[SoCalyorkiLvr]

ADI is an organzation made up of busniesses that primarliy train dogs and places them with disabled people. They do not usually train a dog someone already owns. The standards for membership in their organization are NOT required by any current law. These are simply their own standards they have developed and they deal mostly with the severely disabled like blind persons or deaf persons or people in wheelchairs. They have developed a "model law" for the states, however I do not know that any state has adopted their model law and the federal law under the ADA takes precedence over any state law anyway.

I am just as concerned about accurate info as you are.

The Americans with Disability Act and the access allowed service animals under it does not put any restrictions on the training of a service animal and a service animal can assist a person with many levels of disability from migraine headaches, to anxiety attacks or high blood pressure. Your yorkie can be trained to assist you in your daily activities and the training can be by you, or by a third party, and either is perfectly acceptable under the law.

Sometimes it is as simple as a dog being able to detect a seizure coming on and the person being trained to read the dogs mannerisms to detect this. Sometimes it is as simple as training the dog to alert or bark when the doorbell or the phone rings.

There is no license or certification required under the law, however it does make life easier if you get a laminated card with the dog's picture on it from the Service Animal Registry of America. The application is downloadable and they charge a $35 fee.

Pm me if you have additional Qs. I would be ahppy to help.