SIST EN 17984-2:2025
(Main)Assistance Dogs - Part 2: Dog lifetime welfare
Assistance Dogs - Part 2: Dog lifetime welfare
The purpose of this document is to protect the welfare of assistance dogs. For this, it sets out requirements based on the Five Domains Model to ensure the dog’s welfare.
The requirements apply:
— throughout the whole life of the dog;
— for all types of assistance dogs, breeding dogs, puppies and retired dogs;
— for all people/caregivers/handlers who are entrusted with a dog at any point during its lifetime.
Assistenzhunde - Lebenslanges Wohlergehen von Hunden
Der Zweck dieses Dokuments ist, das Wohlergehen von Assistenzhunden zu schützen. Dafür legt es Anforderungen auf Grundlage des Fünf-Bereiche-Paradigmas fest, um das Wohlergehen des Hundes sicherzustellen.
Die Anforderungen gelten:
- für die gesamte Lebenszeit des Hundes;
- für alle Arten von Assistenzhunden;
- für alle Personen/Betreuer/Hundehalter, denen ein Hund in einer beliebigen Phase seiner Lebenszeit anvertraut wird.
Chiens d’assistance - Partie 2 : Bien-être des chiens tout au long de leur vie
Le présent document a pour objet de protéger le bien-être des chiens d’assistance. Pour cela, il définit des exigences basées sur le Modèle des cinq domaines afin de garantir le bien-être du chien.
Les exigences s’appliquent :
— tout au long de la vie du chien ;
— à tous les types de chiens d’assistance, chiens d’élevage, chiots et chiens à la retraite ;
— à l’ensemble des personnes/soignants/maîtres à qui un chien est confié à n’importe quel moment au cours de sa vie.
Psi pomočniki - 2. del: Doživljenska dobrobit psa
Namen tega dokumenta je zaščititi dobrobit psov pomočnikov. V ta namen določa zahteve, ki temeljijo na modelu petih domen za zagotavljanje dobrobiti psa. Zahteve se uporabljajo: – skozi celotno življenje psa; – za vse vrste psov pomočnikov, vzrejne pse, mladičke in upokojene pse; – za vse osebe/skrbnike/vodnike, ki jim je pes zaupan v varstvo kadar koli v svojem življenju.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-november-2025
Psi pomočniki - 2. del: Doživljenska dobrobit psa
Assistance Dogs - Part 2: Dog lifetime welfare
Assistenzhunde - Lebenslanges Wohlergehen von Hunden
Chiens d’assistance - Partie 2 : Bien-être des chiens tout au long de leur vie
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 17984-2:2025
ICS:
11.180.99 Drugi standardi v zvezi s Other standards related to
pripomočki za invalide aids for disabled and
handicapped people
65.020.30 Živinoreja Animal husbandry and
breeding
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
EN 17984-2
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
August 2025
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 65.020.30; 11.180.99
English Version
Assistance dogs - Part 2: Dog lifetime welfare
Chiens d'assistance - Partie 2 : Bien-être des chiens Assistenzhunde - Teil 2: Lebenslanges Wohlergehen
tout au long de leur vie von Hunden
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 6 July 2025.
CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2025 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 17984-2:2025 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 Use of the Five Domains Model to support lifetime welfare . 7
4.1 General. 7
4.2 Good nutrition (Minimize thirst and hunger and enable eating to be a pleasurable
experience) . 7
4.3 Good environment (Minimize discomfort and exposure and promote thermal,
physical, and other comforts). 8
4.4 Good health (Minimize breathlessness, nausea, pain, and other aversive experiences
and promote the pleasures of robustness, vigour, strength, and well-coordinated
physical activity) . 9
4.5 Behavioural interactions (Minimize threats and unpleasant restriction on all kinds of
behavioural interactions and promote engagement in rewarding activities) .10
4.6 Positive mental experiences (Promote various forms of comfort, pleasure, interest,
confidence, and a sense of control) .10
4.7 Mitigation for specific welfare risks for different types of assistance dogs .11
5 Breeding .11
5.1 General.11
5.2 Breeding programme .11
5.3 Reproducing dogs: bitches and studs .11
5.4 Breeding selection .12
5.5 Medical tests .12
5.6 Whelping facilities .12
5.7 Prenatal status .13
5.8 Neonatal care .13
5.9 Daily routine .13
5.10 Socialization and habituation .13
6 Puppy raising programme and education .14
7 Dog welfare during travel and transportation .15
8 Dog qualification .16
9 Dogs removed or retired from an assistance dog programme.16
9.1 General.16
9.2 Retirement of the assistance dog .16
9.3 Rehoming of dogs removed or retired from the programme .17
10 Euthanasia .17
Annex A (informative) Recommendations for veterinarians completing health assessments .18
Annex B (normative) Welfare of assistance dogs required to perform tasks related to
balance/stability .19
Annex C (informative) Hygiene plan for assistance dog facilities . 20
Bibliography . 26
European foreword
This document (EN 17984-2:2025) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 452 “Assistance
dogs”, the secretariat of which is held by UNMZ.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by February 2026, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by February 2026.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document is part of a series of standards under the general title Assistance dogs which will comprise
the following parts:
— Part 1: Vocabulary
— Part 2: Dog lifetime welfare
— Part 3: Competencies for assistance dogs professionals
— Part 4: Pre-training, training and tasks
— Part 5: Client services
— Part 6: Accessibility and universal access
This document will be read in conjunction with EN 17984-1, EN 17984-3 , EN 17984-4 and
EN 17984-6 as the series is technically linked and to be read conjointly.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: FprEN 17984-3:2025
Introduction
Lifetime encompasses the whole life course of the animal from pre-birth to old age and death.
Accommodating the welfare of the dog is not only a legal requirement, but fundamental to the ethical
basis of being a responsible custodian. This holds true for the breeder, trainer, owner/handler of a
working dog, or of a retired dog and any other person who has temporary or permanent care of the dog.
This document provides an overview of the requirements that should be met in respect to welfare.
Following contemporary scientific thinking, lifetime welfare of assistance dogs should provide each
individual at all life stages with a good life. This means that the dog’s caretaker should aim to comply fully
with best practice recommendations for dog welfare that are well above the minimum standards. The
management of the dog should focus both on the minimization of negative experiences and the provision
of opportunities for positive experiences.
To achieve this objective, this document uses the Five Domains Model (Mellor, 2016; Mellor, 2016b; 2020,
Littlewood and Mellor, 2016).
Detailed guidelines regarding each section will be provided as supplementary material.
In defining, advising about, and assessing welfare, this document relies heavily on the Five Freedoms as
proposed by the UK by Brambell (1965) namely: freedom from hunger and thirst; from discomfort; from
pain, injury and disease; from fear and distress and the freedom to express normal behaviour. It is still
commonly considered that providing for an animal’s welfare is simply ensuring that these freedoms are
met, that negative states such as pain, fear and distress are minimized, and that the animal has the
opportunity to perform normal behaviours, such as general maintenance behaviours of moving,
stretching, and grooming. However, this is limited both in understanding of what good welfare is and how
it can be assessed (Mellor, 2016, 2020).
While these five freedoms acknowledge that animals are sentient and capable of feeling pain and other
negative emotions, simply avoiding such states does not ensure that an animal has a life worth living, let
alone a good life (Mellor, 2016). Good welfare and having a life worth living depends on the animal
experiencing positive emotions, e.g. pleasure, confidence, interest, and a sense of control over its
environment with opportunities to explore, solve problems and gain sufficient physical and mental rest
(Mellor and Beausoleil, 2015; Mellor, 2016b, 2020). Age-related changes can impact the animal’s ability
to experience positive welfare, and this should be taken into consideration in the management of older
dogs.
To ensure welfare, caretakers should have current knowledge and competency in welfare, ethology,
learning theory and practical dog training. The dog’s welfare should be informally monitored
continuously by the caretaker. The dog’s welfare should be formally assessed on a regular basis by
appropriately trained person or persons. This includes assessment of all five domains of welfare (See
Table 1).
Table 1 — Five Provisions and Welfare Aims adapted from Mellor 2020
Domain Provision Animal Welfare Aim
1. Nutrition Provide ready access to fresh water Minimize thirst and hunger and enable
and a diet to maintain full health and eating to be a pleasurable experience
vigour
2. Physical Provide shade/shelter or suitable Minimize discomfort and exposure and
Environment housing, good air quality and promote thermal, physical, and other
comfortable resting areas comforts
3. Health Prevent or rapidly diagnose and treat Minimize breathlessness, nausea, pain,
disease and injury, and foster good and other aversive experiences and
muscle tone, posture, and promote the pleasures of robustness,
cardiorespiratory function vigour, strength and well-coordinated
physical activity
4. Behavioural Provide stimulating and engaging Minimize threats and unpleasant
Interactions environment, friendly and playful restriction on all kinds of behavioural
companions as well as empathic, interactions and promote engagement in
knowledgeable, and skilful people rewarding activities
5. Mental Provide safe, congenial and species Promote various forms of comfort,
State/Affects (and breed) appropriate pleasure, interest, confidence, and a
opportunities to have pleasurable sense of control
experiences
1 Scope
The purpose of this document is to protect the welfare of assistance dogs. For this, it sets out
requirements based on the Five Domains Model to ensure the dog’s welfare.
The requirements apply:
— throughout the whole life of the dog;
— for all types of assistance dogs, breeding dogs, puppies and retired dogs;
— for all people/caregivers/handlers who are entrusted with a dog at any point during its lifetime.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 17984-1:2024, Assistance dogs - Part 1: Vocabulary
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 17984-1:2024 and the following
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Use of the Five Domains Model to support lifetime welfare
4.1 General
This section outlines the duties and responsibilities that all handlers shall have towards the dog
throughout its lifetime. These shall apply to any dog of any age which is a part of an assistance dog
programme or performing as an assistance dog. These responsibilities shall apply to dogs bred
specifically for the purpose or who are acquired, from any source, as a puppy or juvenile or later in life.
They shall apply equally to dogs trained by an assistance dog service provider, or an owner-trained dog.
4.2 Good nutrition (Minimize thirst and hunger and enable eating to be a pleasurable
experience)
The dog shall be provided with a diet that is of high quality, nutritionally balanced and appropriate for
the individual’s health, age, and activity status such that it maintains good weight and body function.
Food shall be provided at least once daily or more often to avoid feelings of hunger.
The dog shall be provided with access to good quality water of sufficient quantity to avoid feelings of
thirst.
The handler shall carry a supply of fresh water and bowl for the dog when out with the dog or a bowl for
the dog when the handler knows access to water is easy.
The handler shall carry a small meal for the dog when out as necessary.
The handler shall make provisions that eating is an enjoyable experience for the dog.
4.3 Good environment (Minimize discomfort and exposure and promote thermal,
physical, and other comforts)
The dog shall be provided with at least one comfortable resting place that is in a quiet and undisturbed
location, with an ambient temperature that ensures thermal comfort, a low light level to ensure visual
comfort and with clean fresh air.
The dog’s resting place shall enable it to rest in any chosen position e.g. curled up, stretched out, on its
side, on its back.
The dog shall be provided with a minimum of three opportunities each day to urinate/defecate in
appropriate toileting areas.
The dog’s living environment shall be safe, and it shall not present any threats specific for the dog, both
indoors and outside.
The dog shall be introduced and accustomed to different and unknown environments progressively,
taking care that they are not excessively unsafe or stressful, be that due to other people, other animals,
machines, or devices. Prolonged exposure to stressful environments shall be minimized.
The handler shall ensure that any equipment worn by the dog fits comfortably. All equipment shall only
be worn as long as absolutely necessary.
Handlers shall avoid working with a dog in extreme temperature conditions, on hot surfaces or very cold
surfaces. Handlers shall make appropriate provisions such as extra water or protective footwear when
conditions warrant.
Assistance dogs should not be permitted to walk on, and off escalators or travellators and alternative
options should be sought that removes the risk of accidental injury.
NOTE 1 National legislation relating to the use of escalators and travellators can apply.
Where there are kennels, they:
— shall be large enough for the dog to fully stand, stretch and comfortably turn around without
restriction;
— shall be large enough to house dogs in pairs with room enough to play, socialise, gain privacy and
rest;
— shall be designed and constructed with materials that promote best practice, hygiene, and canine
husbandry such as non-porous floor surfaces with gradients that promote drainage and drying;
— shall provide adequate access to daylight and be equipped with ventilation and temperature control
to ensure health and avoid thermal discomfort;
— shall be designed to ensure the security of staff and dogs;
— shall be designed to facilitate specific individual kennel functions e.g. breeding, boarding, training,
isolation, veterinary care;
— shall provide adequate toileting and free running areas;
— shall have a hygiene protocol in place (See Annex C).
NOTE 2 Regarding access, health and safety in the kennelling of canines, local regulations and requirements can
apply.
4.4 Good health (Minimize breathlessness, nausea, pain, and other aversive experiences
and promote the pleasures of robustness, vigour, strength, and well-coordinated
physical activity)
The handler shall be competent in the use of equipment used in the training, handling or management of
the dog.
The handler shall monitor the dog’s health status, physical development, and body condition score (BCS)
on a continuous basis.
The handler shall perform or arrange for regular health routines such as nail clipping, grooming, dental
care and parasite control as appropriate for the individual dog and/or as recommended by a veterinarian.
The dog shall have a yearly veterinary health check or more often where health conditions require it. The
vaccination status of the dog shall be kept up-to-date and be relevant for the environment where the dog
lives, or where it will be visiting.
The handler shall seek prompt veterinary advice where any health issue is presented. This may include a
noticeable change in behaviour as a possible manifestation of a health issue.
Assistance dogs whose working role requires the wearing of specific equipment or to complete physical
tasks to assist their handler shall be given special consideration to support their health, including
measures which are based on the application of metrics, empirical research, and best validated practice
in design, fit and use of the equipment (See also Annex B).
All dogs shall be in good physical health and pain free. Health screening and selection of breeding dogs
shall ensure that dogs affected by undesirable health conditions or undesirable heritable traits are
excluded.
Thorough veterinary care shall be provided for all dogs during the breeding, training or selection process
and on a regular basis over their lifetime. The frequency and type of these checks should be decided by
the veterinarian in consultation with the handler and when necessary other professionals based on each
dog’s individual needs and its specific assistance dog tasks/role but shall be at least once a year.
Any dog shall be excluded from a breeding programme, training or from working as an assistance dog if
diagnosed with a chronic disease or any pathology which:
— does not allow them to work without compromising the welfare;
— causes them chronic pain that cannot be managed without compromising welfare of the dog or safety
of the handler;
— requires significant long-term treatment that could impact on the handler;
— requires a long-term treatment that causes secondary effects which do not allow them to properly
work or causes chronic pain;
— requires long-term medication explicitly for a dog to perform its role or manage a
behavioural/temperament disorder;
— causes chronic inspiration or expiration problems.
When the dog is not part of a breeding programme, all health records shall be kept in order to be able to
retrace the health history.
Dogs shall be selected for formal training as an assistance dog after passing health and behaviour
assessment at a minimum age of 12 month as recommended by internationally accepted organizations.
NOTE 1 Examples of such organizations include, but are not limited to, the International Elbow Working Group
(IEWG), European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ECVO), The Canine Health Information Centre (OFA),
Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI).
NOTE 2 Local regulations and requirements can apply.
Requirements shall be adapted to support the specific assistance dog roles and may include being
monitored and treated by a veterinarian, a canine osteopath, physiotherapist or chiropractor for
preventative and treatment purposes.
NOTE 3 For recommendations for veterinarians undertaking health assessments see Annex A and Annex B.
4.5 Behavioural interactions (Minimize threats and unpleasant restriction on all kinds
of behavioural interactions and promote engagement in rewarding activities)
Dog handlers shall be competent in their ability to recognize stress and anxiety and seek to always
mitigate the effects of these emotions.
The dog shall be trained and handled using humane, pain-free equipment and positive reinforcement
methods that provide for the physical and emotional wellbeing, welfare and safety of the dog. Aversive
equipment (e.g. pinch collar, electric collars, choke chains, spray collars, tightening ‘no pull’ harness) shall
not be used.
The dog shall be trained to accept physical manipulation, restraint, or touch from people so that he/she
does not become fearful, stressed and/or aggressive. Such training may include wearing required dog
equipment.
The dog shall be trained using positive reinforcement methods to various cues throughout its life to retain
problem solving abilities, physical fitness, and delay cognitive ageing.
The dog shall have clear cues that indicate when it is working and when it is not, i.e. its free time. All cues
shall be used consistently by every handler of the dog.
The dog should be given appropriate time and preparation in changing of the contexts and situations e.g.
a new home, new handler, retirement.
If the dog is exposed to a fearful or traumatic event, the handler shall seek and implement advice and
support from a veterinarian, a dog trainer or a behaviourist who uses positive reinforcement training and
rehabilitation methods and has knowledge in behavioural issues.
A dog that is distressed or fearful shall not continue to be exposed to circumstances that maintain or
exacerbate these feelings.
In such circumstances, if the dog is under the responsibility of an assistance dog service provider, the
handler shall contact the assistance dog service provider for help and apply their advice.
Training and handling methods shall be adapted to the dog needs, learning ability and time the dog needs
to learn new skills. If the dog shows constant signs of distress during training or work, even after the use
of different training and handling methods, the dog should be removed from the assistance dog
programme.
4.6 Positive mental experiences (Promote various forms of comfort, pleasure, interest,
confidence, and a sense of control)
The dog shall be provided with appropriate and sufficient opportunities to have mental and physical
recovery and rest every day.
The dog’s routine shall ensure adequate balance between the time spent on rest, recovery activities and
work or training exercises.
If the dog is not required to work, the harness or other equipment shall be removed so it can relax
comfortably. Additional cues indicating it is not working shall also be given.
The dog shall have leisure/recreational walks daily, of sufficient duration to meet its needs. These walks
may be off lead or on a lead long enough to enable the dog to easily sniff and investigate. These walks may
include time for toileting.
The dog shall have unleashed, free-running walks each week, ideally in the company of other friendly,
free-running dogs. Physical exercise may be adapted on the advice of a veterinarian.
The dog should be provided with several opportunities on a daily basis to play and be mentally stimulated
apart from its work or training. Such activities shall be adapted to the dog’s age, health, and individual
preferences.
4.7 Mitigation for specific welfare risks for different types of assistance dogs
There may be specific welfare risks associated with different types of assistance dogs or due to the
specific nature of an individual dog and person partnership. Assistance dog service providers shall ensure
protocols are in place in order to identify and then mitigate risks to protect dog welfare within the
intended assistance dog role and when assessing eligibility of handler for service.
Whilst it is accepted that there needs to be a balance between meeting the needs of disabled people and
meeting the needs of the dog, assistance dog service providers and all assistance dog users shall ensure
that dog welfare is a key consideration and for the dogs be provided with a good life.
5 Breeding
5.1 General
Pre-puppy birth implies the whole period preceding the actual birth from selection of the reproducers to
the conditions in which the bitch gives birth.
5.2 Breeding programme
A breeding programme is the planned breeding of dogs physically and mentally fit for working as
assistance dogs. Such a programme usually involves at least several individuals and extends over several
generations.
The breeding programme team shall include an assistance dog breeding specialist and should include a
veterinarian specialized in reproduction. Veterinarians/specialists may be used as a consultant.
It is the responsibility of veterinary and other professionals to ensure that ethical, welfare, physical and
behavioural issues are met in accordance with the law.
NOTE All definitions of professionals are included in EN 17984-1:2024.
5.3 Reproducing dogs: bitches and studs
Reproducing dogs shall be selected after passing the required health and behaviour tests at a minimum
age of 12 months, as recommended by internationally accepted bodies (e.g. International Elbow Working
Group (IEWG), European College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ECVO), The Canine Health Information
Centre (OFA), Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI)).
Reproducing dogs shall receive ongoing monitoring of their health, behaviour and outcome of progeny.
Bitches shall not be mated younger than 16 months for dogs below 20 kg and 18 months for dogs over
20 kg. Their career as a reproducer should stop after the fourth litter. In exceptional cases they may have
a fifth litter but only with veterinarian agreement. There should be a minimum rest period of 12 months
between each litter. Bitches which are required to have a caesarean section at delivery, may continue
breeding but only with veterinarian agreement. Bitches shall retire from the breeding programme in the
event of a second caesarean section.
Mating should be natural especially if the bitch mates for the first time. Artificial insemination may be
used, for example to maintain genetic diversity of the programme, if bitch and stud live far away from
each other or natural mating is otherwise not possible.
Bitches and studs should live in a foster family which is their permanent normal environment. If they
come to the breeding centre for the assessments, for insemination and for birth, they should know the
centre before.
If the reproducing dogs live permanently in the centre
...
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