The Public Access Test verifies that the dog-and-handler team is safe, unobtrusive, and under control in the public settings service dogs actually work in: stores, restaurants, hotels, and transportation. It is identical for every discipline. Passing it records the public access test date (third milestone).
3.1 Test conditions
- Conducted in real public venues: at minimum a retail environment and a food-service environment, in a single continuous session of roughly 60–90 minutes.
- The dog wears its working gear (vest/harness, flat collar or harness attachment). Head halters are permitted; corrective equipment is not (§0.6).
- Administered by the trainer, scored with a Service Paws assessor present in person or observing by live or recorded continuous video (Chapter 14).
- The handler may talk to, cue, and quietly reward the dog throughout — handling skill is part of the test. Food lures in-hand through an exercise are a failure of that item.
- The team passes together. A skilled dog with a handler who cannot control it does not pass.
3.2 Scored items
Score each item Pass / Fail. Items marked ⚠ are critical: one critical failure ends the test.
A. Arrival & entry
| # | Item | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | Vehicle unload | Waits in vehicle until released; exits under control; no bolting ⚠ |
| P2 | Parking lot | Loose leash to the entrance amid traffic noise and carts |
| P3 | Entry | Waits at threshold if cued; enters beside handler through manual or automatic doors; no crowding ahead |
B. In-store behaviour
| # | Item | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| P4 | Heeling through aisles | Maintains position through narrow aisles and turns; does not sniff or touch merchandise |
| P5 | Neutrality to people | Ignores passersby; tolerates a stranger's approach and conversation with handler; no soliciting; four on the floor if greeted (greeting only if handler permits) |
| P6 | Neutrality to dogs | Passes within ~2 m of another dog with no lunging, fixation, or vocalizing ⚠ |
| P7 | Distraction cart/stroller/wheelchair | Yields space calmly; no startle-escalation |
| P8 | Dropped item / noise startle | Assessor drops a clipboard or rattles a cart ~3 m away: startle acceptable, recovery ≤ 30 s, refocus on handler ≤ 1 min ⚠ |
| P9 | Down-stay while handler shops | Holds 1 min with handler 3 m away, in sight |
| P10 | Floor food / leave-it | Walks past dropped food on a single cue; refuses food offered by a stranger ⚠ |
| P11 | Elevator or stairs | Enters/exits elevator calmly at handler's side, or negotiates stairs under control |
C. Food-service venue
| # | Item | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| P12 | Entry and placement | Settles under/beside the table, out of the traffic path |
| P13 | Extended settle | Remains settled ≥ 30 minutes through a meal; may adjust position; no vocalizing, begging, or rising to passing staff ⚠ |
| P14 | Food neutrality at table level | Ignores food within reach at table/floor level ⚠ |
D. Control & recovery
| # | Item | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| P15 | Leash drop | Handler discreetly drops the leash mid-walk: dog remains in position or responds to immediate recall/cue; does not leave the handler ⚠ |
| P16 | Handler separation | A known assistant holds the leash; handler out of sight ~2 min: dog may watch/whine briefly but stays composed |
| P17 | Recall under distraction | From 3–5 m in a controlled corner of the venue |
| P18 | Elimination control | No elimination inside any venue; eliminates on cue (or promptly) in an appropriate outdoor area when offered ⚠ |
| P19 | Vocalization | No barking, whining, or growling throughout, except a trained alert ⚠ |
| P20 | Overall welfare read | Dog works willingly: tail/body neutral-to-relaxed the majority of the session; no sustained stress signals (panting without heat, lip-licking clusters, pinned ears, tucked tail, avoidance) ⚠ |
3.3 Critical failures (automatic, test-ending)
- Any growl, snap, lunge, or bite directed at a person or animal — also triggers Chapter 15 review.
- Elimination indoors.
- Dog leaves the handler and cannot be immediately recovered (control lost > 1 minute).
- Repeated uncontrolled pulling that the handler cannot resolve.
- Sustained fear/stress (P20) — welfare fail, regardless of obedience.
3.4 Scoring and retest
- Pass = all ⚠ critical items passed + at least 90% of all scored items passed.
- One repeat attempt of a single failed non-critical item is allowed within the session, at the assessor's discretion.
- Failed test: retest after ≥ 14 days of remediation. A critical fail for aggression requires a Chapter 1 re-evaluation before any retest.
3.5 Transportation module (optional endorsement)
For teams that will fly or use intercity transit, an additional module may be assessed and noted on the record ("PAT + transportation module"). Recommended for any dog whose handler requests airline attestation letters.
| # | Item | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| TM1 | Security-style handling | Tolerates a stranger's pat-down of the dog and inspection of gear beside the handler |
| TM2 | Tight footwell settle | Settles in an airline-seat-pitch floor space (or between seats on transit) ≥ 60 minutes, tucked, without encroaching on the aisle or neighbouring space |
| TM3 | Crowded boarding simulation | Queues in close crowd contact; maintains position when bumped by bags |
| TM4 | Terminal environment | Neutral to PA announcements, rolling luggage, food courts, moving walkways |
3.6 Records for this chapter
Completed PAT scoresheet (Chapter 16); continuous video when overseen remotely; venue names and date. On pass, Service Paws records the public access test date.