What we do

A VFBB NON-PROFIT PROJECT

EURO-DOGS.EU trains PSDs (psychiatric service dogs) according to US DoT standards and certifies the corresponding animal/human partner teams.

KEY ELEMENTS AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE TRAINING:

• The dog’s temperament is assessed by qualified trainers to ensure that the dog is balanced, trainable, adaptable and comfortable around animals and people.
• The dog must be physically healthy and at least 6 months old.
• The dog must be trained to respond consistently to all owner commands, including voice and/or hand signals, with or without the owner’s assistance, in all situations.
• The dog must be able to perform supportive tasks that directly alleviate the owner’s disability.
• The dog must be able to concentrate and willingly perform the learned tasks in public.
• The dog must have completed a documented program that includes a consistent relationship with the owner for at least 6 months.
• The dog must be trained to be relaxed and accepting when briefly exposed to noises comparable to take-off and landing (105 decibels).
• The dog must be trained to be relaxed and accepting when exposed to noises comparable to the constant noise during flight (around 85 decibels).
• The dog must be relaxed and accepting when wearing a basket style muzzle. Baskets can be worn for longer periods of time if necessary, as they allow normal breathing, panting and drinking.
• The dog is trained to relieve itself in a suitable place or to feel comfortable defecating on Puppy Pads in enclosed spaces such as airplane lavatories.*
• The dog should be relaxed and accepting in elevators. The dog should show no signs of stress or discomfort.
• The dog should be able to walk away from the owner when another person takes over and stay about 20 feet for at least two minutes without showing obvious signs of barking, whining or storming (dogs can be removed from their owner at the airport security entrance).
• Documentation is issued to prove that the dog has achieved the required qualification in all elements of the training program and meets the owner’s needs.
• Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD): Meets all of the above requirements of an assistance dog, including training with visual, verbal or environmental commands to perform visually identifiable tasks that directly mitigate the owner’s psychiatric diagnoses.
• PSD: Trained to manage and be temperamentally suited to excited, high-stress, high-pressure situations and environments.
• PSD: PSDeurope Dogs are trained exclusively together with the dog owner. The dog is therefore not placed, but lives with its human from the start of training.