If you need your service dog or assistance dog to accompany you in public places, travel with you by air or train, live in a no-pets building, or come to work as an employment accommodation — the certification process is the same. There is no magic cure to quickly train and certify a service dog. It is a legal process that takes time.
Step 1 — Get a Medical Prescription
You must have a diagnosed disability and a health care professional write a prescription for a service dog (not necessarily the dog you currently have).
Check here to see if a service dog is an appropriate part of your healthcare treatment plan.
Step 2 — Start With the Best Dog You Can Get
Your choice of dog will make the difference between success and failure. Owner-trained service dogs have a very high failure rate — dog selection is one of the most important decisions you will make.
Step 3 — Get a Professional Assessment
Get a third-party opinion on any potential problem behaviours. What you think your dog will do and what the dog actually does may be two very different things.
Have your dog assessed by a professional trainer to identify areas of weakness you may not have considered.
Step 4 — Train With a Professional
Work with your dog and a training professional to address any identified weaknesses.
Aim for not only comfortable but bombproof in public.
Anything can happen in real life. Prepare for the worst, not just the test. The test is a bare minimum.
Step 5 — Teach Disability-Specific Tasks
Teach your dog tasks that mitigate your specific disability. Tasks must meet all of the following criteria:
- Performed on a hand signal, verbal cue, or scent signal.
- Can be performed at any time, in any location.
- Cannot be “self-taught” — the task must be formally trained, not something the dog figured out on its own that only occurs under specific circumstances.
- Must be well generalized across a variety of environments and situations.
See the full list of service dog and assistance dog tasks for ideas on what your dog can do for you.
Step 6 — Do a Practice Run
When you think you are ready, do a practice run of the BC Guide and Service Dog public assessment (often called the public access test).
- Hire a professional to walk you through each item on the test.
- Or have a friend assist while another person video records the session.
- Identify areas that need improvement, work on them, and practice again.
Step 7 — Apply for the Provincial Test
The Ministry of Justice handles the testing, administered by a contract organization. On that page, scroll down to Self-trained Teams.
What to expect
- Testing is typically scheduled at least 30 days out, based on tester availability and location.
- The test costs $200 in BC.
- The team must be recertified every two years.
- If the tester must travel to your community, additional travel fees apply.
Step 8 — Air and Train Travel Requires More
Provincial certification does not automatically mean airlines or train services will allow your dog to travel with you. Each carrier has its own requirements — check with them individually.
In many cases, travel access requires working in person with a service dog training organization to train medical tasks for your disability. That trainer must be confident that the team does not pose any threat to the public and can work together reliably.
Other Provinces
Alberta and Nova Scotia have a similar service dog certification process, though their rental and tenancy legislation differs slightly from BC. Other provinces in Canada do not currently have a formal certification process.
