Assistance Dogs 101: Assistance Dogs

Dogs.

Let's face it, dogs are, and always have been, man's best friend. We all know the extraordinary benefits and innate abilities that dogs have, and as they are (most of the time) highly intelligent and trainable, they are the most popular animal to assist us humans in an official capacity as a service dog or working dog.

But there seems to be a lot of confusion about the difference between an assistance/service dog and a companion dog. Depending on where you live in this wonderful world of ours, the lines seem to have blurred about the difference between the two.

It's been a few months since Henry arrived at superhero headquarters and became L's furry sidekick and already we have lost count of the number of times that when we've been out and about, a well meaning member of the public has said to us, upon realising that Henry is a service dog, "oh I have a service dog too, it's a [insert dog breed here.]" And the majority of times, the dog breed is a chihuahua or a dachshund or some other extremely small stature breed. We've also had people tell us that they have an emotional support assistance dog.

Now I have nothing against either of these breeds - in fact we're big fans of dachshund's, but neither of these breeds have the stature needed for the tasks that service dogs are often required to do. They are the perfect size dog breed for a companion dog however. And this leads us to the main point of this post.

There is a HUGE difference between an Assistance or Service Dog and a companion dog. The term Assistance and Service are interchangeable so in this piece when I refer to an Assistance Dog, I am also meaning Service Dog.

Assistance Dogs are considered a medical aid and they are specifically trained to assist people with visible and/or non-visible disabilities. There is a lot of training, many more hours of training then you would put into a family pet, and as such Assistance Dogs are given additional permissions and protections under the law than a family pet would have.

Due to the additional permissions and protections given to Assistance Dogs, they are required to meet specific temperament, behaviour and hygiene standards, both before and after their public certification.

Traditionally, Assistance Dogs are predominantly recognised as Guide Dogs for the sight impaired - Henry is often mistaken for a Guide Dog because that is the most well known Assistance Dog.

Assistance Dogs can be trained to do a wide range of tasks. Smart Pups who trained Henry not only train Autism Assistance Dogs, they also train mobility Assistance Dogs, Seizure Alert Dogs, Diabetes Dogs that detect high and low blood sugars and they've branched into training PTSD Assistance Dogs for returned service and emergency service personnel. Assistance Dogs, while assisting their owner with a myriad of tasks, also assist the person to access and participate in community activities.

Due to the role and tasks that Assistance Dogs are trained to do, Assistance Dogs are protected in Queensland under the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009 in regards to the public access rights that the dog and their handler have after they have successfully completed the certification process.

Assistance Dogs Australia wide, are also protected under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (commonly referred to as the DDA,) section 9, part 2. This states that the legal definition of an assistance animal, like a dog or other animal, is that it:

(a) is accredited under a State or Territory law to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effects of disability; or
(b) is accredited by an animal training organisation prescribed in the regulations; or
(c) is trained to (i) assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability and (ii) meets standards of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place.

To gain certification, the handler and dog must work with an approved trainer or training organisation to train the dog and once the trainer is satisfied, the handler and dog must successfully complete the public access test (PAT) and certification process.

Once the handler and dog have passed the PAT, a handler identification card is generated (in our case we have two handler identification cards, one for L and one for myself.) When the dog is in work mode, this card must be kept on the dog or handler at all times - Henry has a small pocket in his work jacket that these cards are kept in.

Assistance Dogs are working dogs. Henry is L's Assistance Dog and is in fact listed as belonging to L. Henry is not a family pet as even when out of his work jacket, he is still working.

When an Assistance Dog is in its jacket, the dog is on the clock and working to assist their handler. 

Assistance Dogs and their handlers have access to all public spaces - restaurants, shops, libraries, cinemas, zoos, work spaces, hospitals and everywhere in between. The only places that assistance dogs are not permitted are in commercial kitchens (but let's face it, do we really need dog hair in our food??) and sterile areas like operating theatres and quarantine areas (which makes a lot of sense.) By refusing access to an Assistance Dog, you are discriminating against the dog and their handler.

There are a few distinct features of an Assistance Dog, and not just the specific tasks that it can do, that really sets an Assistance Dog a part from a family pet. With an Assistance Dog, you shouldn't actually realise that it is somewhere a pet dog isn't allowed to go. We regularly surprise people with Henry when they realise that he has been very quietly sleeping under a chair or table while we've been out and about. An Assistance Dog, while in work mode, should not be barking or growling at people or at other assistance dogs. An Assistance Dog shouldn't be begging for food from its handler or other people around it. 

All of these things have occurred to us when we've been out and about - we've had two "assistance dogs" growl and bark at Henry as we walked past - Henry was on his best behaviour and ignored the dog both times which Henry was rewarded for. I've seen more than a few extremely small "assistance dogs" begging for food inside cafes and food courts of shopping centres. These are traits that you do NOT want to see in an Assistance Dog.

Dogs that are classed or referred to as companion or emotional support animals, generally do not have any task specific training and as such they are not recognised under the same legislation as Assistance Dogs and therefore they do not have the same public access rights as an Assistance Dog - they are also not recognised under the Guide, Hearing and Assistance Dogs Act 2009.

A companion or emotional support dog, while I have no doubt they are incredibly useful, they have generally not undergone any training to do specific, identifiable tasks to reduce their owner's need for support. A companion dog is a fancy way of saying a family pet.

If a companion or an emotional support dog has not undergone the public access test, it is not permitted to enter places such as restaurants, shopping centres, hospitals and so on.

If you are unsure about the classification of any dog that you see out and about in places that family pets are not allowed to be, by all means ask. The handler, if the dog has been certified, has an obligation to carry their handler card and provide this when asked for proof about the dog. Please be polite when asking to view these details though.

We've always said that if our old bull terrier was younger, she'd make a great therapy dog - she'd need a lot of training - but she is definitely an undercover therapy. She is a wonderful companion and emotional support dog.

A Superhero Pup for Lachlan

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Late last year, I posted an article about L being accepted to receive an Autism Assistance Service Dog. We began our fundraising campaign in November and have been gradually adding funds to our goal of $20,000.

Well, a few weeks ago we were contacted by Smart Pups inviting us to an annual luncheon that is organised by a gentleman by the name of Craig Harley. Every year for the last seven years (this year being the eight year,) Craig organises a corporate fundraising luncheon for Smart Pups and every year, he asks Smart Pups to choose one Autistic child to receive some of the money raised that goes directly into their campaign. L was chosen to be that child. A few weeks ago we visited one of the Smart Pups training venues on the Sunshine Coast where we filmed a short clip about why we were fundraising for a Smart Pup, this would be played at the beginning of the function, and L met several puppies.

Thursday just gone was the day of the function. Both little superheroes had been counting down the days because, a. they would get to pat some more puppies, and b. they would get to meet a famous Australian swimmer.

Daddy superhero, myself and O got dressed up on our finest but L decided that shorts, a t-shirt and no shoes was the go. He was comfortable and had clothes on and that is all that matters! We packed all of the necessities - electronic devices, charging cords and portable power banks, body sock and other sensory items. We knew that the function was going to be quite large, we were told that 400 tickets had been sold already, so there was the potential for both little superheroes to enter into sensory overload.

When we arrived at The Paddo, the enormity of the function was a little overwhelming to both little superheroes. We were seated at the Smart Pups table so there were lots of Smart Pups to assist both little superheroes. They loved Boots, who was an old hand at being a service dog. They both needed to wear their block ear protectors. The body sock was used as where the other sensory items.

We met and chatted with Dawn Fraser and Ian Thorpe, two Australian swimming living legends. Dawn is a huge supporter of Smart Pups and has attended every fundraising function since it first started. Both Ian and Dawn are very friendly, very down to earth and very humble about their achievements. Ian is also very tall, he's huge!

Both little superheroes were looking forward to meeting Ian Thorpe, we didn't know that Dawn Fraser would be there though, due to the swimming connection. Both little superheroes loves their swimming lessons.

As the clip was about to play about how an Autism Assistance dog would help L, we were invited onto the stage to talk about how a Smart Pup would help L. By this stage L was well and truly overwhelmed and had made himself a cubby house underneath the table that we were sitting at, so Daddy superhero, O and myself made our way onto the stage.

This was a bit of a surprise as I didn't realise that we'd be speaking to the function attendees. We had a chat with Donna Lynch, one of the MC's and then she asked us to stand. At this point I began thinking, what on earth was about to happen. Well, unbeknownst to us, we were invited to the luncheon because the patron of the luncheon, Wally Fullerton-Smith, wanted to present L with his Smart Pup.

Every year Craig Harley asks one of his contacts to be the patron of the function. Smart pups then names one of the puppies in the patron's honour and that pup is presented to the child who is effectively the face of Smart Pups at the fundraising function.

So without any further ado, I'd like to introduce the newest member of our family, Wally. Wally is an eight week old Labrador puppy and he is really cute!

It will be quite some time before Wally is placed with us at home as he has to successfully complete all of his training, but as you can see L was over the moon. Initially L was unsure, but when he realised that Wally was his puppy, a huge smile broke out on his face and stayed there.

Daryl Braithwaite, an iconic Australian artist, was performing at the function and even he wanted a cuddle with Wally. Wally on the other hand, had other ideas!!

We were able to have a long chat with Wally Fullerton-Smith about Lachy and how Wally (the pup) would be able to assist L. By this stage, L was well and truly over photos and had hidden again. And while speaking with Wally (the person,) he wiped more than a few tears from his eyes. He asked if we could keep him informed about how Wally (the pup) was going and L, to which we responded a resounding "of course we will." Both little superheroes therapists over the last few years have become like family members as they've invested a lot of personal time and effort into both little superheroes. Wally Fullerton-Smith, you're now part of our superhero family network. Wally (the person) also showed that underneath his tough NRL exterior, he is a softie at heart.

When L realised that Wally was his pup, the smile on his face was beautiful. There wasn't a dry eye around us. And with a fluffy face like this, who could resist.

We went out the back where all of the pups could go to have a break and Erin, our trainer, sat down with both little superheroes and Wally and did some basic training with Wally. We've been invited up to the Smart Pups training facility at any stage during Wally's training so that we can see what he's been up to with Erin. This will also give L and Wally the opportunity to strengthen the bond that was started on Thursday.

This is a unique opportunity for us as usually a family who will receive a Smart Pup do not find out the name of their Smart Pup until approximately four weeks before placement at home. Being able to follow Wally's training every step of the way is just wonderful and for that, we're very grateful.

Even O had a few cuddles with Wally. She too is smitten with Wally. While Wally is primarily L's Smart Pup, in time Wally will also be able to assist O with her anxiety.

On Thursday, we were not only surprised with L's Smart Pup, Wally, but Chris from Big Dog Pet Foods informed us that they will be providing us with a year's worth of dog food for Wally. This will take a huge financial cost off of our shoulders, so thank you.

On all of the tables at the function, were several of these little plush Smart Pups. As we were about to leave, L asked Kylie from Smart Pups if he could take home some of the puppies. We came home with four of them!! Not to be confused with Wally, but these two tiny Smart Pups are now known as WesWally! And O has named her tiny Pup, Waldo.

Both little superheroes have begun planning what Wally (the pup) can wear when we go to Supernova next year.

I am sure that the next twelve months are going to fly by. L is missing Wally (the pup) already and is looking forward to another day trip to see his pup again.

We are so very grateful to Patricia, Kylie and all of the other employees at Smart Pups, Wally Fullerton-Smith, Craig Harley, Chuggy and all of the other staff from The Paddo who worked at the function and all of the attendees at the function. Your contributions will make a huge difference to L's life, and others, and many other families who are currently waiting to receive a Smart Pup.

We're also very grateful to a close family friend, Kaz Doyle, who helped to kick off our fundraising campaign. To Bribie Island and District Woodcrafters Group, a huge thank you. Your group came on board to assist us with fundraising and we thank you for your support. To all of you who have donated money and prizes for us to raffle off, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much. Your support means the world to our family.

We are feeling very grateful and very, very loved.

While we have reached our goal and can see a light at the end of the tunnel, there are many other families who are yet to reach their goal of $20,000. Prior to the function, we decided that if we reached our target, we'd continue to fundraise so that we could support Smart Pups and other families. So that's what we are going to do.

For those not in the know, Wally Fullerton-Smith is a former Australian representative and National Rugby League player for St George Illawarra Dragons.