LEAD-PRO

Lifelong Education for Assistance Dog PROfessionals

LEAD-PRO – Phase I

Many of the problems that exist in the assistance dog sector today can be directly attributed to the lack of a sound, practical and recognised training and certification pathway.
People who choose this important and complex profession are therefore forced to work without the professional recognition they deserve.
Pfotenpiloten has spent 14 months working with experienced European partners to evaluate possible ways of establishing a curriculum and certification for future assistance dog trainers.
We are delighted to have been able to engage some of the best assistance dog organisations in Europe. The name of the programme, LEAD-PRO, stands for "Lifelong Education for Assistance Dog PROfessionals". The plan is that the programme will be administered by an independent professional association.

Pfotenpiloten has spent 14 months working with experienced European partners to evaluate possible ways to establish a curriculum and certification for future assistance dog trainers. We are delighted to have been able to recruit some of the best assistance dog organisations in Europe to help us do this. The name of the programme, LEAD-PRO, stands for "Lifelong Education for Assistance Dog PROfessionals". It is planned that the programme will be administered by an independent professional association.

If everything goes according to plan, there will probably be a detailed teaching programme accessible free of charge online in 2025/26, a so-called Open Educational Resource (OER). In addition, an independent and practice-based examination and certification will be created that will be valid throughout Europe. Lack of training opportunities and lack of universally recognised qualifications in the assistance dog sector are recurrent causes of problems. When trainers (have to) improvise and do their work as lone wolves instead of being embedded in a supportive network of professional colleagues, this harms everyone - assistance dog owners, assistance dogs, supporters and last but not least the trainers themselves. We are very happy to be able to initiate important changes here with LEAD-PRO and the support of the EU.

Programme countries

The darker colour marks countries where LEAD-PRO has collaborators and supporters.

Europe map with L.E.A.D.ers :: Map of Europe. Most countries are colored dark green-blue, representing countries with L.E.A.D. partners.

For more information:

White Paper brochure about the 1. Phase of LEAD-PRO

White Paper summarizing the 1. Phase of LEAD-PRO

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