What's an Assistance Dog?

 

Have you ever wondered help dogs proceed from playful pups to sensible and faithful companions?

What's an Assistance Dog?

Assistance Dog is a working dog that has been highly trained to direct someone with impaired vision safely from one location to another.

Why is Assistance Dog important?

Assistance Dog enables people with vision impairment to prevent independently and safely and to participate fully in their communities.

How many people have an Assistance Dog in Australia?

There are more than 800 working guide dogs in Australia.

How much does it cost to train an Assistance Dog?

The process of turning a lively puppy to a responsible, working dogs is quite incredible, taking almost two decades and costing over $30,000-- equivalent to the cost of a motor vehicle. Guide dogs are provided free of charge to people with impaired vision.

 

What's an Assistance Dog educated?

From eight weeks to 14 weeks, these special dogs reside with volunteer puppy raisers, whose duty it is to provide a loving home and basic obedience.

At 14 months, pups return to the VuCare Assistance Dogs Centre where they are assessed on health and temperament. Puppies who are chosen to become assistant dogs then undergo five weeks of intensive training, learning the skills they will need to safely guide a vision impaired handler.

Training includes: how to ignore distractions such as food and noises; navigate obstacles; travel on public transport, and discover landmarks such as bus stops and cross streets safely.

Some jobs, like stopping at all curbs and staircases, are taught through repetition. Other tasks require intensive training, like negotiating a busy train platform to discover the train doors. As training progresses, guide dogs learn how to travel through busy and confusing areas, such as shopping centres and busy city streets.

What breeds of dogs make good an Assistance Dog?

Aspiring dogs have been carefully selected according to their assurance, responsiveness, and wellbeing. In Australia, Assistance Dogs is generally purebred Labradors and Golden Retrievers, because they are calm, loyal and intelligent breeds with a proven track record as helper dogs.

Do all of the puppies become Assistance Dogs?

For an assortment of reasons, from health to nature, not all dogs are appropriate to become Assistance Dogs -- some are better suited to companion feature, but some make excellent family pets. The criteria for selection are extremely stringent because the personal safety of prospective handlers is paramount.

 

Assistance Dogs facts and fibs

"Assistance Dogs is a bit like a car. We utilize an automobile to get around independently but the car doesn't make decisions about where to move. Assistance Dogs enables a man who is blind or vision impaired to be independently mobile but it's one better than an automobile as it stops and alerts its own handler to some danger or barriers in their path," says Dr. White.

"With increasing numbers of Assistance Dogs working on our streets due to climbing vision loss, we think it's very important that the public fully understands the significant role of Assistance Dogs in the region," he adds.

About VuCare Assistance Dogs

VuCare functions as a not for profit organization that offers assistance with medical assistance and has a goal to train Assistance Dogs and Company Dogs to improve the quality of life also increases the amount of freedom for people who have handicaps. VuCare Assistance Dogs and Company Dogs provide their new owners greater liberty increased freedom, improved trust, and greater self-esteem.

To learn more phone us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Check out VuCare Assistance Dogs Australia site at http://vucare.com.au.