Assistance Dog Training
Building Skills, Confidence and Teamwork
The journey towards becoming an Assistance Dog team happens step by step.
After completing Level 1 – Obedience & Manners, you and your dog move into Level 2, where the focus is on strengthening those foundation skills and developing greater consistency before progressing into the Assistance Dog stages of the program.
Each level builds on the one before, allowing you and your dog to progress together at a pace suited to your development as a team.
Level 2 – Building Consistency
Level 2 is about taking everything you and your dog learned in Level 1 – Obedience & Manners and making those skills more consistent and reliable.
During this level, the focus is on helping your dog respond confidently and reliably while working around greater distractions.
Rather than continually introducing new exercises, we want to see the foundations from Level 1 becoming part of your everyday teamwork.
Before progressing to Level 3, you and your dog need to demonstrate the consistency, behaviour and teamwork required to move into the Learner stage of the Assistance Dog Program.
Level 3 – Learner Level
This is an exciting milestone in your Assistance Dog journey.
Once you and your dog are ready to progress from Level 2, you will move into Level 3 – Learner Level, where the focus begins to shift towards Assistance Dog training.
Your dog will receive the “L” Learner Jacket, recognising that you are now progressing through the Learner stage of the program.
Training begins to build on your strong foundations while developing the calm behaviour, confidence, reliability and skills needed for Assistance Dog work.
You and your dog will continue learning together, gradually working in different situations and around everyday distractions.
Level 4 – Developing Your Assistance Dog Skills
After successfully completing the Learner Level, you and your dog move into Level 4.
This stage builds on everything you have achieved so far.
Training continues to develop your dog’s Assistance Dog skills while strengthening reliability, confidence and the ability to work calmly with you in different situations and environments.
The emphasis remains on you and your dog working together as a team, with skills becoming increasingly reliable as you progress.
Level 5 – Training Tailored to You
Every Assistance Dog partnership is different.
Level 5 is where training becomes more specific to you and your individual needs.
Together, we work on the particular tasks your dog may need to perform to support you in everyday life.
Depending on your needs and your dog’s abilities, this may include tasks such as:
- Retrieving a mobile phone, keys or other items
- Opening or closing doors, drawers or cupboards
- Turning lights on or off
- Pressing pedestrian-crossing buttons
- Trained positioning, including block or cover
- Interrupting certain behaviours
- Night-time assistance
- Other individually required Assistance Dog tasks
Not every Assistance Dog will learn the same tasks. The training is developed around what you need your dog to do and what your dog can perform safely and reliably.
Training in Everyday Environments
An Assistance Dog needs to be able to work calmly and reliably beyond the training ground.
As you and your dog progress through the program, training may move into appropriate everyday environments where you can practise working together around real-life distractions.
The aim is to develop a dog that can remain calm, responsive and focused while working with you in different situations.
Training You and Your Dog
At Melton Assistance Dogs, we don’t simply train your dog for you.
We teach you how to train and work with your own dog.
You are an important part of the training process.
As you progress through each level, you will learn how to communicate clearly with your dog, build reliability and continue practising the skills you have learned between training sessions.
The result we are working towards is not simply a well-trained dog, but a confident and reliable partnership between you and your dog.
Progressing Through the Program
Every handler-and-dog team develops at a different pace.
Progression from one level to the next is based on your development as a team and your dog’s ability to demonstrate the behaviour, reliability and skills required at each stage.
The pathway is:
Level 1 – Obedience & Manners
Foundation skills
↓
Level 2 – Building Consistency
Strengthening and developing reliability in the skills learned in Level 1
↓
Level 3 – Learner Level
Beginning Assistance Dog training and receiving the “L” Learner Jacket
↓
Level 4 – Developing Assistance Dog Skills
Building greater confidence, reliability and working skills
↓
Level 5 – Training Tailored to You
Developing specific Assistance Dog tasks based on your individual needs
Ready to Learn More?
If you’re interested in working towards training your own Assistance Dog, your journey begins by developing strong foundations with your dog.