Training assistance dogs in Ontario since 2018 · 60 dogs trained Verify a credential  ·  hello@sensorydogs.ca
HomeCredentials

Two credentials, not one.

A public access dog is a long commitment that many people do not need and cannot sustain — and most of the benefit lives at home. So we issue two different credentials, and we will talk you out of the bigger one if it is not right for you.

Home & private settings
SD-C
Sensory Companion Dog

Deep pressure, night settle, recovery after escalation, transition support. Makes no public access claim — and says so on the card.

  • Minimum 2 trained tasks
  • 60 documented training hours
  • In-Home assessment module
  • 4–6 months typical
  • Valid 12 months
Public access
SD-A
Sensory Assistance Dog

Everything above, plus full public access training and assessment. A travel endorsement, SD-A(T), can be added.

  • Minimum 3 trained tasks
  • 120 hours, incl. 30 in public
  • In-Home + Public Access modules
  • 12–12 months typical
  • Valid 12 months

The travel endorsement

SD-A(T) is an endorsement added to a current SD-A, never issued on its own. It is dual-scored by two independent assessors and always video recorded, because it is the credential most likely to be relied on by someone who has never met you.

What it does and does not do

It records that your team met our travel readiness standard, including a 120-minute continuous settle in a footwell-sized space — the item most teams fail.

It does not oblige any airline to carry your dog in the cabin. Carriers set their own criteria and may require their own assessment. See air travel for the honest version.

What every credential carries

A unique, verifiable numberFormat SDC-[CLASS]-[YEAR]-[NNNNN]. Checkable by anyone at our verification page, with no account needed.
Verify →
The named tasksPrinted on the card. Not “trained for anxiety” — the specific behaviours the dog demonstrated on assessment day.
The standard →
The assessor’s IDIdentifying who scored the team, and confirming they had no training relationship with it.
Independence →
An expiry dateTwelve months. Recertification is a full re-assessment, never a paper renewal. There is no renew-by-payment path.
Requirements →
A plain disclaimer“This is not a government document.” On the face of every card, at readable size, because it is true.
Why →

Not sure which one you need?

That is what the free consult is for. Most people arrive asking for SD-A and leave realising SD-C is what would actually change their week.

Book a free consult