We publish what we hold, what we are working toward, and — just as importantly — what we do not claim. Anyone can check every item on this page independently.
There is no government accreditation for assistance dog programmes in Canada outside provincial guide-dog legislation. Any organisation claiming to be "government approved" or "nationally registered" is describing something that does not exist.
What does exist is a set of recognised international standards, professional certifications held by individual trainers, and membership bodies with real admission requirements. Below is exactly where we stand against each — including where we fall short.
Assistance Dogs International sets the benchmark for the global assistance dog industry. Our published standard is built to meet or exceed ADI's minimum standards for assistance dogs in public, and our Public Access Module is based on the ADI Public Access Test.
We are not an ADI member. ADI accreditation requires non-profit status, which we do not currently hold. We consider membership a goal, not a claim.
Visit ADI →Our Travel Readiness Module is designed around the behavioural expectations implied by the federal accessible transportation regulations for dogs in an aircraft cabin — including sustained settle in a footwell-sized space, relief scheduling, and screening procedures.
Meeting our standard does not oblige any carrier to accept a dog. Carriers set their own criteria and may require their own assessment.
Read the CTA guide →Our eligibility requirements track the regulated health professions listed in AODA O. Reg. 191/11 s. 80.45 — including occupational therapists, physicians, psychologists, and psychotherapists. We do not diagnose and we do not assess disability. We assess dogs and teams.
Read the regulation →Independently examined, requires documented training hours, and must be maintained through continuing education. Certificants are listed on CCPDT's public register and can be verified by anyone.
Verify on the CCPDT register →A six-month certification programme in applied behaviour analysis and positive reinforcement training, with an in-person practical assessment.
Visit KPA →The Canadian peer body for assistance dog schools. We are working toward the admission requirements and will publish the outcome either way.
Air Canada opened an assessment path for owner-trained service dogs in 2026, delivered through an approved partner. We are not that partner. Our Travel Readiness Module prepares teams to meet it, and becoming an approved assessment provider is a stated long-term goal.
Publishing this is unusual. We think it is the fastest way to tell us apart from the sites selling certificates.