Disability Assistance Dogs. 01/30/2010
 Indigo is alert if she is needed to be on carer duties. What are disability assistance dogs? "A dog providing assistance to a person with a disability". While most of us have heard the term "guide dog" or "seeing eye dog", there are many more types of assistance for which a dog will be trained. · Guide dogs for the blind or visually impaired. · Hearing dogs (sometimes referred to as "signal" dogs) for deaf or hearing impaired persons detect everyday sounds such as door bells, alarm clocks, smoke alarms, timers, telephone or a crying baby. · Social or Therapy dogs, whose work is to effect a change in the person's emotional or psychological state. · Seizure dogs who detect when a person is going to have a seizure (yes, even before a seizure actually occurs). · Service dogs performing physical tasks such as pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, turning on a light switch or opening a cabinet door I have had some experience training disability assistance dogs, as I was a Seeing Eye dog trainer with the Lady Nell Seeing Eye Dog School. The role entailed the care and training, of the dogs. Then the training, of the new owner, to know how to interact with, care for and work as a team member, with the dog. I bought Indigo, for the role of and to train as a disability assistance dog, for my husband. She goes to bed with him as a companion if he is unwell during the day, she barks, if I am needed. She will not allow Reg to go out the front of our home without her, and she demands that he not go very far away from me. Indigo’s role as a disability care dog, is subtle, not over obvious to others, but it is very obvious to me, and useful. Dementia care dogs are becoming more common, but because I trained Indigo myself, she is not, officially recognised, as a care dog and so she gets no special privileges to allow her to go places where only officially recognised care dogs are allowed and it is illegal to claim a dog is an official care dog, if they are not. It is sad that home trained care dogs, cannot be recognised and receive, access with the owner, privileges to more places. People who have their claim for disability insurance and benefits disallowed can seek expert help to make a disability appeal. I have sometimes wondered if there was anything like that, where I could appeal the law that currently says that only a particular association can train a dementia care dog. Comments01/31/2010 10:52
Dannie, Thank you for the comment, Torie 05/06/2011 19:27
Hi, I have an assistance dog. I just wanted to let you know that owner trained assistance dogs may be covered under the Disability Discrimination Act in some circumstances, which would allow them to be in 'no pets' areas. You would need proof that the dog is trained to an acceptable level - normally passing a Public Access Test (available on the Assistance Dogs International website) is sufficient. The dog also needs to do something to help with the disability. The best people to talk to would be the Australian Human Rights Commission. They can explain the law and the requirements to you. Good luck! Leave a Reply | Follow me on Facebook, Kathy Shell
Indigo tours Australia reviewing Dog Friendly Caravan Parks.
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