Nova Scotia & British Columbia
Potential Service Dog Assessment
Ages six months and older
A one-hour individual assessment to help determine whether your dog currently shows characteristics compatible with service dog training.
We observe your dog's confidence, behaviour, responses to the environment, recovery from stress, and engagement with you. We also discuss their history and relevant health considerations.
You'll receive feedback about their potential suitability and recommended next steps. This appointment focuses on assessment rather than addressing training issues.
An assessment is required before acceptance into our One-Year Owner-Trainer Program. It is not certification and does not guarantee program acceptance or future success as a service dog. Suitability continues to be reviewed throughout training.
For puppies younger than six months, contact us about Puppy Testing & Selection Support.
Duration: 1 hour
Fee: $150 plus applicable tax.
Book with your regional trainer, or email us to discuss your dog.
Puppy Testing & Selection Support
We offer Volhard Puppy Aptitude Testing when your breeder or rescue has not already completed testing, to help assess whether a puppy shows the temperament and confidence that may make them a suitable candidate for service dog training.
We observe the puppy's responses during testing and discuss what those observations may mean for selection and future training.
Puppy testing provides a snapshot of behaviour at that age. It does not guarantee future temperament or success as a service dog. Suitability continues to be assessed as the puppy develops.
For dogs six months and older, please book our Potential Service Dog Assessment.
Puppy testing fee: $150 plus applicable tax.
Contact your regional trainer before booking to discuss the puppy's age, testing arrangements, and availability.
What the assessment looks at
This is an early suitability review, not a certification test. It is not a pass or fail, and it does not certify your dog.
- Temperament and emotional stability: how the dog responds to novelty, pressure and change.
- Confidence and recovery: whether the dog bounces back from something startling rather than staying worried.
- Neutrality around other dogs, people and busy environments.
- Basic trainability, engagement and willingness to work with a handler.
- Health and structure considerations that may affect a working life.
- Age and stage, including whether a puppy is simply too young to call yet.
- Behaviour concerns, including fear, reactivity or aggression, and what they mean for service work.
A clearer first step for you and your dog.
An honest early review can help you decide what makes sense before you commit to a longer training path.
Who it is for
- Handlers wondering whether their current dog could become their service dog.
- People choosing a puppy or young dog and wanting an early professional opinion.
- Anyone deciding whether to commit to a longer service dog training program.
- Handlers who want an honest answer before spending more.
What it costs
The assessment is $150 plus applicable tax. The fee is for the professional evaluation itself.
It is deliberately the smallest first step we offer. If the dog is not suited to service work, an assessment can help you avoid committing to a longer and more expensive program.
What an assessment can and cannot tell you
Can
- Whether the dog shows the broad temperament and behavioural profile service work tends to require.
- What training needs and risks we would expect to work on.
- Whether we would recommend proceeding, proceeding with caution, or looking at other options.
Cannot
- Guarantee that a dog will become a service dog.
- Guarantee acceptance into the One-Year Owner-Trainer Program.
- Predict how a puppy will develop in every respect — young dogs change.
- Replace provincial certification. Certification is separate, and it certifies teams, not training progress.
If the dog is not suited
Sometimes the honest answer is that a dog is not suited to service work. That is not a failure, and it is not a verdict on the dog. A dog who is not suited to service work may be perfectly suited to a happy life as a well-trained companion, and many go on to be career-changed into exactly that. Finding out early is kinder to the dog and cheaper for you.
How to book
Assessments are available in Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Tell us about your dog and we will help you decide whether an assessment is the right next step.