topic Companion Dogs in Community Spirit

Companion Dogs

grandmoon — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 23:20:31 GMT

What are they for ?

Are they treated like Guide dogs ?

Re: Companion Dogs

azureline** — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 23:53:48 GMT

Companion dogs? or assistance dogs? they are different, assistance dogs are those for people with disabilities, specially trained.

Companion dogs are not considered the same as guide dogs.

Re: Companion Dogs

azureline** — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 23:57:08 GMT

A Companion Dog is a dog trained to support an adult or child who would benefit from the companionship of a well-trained dog in a home environment. They are not trained to provide assistance in public areas.

Assistance Dogs Australia provides freedom and independence to people with physical disabilities.

We are a national charity that trains Labradors and Golden Retrievers to perform everyday tasks for people with disabilities.

Assistance Dogs increase independence, reduce reliance on human caregivers and act as a great ice-breaker helping overcome social isolation.

Assistance Dogs can pick up dropped items, open and close doors and cupboards, press the pedestrian button at the lights, pay the cashier at the shops, get the phone, unload the washing machine and alert bark if their owner is in troubl

Re: Companion Dogs

azureline** — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 00:09:14 GMT

Do Assistance Dogs have public access rights?

Yes. Service Dogs who are placed with people that use wheelchairs have public access rights and are distinguishable by their blue jacket. They and their recipient undergo yearly public access testing and are issued with a license. It is illegal to discriminate against or refuse entry to a person with an Assistance Dog and anyone who does so can be prosecuted. Any entry fee must not be charged to an animal that is an assistance animal.

Re: Companion Dogs

grandmoon — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 00:16:34 GMT

Thanks we have a woman who comes in where I work and brings her dog that she refers to as a companion dog. This dog is not welled trained and is a nuisance getting under other peoples feet. The woman is telling us that she has the right to have him with her.

Re: Companion Dogs

harley_babes_hoard — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 00:26:49 GMT

from the guide dogs website.

Service Dogs – are placed with adults with physical disabilities, these dogs are the most highly trained to help their owner inside and outside of the house. All service dogs have full public access right so they can accompany their owner anywhere in the community.
Companion Dogs – are mainly provided families with a child with a disability or to people who may need some assistance around the home.
Facility Dogs – Trained to be companions to everyone at care facilities such as nursing homes or children’s hospices.

You may have to be careful as it does say they do assist.

Re: Companion Dogs

*crikey*mate* — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 00:39:56 GMT

does he have a blue coat? and a harness?

It could also be a Therapy Dog, which is kind of a combination of the two. Hard to explain, but do you know why this lady has a Companion Dog? Whilst Therapy Dogs aren't specifically trained like the stereotypical Guide Dog that helps blind people cross the road, they certainly are trained to accompany their carers into public. Their main purpose is to detect anxiety levels and to assist their handler in recognizing the signs they might be missing of an impending attack and to help them to control their anxiety, before it gets out of hand and requiring external intervention.

When they were first triaslled, they experimented with a lot of different breeds, the whole program is still really in its infancy only being about 6 years old, so some of the breeds aren't as great as others, but a lot of selection and choice of the specific breed is also tied into what is compatible with the handler.

I haven't heard of one being "naughty" though. Haven't heard of one that doesn't stay by their handlers side in public. At least on a regular basis, sometimes, especially when they are young, they might go for a bit of a wander and explore a bit if things seem very calm and relaxed, but they should be very obedient and when called to task, will return to their place.

Is it possible that the lady is not handling him correctly? This would seem odd because when they are young, they do a lot of obedience training, and then from 2 years of age they do "top up" training every 3 to 6 months - depending on the shrink's recommendations, but quite short periods to pick up and correct and train both the handler and dog and make sure they are working together well etc.

Of course, Hugh Heffner also had a lot of "companions" LOL, but this lady may have a dog who was retired from the program as not suitable but her "issues" and attatchment to him might have made it hard for her to surrender him. So whilst he might not be licensed, he may still be needed, and if there is room for flexibility i'e, there are no real health reasons why the pup can't be where you work, the dog is actually benefiting the lady more than he is an inconvenience, it might not hurt to find out exactly why she thinks she "needs him" and what his history is iykwim.

Re: Companion Dogs

*crikey*mate* — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 00:47:59 GMT

@harley_babes_hoard wrote:
from the guide dogs website.

Service Dogs – are placed with adults with physical disabilities, these dogs are the most highly trained to help their owner inside and outside of the house. All service dogs have full public access right so they can accompany their owner anywhere in the community.
Companion Dogs – are mainly provided families with a child with a disability or to people who may need some assistance around the home.
Facility Dogs – Trained to be companions to everyone at care facilities such as nursing homes or children’s hospices.

You may have to be careful as it does say they do assist.

but to remain accredited, there are strict gyuidelines as to their behaviour, and regular training and assessment is mandatory for continued accreditation.

They do "assist", but they're not allowed to be "rogue" either.

In reality, apart from him being the elephant in the room, others shouldn't really know he is there.

I know that some idiotic red tape had some of the therapy dogs removed from their carers when they went from child to adult "in the system" and these pups were presumedly rehomed, and others were "retired" as not suitable.

But if the dog is legit, she should have a licence for him, a log book of his training, assessments etc.

Re: Companion Dogs

topsidesoul — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 02:20:54 GMT

Why make a big deal?

Wish I had a dog at work to eleviate boredome.

Re: Companion Dogs

azureline** — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 05:15:22 GMT

The nursing home my FIL is in has 2 companion dogs that visit regularly. However, they are specific to the elderly for interaction. It works well.They have to leave the dining room when food is served as they are not assistance or service dogs.

Re: Companion Dogs

icyfroth — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 05:18:35 GMT

Only today I watched a man making his way up the street with his guide dog and I thought: thank God for them dogs and the people that train em!

Re: Companion Dogs

freshwater-2 — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 05:46:51 GMT

Assistance Dogs have to be tested and certified under the guidelines of Assistance Dogs Internation and they have to be 'bullet proof' in public areas and not react with any aggression towards anybody no matter what the circumstances.

They are also NOT to defend their recipient if threatened, This is why the preferred breed is retrieverXlab by many organisations.. Referred to the KFC breed.because they like everyone. However some other individual dogs from other breeds can pass the temperament test too.

Not only do Assistance Dogs given to physicall disabled, but some are Seizure Alert dogs who can alert their recipients prior to seizure so the recipient can get themselves into a safe position until the seizure passes..

Even after rigorous long time training many dogs do not pass the final certification test. Those that don't pass the test always find good homes.

Assistance dogs must wear the individual identifying jacket of the organisation that trained them and wear an id card on the collars, including the name of the organisation which trained her/him, date of certification, and the owner's name. And the owner must carry one to cover the dog too.

Dogs which visit hospitals, etc. do so under approval and strict supervision and are referred to as Therapy Dogs.

A Companion Dog is NOT anything like an Assistance Dog or a Therapy Dog and is banned from areas where dogs are not allowed.

Check out Assistance Dogs Australia (ASDOG) for more details. I was the Hon. Secretary/Treaurer for 12 years.

Grandmoon, that woman with the dog is trying to pull the wool over your eyes.....l

Re: Companion Dogs

freshwater-2 — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 05:57:34 GMT

Incidentally, not only do some dogs not pass the test.....some applicants don't either.

Applicants have to be approved too.....to love and be capable and willing to care for the dog's needs and wellbeing.

Re: Companion Dogs

icyfroth — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 06:00:40 GMT

thank god for the people who persist!

Re: Companion Dogs

grandmoon — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 23:20:37 GMT

Yes freashwater I think your right, she is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

If she needed an a Assistance dog she wouldn't be coming to help us.

Re: Companion Dogs

twinkles**stars — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:17:31 GMT

@grandmoon wrote:
Yes freashwater I think your right, she is trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

If she needed an a Assistance dog she wouldn't be coming to help us.

Why? Many people need assistant dogs for many reasons. Does not mean they can't do regular work. Personally I know of one young lady who had an assistant dog due to autisim. She is doing a course at uni and passing with flying colours.

Re: Companion Dogs

freshwater-2 — Sun, 24 Nov 2013 00:43:20 GMT

You are quite right Twinkles. We have supplied Assistance Dogs to responsible disabled students who attend high school full time and whose parents are responsible for their dog..

However, the dog in question is not an Assistance Dog and obviously the person with their dog does not need an A.D..