Disability Service Dog

[clairethewitch70]

I am seriously considering applying for one and wonder if any of you have any advice or experience with one. I understand that I will have involvement in the training. We have never had a dog, currently have a cat. Would this be an issue?

I'm bumping this because I also need information for my mum.

Try the dogs for good website

Thank you LardLizard. I've passed this on to my mum.

Thank you @LardLizard. Do you have a service dog?

Dogs for good are not accepting new referrals from my area. (Wales)

Tried several agencies. Their waiting lists are either closed or are only taking referrals from a small area. I don't know what to do next?

Could you try guide dogs for rehoming a guide dog that didn’t quite make it to become a guide dog
You would have to adopt it
But many of them are excellent dogs
And could easily be trained to help and support
You would have to pay for the dog and the food n vets bills though if you adopt
Which could be challengeing for some disabled people not all of course

They will be a strict reigning policy as they don’t rehome to anyone
And probably a waiting list
But would be worth the wait

Thanks Lardlizard. I have no experience training a dog or how to teach it what I need it to do. I have drawn a complete blank with all the charities most are not accepting any new referrals And a few have very selective areas

What sort of things would you need or want the dog to do ?

I would need the dog to be able to pick up things from the floor and maybe push/drag my wheeled walking trolley to me if possible, or a walking stick. If I fall to alert my family member who generally can't hear me call. Also not sure if they can be trained to stop my cat tripping me up, maybe divert him from my feet. My cat constantly runs in front of me on an angle.

All sound reasonable thing a well trained dog could do although not sure about the cat one, but all the rest could be taught
It could try contacting a dog trainer in your local area or even try approaching a gun dog trainer, some dogs are sold all trained up as fun dogs
Perhaps they would be interested in learning to teach some new skills
Wouldn’t be cheap though
It’s worth a try and some enquires
Other than that ask some of the charities to keep you on a waiting list if they have one