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

Four ways we work, and three routes to a credential. Most families do not need the most expensive option, and we will tell you which one you actually need — including when the answer is “none of these, yet.”

By condition

Who we work with

A settled dog resting on grass

Autism & sensory

Deep pressure, trained interruption, grounding, elopement response, and night settle — for children and adults with autism or sensory processing disorder.

See the program →
A dog working beside its handler on a walk

PTSD

Grounding on trigger, interruption of escalation and nightmares, space-making in crowds, and room checks — for veterans, first responders, and civilians.

See the program →
A young dog being assessed

Anxiety & ADHD

Routine anchoring, transition support, and interruption of rumination or repetitive behaviour. Assessed under the same standard as every other credential.

Talk to us →
A calm facility dog

Facility dogs

For schools, clinics, OT practices, and child advocacy centres. Handled by staff, working with many people rather than one.

How it works →

Three pathways

However you get there, the standard is the same.

Have us train the dog, train it yourself with us coaching you, or bring a dog you have already trained and put it through assessment. All three end at the same credential, assessed by the same independent assessors, against the same published standard.

PATHWAY 01

We train the dog

For families who need the work done for them.

  • Candidate sourcing and selection
  • Foundation and task training with us
  • Structured handover to your family
  • Six months of post-placement support
  • Independent assessment included
Typically 12–12 months
Enquire
Most families start here
PATHWAY 02

You train, we coach

For families with the time and a suitable dog.

  • Written plan built around your needs
  • Weekly online, monthly in person
  • Full curriculum and training logs
  • Milestone checks before you present
  • Independent assessment included
Typically 6–12 months · Canada-wide
Start here
PATHWAY 03

Certify a dog you’ve trained

For handlers who have already done the work.

  • Pre-assessment screening call
  • Health and temperament verification
  • Full assessment against the standard
  • Written report either way
  • Credential, card, and attestation letter
Usually one to two sessions
Request an assessment

Our assessors are paid the same whether a team passes or fails, and they are never the people who trained the dog. That is the whole reason a pass means anything.

Facility dogs

Dogs that work with a room, not a person.

A facility dog is handled by a staff member and works with many people across a day — a class of students, a caseload of clients, a waiting room. The training overlaps heavily with assistance work, but the assessment is different: the dog has to be neutral to constant novelty and handled competently by more than one person.

We place and support facility dogs in schools, occupational therapy and paediatric clinics, dental practices, and child advocacy settings. Institutions get a named handler protocol, staff training, and annual reassessment.

Enquire about a facility dog

What’s included

  • Candidate selection against facility temperament criteria
  • Primary and backup handler training
  • Written site protocol and welfare limits
  • Annual reassessment and refresher
  • Retirement and successor planning