Training your own assistance dog can be an incredibly rewarding journey. For many people with disabilities, these dogs become lifelines—offering independence, safety, and companionship.
But is training your own assistance dog possible, and what should you know before taking this step?
Let's explore the world of owner-trained assistance dogs in the UK, discussing what's required, the benefits, and the challenges that come along.
Owner-Trained Assistance Dogs: Understanding Your Rights
In the UK, there is no legal requirement for assistance dogs to be certified by a charity or any particular organisation. While many charities provide assistance dogs, they often have long waiting lists and strict requirements around breed and temperament.
Training your own assistance dog, also known as an "owner-trained assistance dog," provides an alternative route that can be more flexible, allowing you to train a dog that meets your specific needs.
It's important to note that there is no legal certification required for assistance dogs in the UK. Instead, the key requirement is that your assistance dog is well-behaved, under control, and able to perform specific tasks that mitigate your disability. This means that people with registered disabilities are entirely within their rights to train their own dog to assist them with everyday tasks, without having to rely on external organizations.
Training for Any Registered Disability
One of the significant advantages of training your own assistance dog is the flexibility to cater specifically to your disability—whether it’s physical, psychiatric, medical, or neurological. For example, you can train your dog to help you with mobility tasks, provide alerts for medical conditions, or help calm anxiety during overwhelming situations.
Whether you have dysautonomia and need your dog to detect changes in blood pressure, or you need a dog to help with PTSD episodes, owner-training gives you the freedom to meet your unique needs.
However, it’s crucial that the dog can perform identifiable tasks that help mitigate your disability. Legally, for a dog to qualify as an assistance dog, it must be able to provide you with practical help—not just emotional support. While providing comfort can be a wonderful benefit, the dog should also be trained for specific skills that support your day-to-day life.
Choosing the Right Dog for the Job
When considering training your own assistance dog, choosing the right dog is one of the most critical steps. Not every dog is suitable to be an assistance dog, and it's important to consider factors such as:
Temperament: Your dog should be calm, confident, and eager to learn. They need to be resilient, able to handle stress, and adaptable to various environments.
Health: Since assistance work can be physically demanding, the dog must be in good health, free from joint or other medical issues that might impede their ability to work.
Breed and Size: While breed isn’t the ultimate factor, it can influence a dog’s suitability for certain types of tasks. Larger dogs may be more suitable for mobility work, whereas smaller breeds might be perfect for medical alert or psychiatric assistance.
Choosing a dog that is temperamentally and physically suited to the role will increase your likelihood of success and ensure that your dog can enjoy a long and fulfilling career as your assistance partner.
Read our blog on selecting a breed: www.adolescentdogs.com/post/which-breed-makes-the-best-assistance-dog
And choosing a breeder: www.adolescentdogs.com/post/finding-a-good-breeder
Or identifying if your current dog is suitable: www.adolescentdogs.com/post/owner-trained-assistance-dog
The Realities of Training and Time Commitment
Training an assistance dog is not a quick process—it requires time, patience, and dedication. Generally, assistance dogs need around 1.5 to 2 years of consistent training before they are fully reliable in a public access setting. This training involves:
Basic Obedience: The foundation of all assistance dog training. Your dog should have impeccable obedience skills in any environment.
Advanced Skills: Distraction-proofing your dog for public places, teaching them to stay focused, and ensuring they are comfortable in various environments like public transport, shops, and busy areas.
Task Training: Teaching specific tasks to help with your disability, such as retrieving dropped items, deep pressure therapy, or alerting to medical symptoms.
This journey requires consistency, a solid training plan, and sometimes professional support to navigate the challenges. Consider whether you have the resources and time to devote to training, as it will require daily effort and ongoing reinforcement throughout the dog's life.
Setbacks in Training and Ethical Considerations
It's also important to understand that setbacks are part of the journey. Dogs, like people, have different personalities, and sometimes their temperament or behaviour may change as they mature. For example, a dog that initially seemed confident may start to exhibit fear or aggression as they grow, making them unsuitable for public work. In such cases, it's crucial to prioritise the well-being of the dog.
Being a responsible handler means recognising when a dog is no longer suitable for assistance work, even if it means they can no longer serve in that role.
If a dog's temperament changes or they become uncomfortable in public settings, finding an alternative solution—such as retiring the dog from service—is often the best course of action.
It’s also important to remember that training an assistance dog is a journey that can involve emotional highs and lows. There will be moments of success when your dog masters a new task, but there may also be setbacks. Having a support network, such as an online community or professional trainer, can help you stay motivated and navigate these challenges.
Is Owner Training Right for You?
Training your own assistance dog is a serious commitment that comes with both rewards and responsibilities. You will have the flexibility to train a dog specifically to meet your needs and have a deeper bond with your dog that comes from the daily training process. However, you must also be prepared for the challenges—time, effort, consistency, and the possibility that the dog you choose may not ultimately be suited for the role.
It is an option for many people that can provide life-changing support, but it’s important to do your research, seek help when needed, and always act in the best interest of both your well-being and that of your dog.
If you're considering training your own assistance dog, take time to assess your abilities and your dog's temperament and reach out for professional guidance when needed. With the right approach, training your own assistance dog can be a path to greater independence and an incredible partnership with your canine companion.
Where to start?
If you're considering training your own assistance dog but feel you need structured guidance, the Adolescent Dogs Owner Trained Assistance Dog Programme might be the perfect fit.
This programme is open to new members year-round with no waiting lists, accepting all breeds and supporting all types of disabilities.
It offers an extensive library of video tutorials that cover everything from basic to advanced obedience, solving behavioral issues, and specific task training tutorials tailored to individual needs. Participants can work through the content at their own pace, ensuring a comfortable and customised training journey.
The programme also provides opportunities for hands-on learning through members-only workshops, residential training stays, and one-on-one lessons, helping you and your dog make consistent progress together.
Find out more here: www.adolescentdogs.com/assistancedogsuk
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