Task guide

Mobility service dogs,
strong work, safe dogs.

A mobility service dog performs physical assistance tasks for a handler with limited mobility, strength, or balance. This page covers the tasks, the welfare checks that responsible teams take seriously, and how PawProof verification works.

What the work looks like

Mobility assistance tasks

01Retrieve and carryThe dog picks up dropped keys, phones, or cards and delivers to hand, or carries items between rooms.

02Doors, drawers, and lightsTug-opening doors and drawers, pushing them closed, and operating accessible light switches on cue.

03Counterbalance and momentumThe dog provides steady counterbalance beside the handler or gentle forward momentum on stairs and ramps.

04Positioning and bracing setupThe dog moves into a stable stand and holds position so the handler can adjust posture or transfer safely.

05Help up and alert for helpThe dog assists a handler rising from a chair or floor, or activates an alert device when trained to do so.

Welfare first

Weight-bearing work has physical requirements

Counterbalance, momentum, and bracing-adjacent tasks put real load on a dog's joints. Responsible mobility work depends on the dog's size, structure, age, and orthopedic health relative to the handler's needs. PawProof assessors review whether the demonstrated tasks are appropriate for the individual dog, and assessment intakes include the dog's vaccination record. Teams doing significant weight-bearing work should have veterinary input on the dog's fitness for it.

What PawProof assesses

The Mobility Assistance task standard

Assessment footage must show each claimed task performed reliably on cue, safe and stable body mechanics, correct behavior around mobility equipment, and recovery to a settled state. The full ID card additionally requires the Public Access Behavior and Relief & Sanitation subjects. Every record links to retained footage and the endorsing assessor's verifiable credential.

Training paths

Train the way that works for your team

PawProof is a verification platform only. A mobility dog may be owner-trained, trained with a private trainer, or come through an organization. Whatever the path, issuance requires an endorsement from a credential-checked assessor (CPDT-KA, CPDT-KSA, IAABC, KPA-CTP, or AKC CGC Evaluator) and complete assessment footage.

The legal picture

What a record does and does not do

The ADA requires no certification or registration for a service dog, and businesses may not demand documentation. A PawProof record attests only that the named dog passed the assessment subjects shown. It is voluntary evidence of training quality, not government recognition and not a grant of public-access rights.

Ready when your dog is

Start a trainer-verified assessment.

Submit an eligibility intake, connect with a credentialed assessor, and put the work on the record.

Start an assessment → Find an assessor