hot? Y/N Did you walk between cars? ______ Visit bar or cafeteria or lounge car? Y/N _______ Interactions with other passengers and crew______________________________________________ Statements or interactions regarding service dog status at time of booking______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Statements or interactions regarding service dog status at time of train ride__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Comments_________________________________________ continue on other sheet as needed