Psychiatric Service Dogs

What is a Psychiatric Service Dog?

Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are dogs that are specially trained to work with people who have certain kinds of mental illnesses or learning disabilities. These dogs can help their owners perform tasks that they otherwise might not be able to do or help them to live a more independent lifestyle. These dogs are trained to work in public spaces and are required to pass a public access test 3 times in 3 difference environments in order to receive certification from Partners with Paws. Currently in Ontario there is no legal certification required, but we expect our dogs to work to higher than industry standards. Currently (2022), the only legal documentation required to obtain a service dog is a Dr’s note. Sample Dr’s note

What tasks do PSD perform? (This is not an exhaustive list)

Our dogs are trained specifically to the clients needs, however these are a few of the tasks that are generally trained:

  • Interrupt harmful behavior,
  • prevent its handler from lapsing into a panic attack,
  • provide calming pressure if the handler faints,
  • guide a person out of an alarming situation,
  • circle the handler to create personal space,
  • use its body to block other people,
  • turn on the lights if the handler needs nightmare interruption. Retrieval of items like medication and water.
What is the process of applying for a Service Dog?

Step 1:

Complete the online application.

STOP! before you complete the application its important to read through the following very thoroughly.

All dogs in our program are owned by Partners with Paws for the duration of their life. This allows us to advocate for the health of our dogs.

Before completing the application you will need to decide which training path you would like to journey with us on. Fully Trained or Assisted Handler Trained

Fully trained:
A puppy raiser trains the pup from 8 weeks – 1 year. Our puppy raisers focus on the Public Access training. Once the pup is ready to graduate we will match the pup to a client to continue with the task specific training. It is expected of all our clients to work with us to task train any of our pups.

Assisted Handler Trained:
The client is matched with a Partners with Paws puppy at 8 weeks and works closely with our team to train the puppy. This is effectively what a puppy raiser does but with the hope that the dog will graduate for the handler. There is always the possibility of the dog not being the right match or the dog not graduating.

Step 2: Once you have completed the online application you will need to submit all the documents on the document list. Only once we receive all documents on the document list, will we consider your application. It’s best to submit your document at the same time as your application to avoid it getting lost.

Step 3: We will schedule a zoom call with the applications team.

Step 4: After the zoom call you will meet with one of our trainers for a consultation at your house.

Step 5: You will be invited to attend 4 group classes and fundraising events. You will need to have a gmail account and a facebook account to be able to see when classes are scheduled. The 4 group classes and fundraising are part of the application process and are not optional. We are hoping that throughout our interaction you will become part of our ever growing family and community. (Once you have a service dog from Partners with Paws you will be expected to attend as many events as physically possible. If this is not a viable option for you then we would ask you to apply to other local programs).

Step 6: Becoming a short term puppy raiser for pups 6 months and older. During this step you will be giving holiday relief to our puppy raisers. This commitment will be between 1 night – 2 weeks. During these stays we will be assessing your ability to handle one of our service dogs. The puppy that you’re sitting may not be the puppy that is eventually placed.

Step 7: When our dogs are between 8 months – 1 year they potentially can be placed with their handler. This means that you will complete the training process. Even after graduation you will still be training intensely with a trainer to task train your dog. All our dogs are place before task training begins. Up to graduation it is not guaranteed that the dog you’re training will be the dog that you’re matched with or whether the dog will graduate.

Graduating as a Partners with Paws team.

In order to graduate as a Partners with Paws team you will need to pass the Public Access Test 3 times in 3 different locations. Locations will be decided by the evaluator. The evaluator is not looking to fail you but to ensure success of the team for the long term and the safety of the public. You may take the test as many times as you require but failure to some exercises will result in permanent disqualification.

On graduation you will be awarded a Partners with Paws Service Dog Vest. This vest is to be worn at all times when the dog is working. Partners with Paws does not allow custom vest and patches. *Even though there is no official certification in Ontario, you will be awarded a certification card that you can keep in your service dog’s vest should anyone ask. It is mandatory however to carry your Dr’s note with you in your service dog’s vest.

After Graduation

You will be expected to attend monthly group classes held at the Breslau training center for the first year. Your pup will need to keep up on vaccination and annual health checks including bloodwork at the cost of the client. This must be submitted to Partners with Paws either by email or in person.

You and your superhero pup will have to renew your Public Access Test as follows:

Year 1,2,3,6,9 (it is expected that your service dog will retire at the age of 10. This will be decide at the 10 year mark and the process for replacement dog started.)

Failure to comply by any of the standards will result in the dog being removed from the client/handler.

Still interested in applying? Click here to launch the application form.