We wrote the standard for decoy work

Decoy work sits at the centre of protection dog training, competitive dog sport and real-world canine operations. A good decoy teaches a dog to engage correctly, builds its confidence, and keeps it safe under genuine pressure. A poor one damages a dog permanently.

For decades there were no shared standards, no recognised pathway and no way to verify a decoy’s competence. Quality and safety varied wildly from club to club and country to country. So we built the body that fixes it.

“We were not prepared to let the most dangerous role in dog training remain the least regulated. If nobody else would set the standard, we would.”

Leedor Borlant, Founder of the WDA & PDW

Anyone can call themselves a decoy. Almost nobody can prove it. As the founding body behind the WDA, Protection Dogs Worldwide is the only training provider in the world accredited to assess and certify decoys against the association’s global standard.

1. Verifiable. Every certified decoy appears on the public WDA member registry.
2. Assessed, not attended. Certification is earned against tested competencies — not issued for turning up.
3. Dog-first. Canine safety and welfare sit above every other criterion in the standard.
4. Internationally recognised. One benchmark, honoured by trainers, clubs and organisations worldwide.