The power of standards
The assistance dog concept needs universal trust. Standards make this trust possible.
Our ISO‑style processes follow international conformity assessment principles and quality management. That’s how we provide comprehensive, comparable, fair, and well-documented certification with clear impartiality controls, independent decision-making, and continual improvement. Audit‑grade video minimizes bias and documents every step objectively and transparently, protecting privacy through controlled access, consent, and defined retention.
Within this rigorous third-party framework, processes are carefully tailored to the individual requirements of each assistance dog teampartnership of a human with disabilities permanently living with a dog qualified to mitigate the impairments.
Within our certification scheme, national requirements and practices may be considered once they are submitted for inclusion in the certification scheme.
Why it matters
Reliable, qualified assistance dog teams and universal acceptance of the concept don’t happen by chance.
A system is needed that protects human autonomy, the dog’s welfare, and public confidence through independent structure and verifiable trust.
Quality is a process
Our certification and quality management follow the principles that guide ISO standards. Continuous improvement is ensured through regular, diligent feedback loops. We work with assistance dog experts — both handlers and service providers — as well as governments, funders, animal welfare and civil society to create a certification scheme that is a living system, not just rigid regulation:
Because quality is not a checklist — it’s a matter of trust.
Our certification scheme
While a third-party certification body conducts the certifications and decisions, the Assistance Dog Foundation is the independent scheme owner. This approach is the result of a detailed review of existing standards and assessments. It found that none of them were suitable to operate as an independent international ISO certification scheme.
Most assessments largely focus on the dog. They ignore the fact that the handler’s competence is key to the success of this human-dog partnership. Our certification scheme explicitly honors the role of the handler as the leader responsible for the success of the team.
As of 2025, our certification scheme is in its final validation phase. Publication is expected for the spring of 2026. Stakeholders and policymakers are invited to contribute their thoughts and requirements. If you have not been contacted and would like to join in, please contact us.
The following informed our current certification scheme:
- The European CEN standard “Assistance Dogs” (EN 17984-1 to -6) and extensive discourse with experts in all its technical committees.
- Publications by professional associations Assistance Dog International (ADI) and International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF)
- The Austrian regulation, administered by the Messerli Institute,
- Guide Dog and Service Dog Regulation by British Columbia, Canada, the Service Dog Pass from AKC, and various assessments worldwide.
- The German Assistance DogOrdinance, “AHundV”, detailing specifics regarding §12 e-l BGG, and years of advisory to the German government and the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
- The quality criteria of the German health insurance regarding guide dogs for the blind (“Qualitätskriterien”).
- The assistance dog assessment by the German BHV.
What is quality management?
Perfection is impossible. Quality management treats quality as a process: documented procedures, monitoring, and regular reviews drive improvement. We continuously collect feedback from all stakeholders and act on it.
We standardize how we assess, not how a team works. Individual solutions are welcome when they meet safety and welfare criteria. Our process acknowledges the highly individual character of the assistance dog concept. We therefore ensure that our standardized processes are not contradicting individuality.
We commit to rigorous and humane quality management.
Our scheme follows documented processes, independent oversight, and ongoing improvement aligned with ISO-principles. We consider all stakeholders: handlers, dogs, professionals, the public, and funders. We measure what matters, review objectives and results, and act on evidence.
All this, to protect the team’s welfare and the public’s trust.
