The Scottish Assistance Dog Association
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Public Access Preparation Award
Description of Exercises
Aim
This award aims to encourage handlers to train and prepare their dog for public access. This includes coping with distractions they may come across such as other dogs, food areas, people petting without permission, people behaving in an erratic manner, shopping trollies and noises. The dog should be under control around food and not sniff or try to take it. They should be able to lie where they are not causing obstruction, sit between their handlers feet in a queue and settle for a long period of time. The dog should be housetrained and demonstrate toileting on cue. Handlers will also be provided with a basic knowledge of public access etiquette and the legislation for assistance dogs.
Eligibility
Dogs must be a member of the Scottish ADA Assistance Dog Programme. They must have already passed the Kennel Club Bronze Award or equivalent and it would be preferable for them to have also passed the Kennel Club Silver Award or equivalent.
Standard Required
Examiners should ensure that teams are of a standard that will allow them to do public access in non dog friendly areas so as not to cause a nuisance to the public or the businesses themselves.
The Test
May be done singly or in groups. Dogs will either pass or be deemed not ready for each exercise. Dogs passing all exercises will receive a certificate from the Scottish Assistance Dog Association for an Award in Public Access Preparation
Description of Exercises
Exercise 1 - Equipment and Identification
The dog should have on a well-fitting and maintained collar or more preferably a harness. For public access while it is not law for a dog to wear identification as an assistance dog it is advised that they do to allow businesses to identify them and to avoid challenge by them.
Exercise 2 - Toilet on cue
The handler should take the dog to an appropriate place and cue the dog to toilet. The dogs may sniff and move around for a minute or so before toileting.
Exercise 3 - Watch me with Distractions
a) strange dog
b) stranger petting without permission
c) shopping trolly (this may be replaced by a child’s buggy if not available)
d) loud noise
e) stranger shouting and moving erratically
The dog may look at the distraction but must then orientate back onto the handler. The handler may give one or two watch me cues during the distraction.
Exercise 4 - Walk past 3 food containers on the ground.
The food containers should have three different foods in them including meat and cheese. They should all be human foodstuffs not dog food. They should be placed in a straight line approx. 6 feet apart and the dog walked up one side of them and down the other. The dog must be walked close enough that they could take the food if so inclined to and should walk on a loose lead. Handlers may verbally cue the dog but a dog needing lead restraint to prevent them taking the food should be deemed not ready.
Exercise 5 - Sit next to 3 food containers
Using the same set up as Exercise 2 the dog should be walked along the line of containers being cued to sit next to each of them. They should sit next to each container for 10 seconds before moving on. If a dog is showing interest in the container they may be verbally cued to look away but any dog requiring physical restraint should be deemed not ready. The 10 second count should start when the dog is sitting steadily.
Exercise 6 - Sit between handlers legs
On cue the dog should move from in front of the handlers legs to sitting between the handler feet facing the same way as the handler. If the dog is too large to do this they may sit directly in front of the handlers feet.
Exercise 7 - Tuck
The owner should be sitting in a chair. The dog should be cued to Tuck and should if a small dog move under the chair and settle. If a larger dog that cannot fit under the chair they should move under the handlers legs lying between them and the chair.
Exercise 8 - Long Settle
The dog should be settled 10 minutes next to their sitting owner a blanket or mat may be used. This is not a stay exercise so the dog may move position slightly but should not get up or move off the mat. The handler can chat, read or be on phone during this exercise. They may occasionally speak to or pet the dog but this should not be more than 4 times during the exercise.
Exercise 9 – Demonstrate one trained task
The team should be able to demonstrate one of the tasks they chose to help them in the Task Preparation Assessment.
Exercise 10 – Assistance Dog Law
The handler should be able to name the act that regulates assistance dog law. They should be able to give a brief description of what it covers.
Exercise 11 - Reasons a business may refuse access
The handler should be able to name three reasons why a business may refuse access.