You get out, what you put in.

Having an Assistance Dog placed with our family has completely changed the way that we live – Henry has been truly life changing.

But having Henry also places a bigger responsibility on us as a family. Not only is Henry an extra mouth to feed and look after, the pet insurance on the off chance something happens to Henry, the weekly grooming of Henry, but we are also responsible for his ongoing training.

Smart Pups did an amazing job in training Henry prior to him being placed with our family in May 2021, but like any training, if it is not kept up then Henry will gradually lose his skills. Once an Assistance Dog is placed with its family, they are responsible for the ongoing training and upkeep of skills.

An assistance dogs skills can be likened to our own skills. If we have a particular skill needed for work, and we suddenly stop doing that task on a daily basis we may lose the ability to complete the task. Or, and this is more often the case, when we eventually go back to doing the task, we may need to be retrained.

An assistance dog is no different. They are trained in task specific skills that require ongoing practise of those skills.

Every time we leave the house, we look at the outing as a training opportunity. From a family walk each afternoon, to a family day out, to a trip to do our weekly shopping – every outing we practice Henry’s different skills.

There are certain skills, such as providing deep pressure therapy through laps and overs, that Henry does on a daily basis. Whereas other skills, such as tracking L, Henry does on a not so regular basis.

However every single skill – from his task specific skills to his special tricks, are practised and honed every week, sometimes on a daily basis.

With an Assistance Dog, you really do get out, what you put in. The more effort you do every day, or on a weekly basis, your assistance dog will perform to its upmost highest standard.

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