Certified Course 
Accredited Course Full Public Access○ Public Access Manners;
○ Deep Pressure Therapy for Calming Effect;
○ Tactile Stimulation to Disrupt the Overload;
○ Crowd Control, Panic Prevention in Public;
○ Aircraft Training;
○ Assistance in Crisis
Find the complete learning plan in the Syllabus below.
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Psychiatric assistance dogs are highly trained service dogs that are specifically trained to assist individuals with a wide range of mental health disabilities such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more. These dogs provide a wide range of support, including alerting to and interrupting harmful behaviors, providing comfort during panic attacks, and more.
This course is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to train psychiatric assistance dogs. Our expert trainers will guide you through every step of the training process, from basic obedience training to more advanced tasks specific to psychiatric assistance work.
Through this course, you will learn about the different types of psychiatric assistance dogs, their temperament, and how to select the right dog for this work. You will also learn how to train them to perform specific tasks to assist individuals with mental health disabilities and how to address behavioral issues that may arise during training.
Our comprehensive course includes instructional videos, written materials, and quizzes to help you understand and apply the concepts you learn. You will have access to our expert trainers and online support throughout the course.
By the end of this course, you will have the skills and knowledge to train your own psychiatric assistance dog and might make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals with mental health disabilities. We are excited to have you on this journey with us, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact you will make.
Individuals who suffer from mental illnesses such as PTSD, Panic Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, Mental Abuse, etc., who are in the process of training their own pet dog to become an assistance dog to deal with their psychiatric disabilities, or who are planning to adopt or pick out a dog and train them to become a psychiatric service dog in the near future.
We generally recommend psychiatric assistance dogs be owner-trained with professional guidance from our tutor trainer, because psychiatric assistance dogs need to establish a particular bond with the user to most effectively mitigate disabling symptoms. Being in contact with the dog makes it possible for the dog to learn to recognize (and then respond to) departures from an individual’s baseline emotional or physiological state.
A Psychiatric Assistance Dog (PAD) is a highly trained service dog that is specifically trained to assist individuals with mental health disabilities such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more. These dogs are trained to perform tasks that can help mitigate the symptoms of the individual's disability and improve their overall quality of life. They provide a wide range of support, including alerting to and interrupting harmful behaviors, providing comfort during panic attacks, and more.
To qualify for an assistance dog, an individual must have a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. They must also have the ability to care for and handle an assistance dog. Additionally, they must be able to provide a safe and stable living environment for the dog.
Psychiatric Assistance Dogs (PADs) are trained to perform a variety of tasks to help their handlers with their mental health disabilities. Some examples of tasks that a PAD may perform include:
• Alerting to and interrupting harmful behaviors: PADs can be trained to recognize when their handler is engaging in harmful behaviors, such as self-harm, and to interrupt the behavior by nudging, pawing, or licking their handler. They can also alert others to the situation if needed.
• Providing deep pressure therapy: PADs can be trained to provide deep pressure therapy by applying pressure to their handler's body during anxiety attacks or other moments of distress. This can help to calm the handler and reduce their symptoms.
• Retrieving medication or other necessary items: PADs can be trained to retrieve medication, water, or other necessary items for their handler during times of need.
• Providing comfort during panic attacks: PADs can be trained to provide comfort to their handler during panic attacks by cuddling, licking, or simply being present and providing a sense of security.
These are just a few examples of the many tasks that PADs can be trained to perform to help their handlers with their mental health disabilities. The specific tasks that a PAD performs will depend on the individual's needs and the training that the dog has received.
You can obtain a PAD from specialized programs that train dogs for this purpose. Applicants must meet specific requirements, and the cost can be high, with waiting lists for a suitable match spanning several years. You can also train your own PAD. If you already have a dog and are considering training them to be a Psychiatric Assistance Dog, it makes sense financially and in terms of time that you train your own assistance dog with the help of specific instructions.
Properly training your dog to be an assistance dog takes about six months to a year, but with the help of SDTSI and our professional trainer tutor, you can usually do it in less time. PAD dogs are trained both privately with the handler he will assist and publicly to ensure he is comfortable and obedient around people.
Yes, if the local law requires pet dogs to be licensed and registered, then psychiatric assistance dogs must be as well. Local law requiring vaccinations for pets also applies to assistance dogs.
Generally, assistance dogs must be allowed to accompany their handlers in all areas that members of the public may go. A handler is entitled to bring their assistane dog into these areas even if it won’t perform its service during the visit. Assistance dogs may be excluded from certain areas of an otherwise public-serving facility. To learn more, please go to Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA.
In the UK and EU, Psychiatric Assistance Dogs (PADs) are recognized as assistance dogs / service animals and are afforded certain access rights in public spaces. These rights are protected under the Equality Act 2010 in the UK, and similar legislation in other EU countries.
Under this legislation, PADs are allowed to accompany their handlers in all public spaces, including restaurants, shops, and public transportation. Additionally, PADs are allowed to accompany their handlers in most housing situations, even in buildings that have "no pets" policies. Owners of PADs do not have to pay fees or deposits to their landlord or housing association in order to have a PAD in their residence.
Similarly, under EU law, the European Disability Rights Directive requires member states to ensure that service animals, including PADs, are granted full access rights to public spaces and other services. This includes access to transportation, housing, and other public accommodations.
Below are examples of places a psychiatric assistance dog has access to:
⊛ Housing – apartment buildings, condos, rentals, hotels, college dorms, short-term rentals (Airbnb)
⊛ Transportation – airplanes, taxis, and trains
⊛ Public spaces – restaurants, offices, beaches, stores, parks, markets
No matter where you take your PAD, it’s always important to keep in mind that if your PAD is misbehaving it can be asked to leave the premises. Assistance dogs can be denied entry if they are acting aggressively, barking or growling repeatedly, or causing an unsanitary condition. A psychiatric assistance dog must be under the handler’s control when out in public.
be in possession of a very well-behaved assistance dog and your dog partner will be Certified as An Assistance Dog with all the training records by SERVICEDOG TRAINING SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL.
The digital certificate of achievement will be delivered to your email inbox within 24 hours. To view a sample of the award, please click here.
It means your dog has been trained to perform the work or tasks as a psychiatric assistance dog.
The primary purpose of certification is to ensure that your dog is fully trained and able to perform psychiatric assistance dog work and that you, the handler, understand how to lead your Assistance Dog/Service Dog through everyday situations, such as going to a store, a park, a hospital, a care home or any other public place.
◉ Airlines are permitted to deny transport to an assistance dog if it:
○ Violates safety requirements - e.g., too large or heavy to be accommodated in the cabin;
○ Poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others;
○ Causes a significant disruption in the cabin or at airport gate areas; or
○ Violates health requirements - e.g., prohibited from entering a U.S. territory or foreign country.
◉ Airlines are permitted to deny transport to an assistance dog if the assistance dog user/handler is unable to explain what specific work or task the dog has been trained to do. Personal information about the individual's disability can not be required.
◉ Airlines may deny transport to an assistance dog that is accompanying a person with a disability if a Department of Transportation (DOT) service animal form is required, but it has not been completed and submitted by the service dog handler/user in a timely manner.
This form is essential in providing the airline with information about the assistance animal, such as its age, size, breed, and behavior, as well as details about the handler/user.
Upon completion of this Certified Intensive Service Dog Course, you will receive a training certificate as proof of your dog's legitimacy and will also be eligible for our Air Travel Training Program.
Our team will be by your side to help you prepare the assistance animal air transportation form and other documentation that may be required.
Emotional Support Animals are not allowed to fly in the passenger cabin free of charge. You can find more information in our article New 2023 Rules and Restriction for Flying with Service Dogs (and ESA).
This covers the basics of what a psychiatric assistance dog is and core fundamentals you need to know before you begin training, including:
‣ Definition and purpose of psychiatric assistance dogs
‣ Laws and regulations governing psychiatric assistance dogs
‣ Types of psychiatric disabilities that assistance dogs can help with
This lesson helps you to pick your assistance dog breed. You'll learn:
‣ Breeds of dogs commonly used as psychiatric assistance dogs
‣ How to select a dog for psychiatric assistance work
‣ Training and temperament requirements for psychiatric assistance dogs
Here, we'll explain the core components of our highly effective, reward-based positive training method, and you'll learn:
‣ Understand your dog
‣ How a dog learns
‣ How to reward your dog
‣ Canine Nutrition
‣ Feeding Assistance Dogs
‣ Common Health Issues and Preventative Care
‣ Obedience commands such as sit, stay, come, and heel
‣ Teaching dogs to walk on a leash
‣ Building a strong foundation for more advanced training
‣ Specific tasks that psychiatric assistance dogs can be trained to perform, such as interrupting self-harm behaviors, providing tactile stimulation during panic attacks, and retrieving medication
‣ Techniques for training dogs to perform these tasks reliably and consistently
‣ Teaching dogs to behave appropriately in public settings such as restaurants, stores, and public transportation
‣ Handling distractions and teaching the dog to remain calm and focused in busy environments
‣ Advanced training for psychiatric assistance dogs, including task refinement and proofing
‣ Preparing the dog and handler for the final evaluation and certification process
At the end of each training session, our tutor team will conduct an online evaluation of your training progress. You will be asked to complete a quiz and submit photos and videos of your dog performing specific tasks and exhibiting proper public behaviors. This method of continual assessment ensures that your personal trainer can consistently monitor your training progress, provide you with assistance throughout the course, and prepare you for final certification and public testing.
All study materials
⊛ 8 lessons
⊛ 16 videos
⊛ 8 exams
⊛ 6hrs 36m time to complete
⊛ Certificate upon completion
Study and Training Guide
Full Tutor and Admin support
The course fee includes the printable assistance dog certificate. The digital copy will be sent within 24 hours upon successful course completion.
