The Power of Standards
We build global trust. Standards make such trust possible.
Our ISO‑style processes follow international conformity assessment principles and quality management. That’s how we provide comprehensive, comparable, fair, and well-documented certification with clear impartiality controls, independent decision-making, and continual improvement. Audit‑grade video minimizes bias and documents every step objectively and transparently, protecting privacy through controlled access, consent, and defined retention.
Within this framework, we carefully tailor our processes to the individual requirements of each assistance dog teampartnership of a human with disabilities permanently living with a dog qualified to mitigate the impairments. National requirements and practices may be considered once they are submitted for inclusion in the certification scheme.
We validate and empower
for positive qualification
and clear safeguards.
Our certification scheme
We act as an independent scheme owner, with a third party certification body taking certification decisions. This approach is the result of a detailed review of existing standards and assessments, as none of them are suitable to operate an independent international ISO certification scheme. While we often incorporated their essence in our certification scheme, we not only meet but exceed their scope.
Most assessments focus on dog. They ignore the fact that the handler’s competence is key to the success of this human-dog partnership. Our certification scheme explicitly assesses the role of the handler as the responsible leader in the team.
As of 2025, the scheme is in its final validation phase. Publication is expected in the spring of 2026. Stakeholders and policy-makers are invited to contribute their thoughts and requirements. If you have not been contacted and would like to join in, please feel free to contact us.
The following informed our current certification scheme:
- Nearly a decade of discourse with experts in the technical committees of the European CEN standard “Assistance Dogs” (EN 17984-1 to -6).
- Publications by professional associations Assistance Dog International (ADI) and International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF)
- The Austrian regulation, administered by the Messerli Institute,
- Guide Dog and Service Dog Regulation by British Columbia, Canada, the Service Dog Pass from AKC, and various assessments worldwide.
- Multi-year advisory to the German government and Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
- German Assistance Dog Ordinance, “AHundV”, detailing specifics regarding §12 e-l BGG.
- Quality criteria of the German health insurance regarding guide dogs for the blind (“Qualitätskriterien”).
- The assistance dog assessment by the German BHV.
What is quality management?
Perfection is impossible. Quality management treats quality as a process: documented procedures, monitoring, and regular reviews drive improvement. We continuously collect feedback from all stakeholders and act on it.
We standardize how we assess, not how a team works. Individual solutions are welcome when they meet safety and welfare criteria. Our process acknowledges the highly individual character of the assistance dog concept. We therefore ensure that our standardized processes are not contradicting individuality.
We commit to rigorous and humane quality management.
Our scheme follows documented processes, independent oversight, and ongoing improvement aligned with ISO-principles. We consider all stakeholders: handlers, dogs, professionals, the public, and funders. We measure what matters, review objectives and results, and act on evidence.
All this, to protect the team’s welfare and the public’s trust.
