Assistance dogs

[TheHumancatapult]

Have just appllied and intredted to hear from anyone with experiance of them please

What sort of thing do you want to know?

I do have a little experience of assistance dogs and have worked with guide dogs, hearing dogs and dogs for the disabled.

What do you hope to get out of an assistance dog?

For me it's a mix of things pratical side is helping with things that have dropped also doors .

Also I had quite a serious fall in my own garden and took over a hour before coukd raise any help .

On the other level I find that I'm struggling when out and socially find people advoud talking to me . Am hoping it encourages me to go out and get that confidence back

I hope you're approved for a dog.

The people I know who have assistance dogs find them absolutely invaluable. They help with dressing and undressing, washing, shopping - all sorts of things. They also have helped with social anxiety and confidence in some people too.

I know one gorgeous, gorgeous boy who is a dab hand at helping his Mum out of her wetsuit after she's been sailing. She is 100% chair dependant (MS) and needs a hoist to get on board the boat, and he is fabulous at pulling her wetsuit off - she can't get dressed or undressed without him.

It takes time, and a lot of training of both of you but it's worth it.

Good luck!

Thank you Daisy , was not knowing anyone with one made me turn to MN hoping someone had some experaince .Sadly been told dogs for disabled have closed list in my area .and they wont even start assesment process till list reopens .Some point next year .

Waiting to hear from Canine partners

sydney hijack away

I have noticed that both the groups im looking at do consider children with physical disabilities and with autisum .but its the parent that is responsibile for the dog

I did look at some where they can train your dog but it's not guaranteed and while I would have no problems looking after a dog /feeding /grooming /walking /loving

I know I could not mange a puppy

Catapult No - I think you're right. If you need a dog to assist you with your life, you should continue with finding one from either Canine Partners or Dogs for the Disabled.

Taking on a puppy is hard work just to have one as a family pet - to train it to fulfil a specialist role is another thing entirely.

The dogs that are used for assistance work, whatever the disability, have very specific temperaments and a fabulous apptitude for learning; and even when they've been sourced and trained by an expert they still sometimes don't make the grade. It would be all to easy to get a dog yourself and find you're in that position.

And you'd not have the back up that the two organisations provide, either. Just in case something goes wrong. I do know of someone's dog who became too possessive of her about a year into their partnership. I can absolutely understand why it happened, but he couldn't stay with her. It wouldn't have been fair on either of them. He's since been retired and has a happy life with a member of her not much extended family.

The umbrella organisation which might be a good place to start is www.assistancedogs.org.uk/

Sydney I don't know much about assistance dogs for children, but I do know of a number of children with them. The majority of assistance dog organisations do offer dogs to children over 7, I think. And I think the only major one that doesn't is Canine Partners. The umbrella organisation above might well be a good place to start.