IGDF Standards

IGDF · International Guide Dog Federation

The global accreditation for guide-dog organisations, assessed by experienced instructors on a five-year cycle.

01 What It Is

The International Guide Dog Federation is the industry body that develops, monitors and assesses the standards applied by guide-dog organisations worldwide. Its accreditation is the recognised benchmark in the field: it tells funders and the public that an organisation trains guide dogs to a consistent international standard rather than its own.

02 What It Covers

The standards cover the full breadth of a guide-dog organisation: administration and risk management, staff education, the assessment and training of dogs, client services, dog health and welfare, and breeding programmes. They are detailed, and aimed at equity of high-quality service to guide-dog users wherever they are.

03 How It Is Checked

An organisation seeking membership is assessed on-site by an IGDF assessor, who reports to the federation’s Accreditation Committee; the committee recommends and the board decides. The committee draws on around thirty experienced guide-dog mobility instructors who volunteer as assessors. Members are re-assessed every five years to keep their accreditation current.

04 Why It Matters

A guide dog is a blind or partially sighted person’s mobility and independence, the product of years of breeding and training the handler cannot verify alone. IGDF accreditation is the assurance that the organisation behind the dog meets a shared international standard, peer-reviewed by people who train guide dogs themselves.

Primary sources

IGDF Standardsigdf.org.uk
About IGDFigdf.org.uk