Changing Lives One Dog At A Time
🐾 Understanding Assistance Dogs and Public Access At Smart Service Dog, we recognise that there is still considerable uncertainty in South Africa about what defines a legitimate assistance dog and how businesses should respond when an assistance-dog team enters their…
Smart Service Dog (SSD), a leading NPO specialising in independent assessments for individuals who have trained their own assistance dogs, is pleased to announce an important policy update regarding the age limit for dogs applying for certification. Effective immediately, we…
When most people hear Rally Obedience, they think of a dog sport — a handler and dog moving around a course, following signs and performing different exercises. At Smart Service Dog, we see it differently. We use selected Rally exercises…
August is Women’s Month in South Africa — a time to recognise, celebrate and honour the incredible contribution women make to our families, communities and society. At Smart Service Dog, we are proud to celebrate the remarkable women who are…
This satirical public service announcement (PSA) highlights access denials to guide dog and Assistance dog handlers by restaurants, rideshares, and hotels. The PSA aims to raise awareness about the global problem of people with service dogs being denied access by…
You are handed the puppy in at our academy. A velvety yellow blur, all paws and ribs and potential, wriggling in your arms like joy weaponized. He has a name that sounds too big for him, something noble or old-fashioned…
Evaluating the generalizability of a standardized behavior test in predicting programmatic success of guide dog puppies. Guide dogs play an incredibly important role in their partnerships with clients who are blind or visually impaired. However, the process of selecting and…
Tim Stafford Independent Consultant to Assistance Dog Organisations | Governance, Strategy & Quality Assurance | Advocate for Dog Welfare, Ethics & Standards | Founder, Second Sight Consulting June 29, 2026 I have spent more than four decades in the guide…
Toilet Training your Guide or Assistance Dog Travelling with your Assistance Dog can be a smooth and stress-free experience when your dog is properly prepared for the journey. One of the most important skills for air travel is teaching your…
Protecting the Disabled Community From Assistance Dog Scams Unfortunately, there has been a growing number of scammers targeting people living with disabilities by pretending to offer trained Assistance Dogs or Service Dogs. For many families, it can be difficult to…