Caring for Your Assistance Dogs Abroad

Find out tips for supplies to take along, climate preparations, and dog health when traveling internationally.

What will you bring?

• Food and Nutritional Supplements
• Figure out what you can bring along with you and purchase the rest of the food and supplies.
• Make certain that the food is manufacturer-sealed in its bundle.  Consult your pet food supply shop for sample packs for aviation.
• For short trips or dog food or other allergies, take what you may need (i.e. food, medication, shampoos) to travel.
• For longer excursions, order food and supplies online or direct from the manufacturer and get it sent to your destination.  Many nations also have pet shops locally too.
• Keep the medicine in original prescription bottles, sealed, and with a note describing what the medication is and its purpose.

Climate

• Think about the climate from which you’re coming since the dog will have their summer or winter coat.
• When traveling from a cold climate to a warm climate, acclimatize your assistance dogs by:
• Shaving the coat if possible
• Brushing the coat frequently
• Adding Pedialyte® to water bowls to prevent dehydration
• Placing freezer packs in the pockets of vests to cool the body down
• Purchasing a “cooler” collar to wear
• Purchasing booties to protect the dog’s pads, if applicable

When traveling from a warmer climate to cold weather, consider:

• Purchasing vests/coats with insulation
• Purchasing booties to protect the dog’s pads, if applicable
• Brushing the coat frequently.
• Some dogs will want to get used to some new equipment before being able to work without being distracted by it.

How do I maintain my guide dog healthy?

Carry a pet first aid kit with you, or supplement yours with what your assistance dog requirements.

Require a pet first aid class.  Even if you can not physically perform the needed action you might have the ability to instruct another individual and save your assistance dog’s life.

Identify veterinarians in the regions you intend to travel.  Keep their names and contact information in a convenient, safe location.

Set aside money for health certificates, vet visits, and penalties related to traveling with an animal.

Carry a head halter and/or muzzle.  Ensure that your assistance dog was introduced into these items before traveling.  Some areas may require a muzzle or muzzle as an instrument for dogs in public.

Care for yourself.  Your service dog depends upon you as much as you do them.  Ensure that you are in good health so that you can care for your assistance dog.

Have a backup plan to fulfill your needs in the event your assistance dog isn’t permitted to accompany you or becomes unable to operate.

If you’re searching for assistance dogs in Australia, check out VuCare Assistance Dogs.  VuCare functions as a not for profit organization that offers aid with medical aids and has a goal to train Assistance Dogs and Companion Dogs to enhance the quality of life and increases the level of independence for individuals with disabilities.  VuCare Assistance Dogs and Companion Dogs provide their new owners greater liberty increased mobility, improved confidence, and greater self-esteem.

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

What is an Assistance Dog?

Have you ever wondered assistance dogs move from lively pups to sensible and loyal companions?

What is an Assistance Dog?

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

Why is Assistance Dog significant?

Assistance Dog enables people with vision impairment to avoid 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 into a responsible, working dogs is quite incredible, taking nearly two decades and costing over $30,000– equal to the price of a vehicle. Guide dogs are supplied free of charge to individuals with impaired vision.

How is an Assistance Dog trained?

From eight months to 14 weeks, these special puppies live with volunteer puppy raisers, whose obligation it is to supply a loving home and basic obedience.

At 14 months, pups go back to the VuCare Assistance Dogs Centre in which they’re evaluated on health and temperament. Puppies that are chosen to become assistant dogs then experience five weeks of intensive training, learning the skills they will need to safely guide a vision impaired handler.

Coaching includes: how to ignore distractions like food and noises; browse obstacles; traveling on public transportation, and discover landmarks like bus stops and cross streets safely.

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

What breeds of dogs make great an Assistance Dog?

Aspiring dogs are carefully chosen based on their assurance, responsiveness, and wellness. In Australia, Assistance Dogs is usually purebred Labradors and Golden Retrievers, since they’re calm, loyal and smart breeds with an established track record as assistant dogs.

Do all of the puppies become Assistance Dogs?

For a variety of reasons, from wellness to nature, not all dogs are appropriate to become Assistance Dogs — some are better suited to companion function, but some make good family pets. The criteria for selection are very stringent since the personal safety of prospective handlers is paramount.

 

Assistance Dogs facts and fibs

“Assistance Dogs is a bit like a car. We use a car to get around independently but the car does not make decisions about where to proceed. Assistance Dogs enables a person who’s blind or vision impaired to be independently mobile but it’s one better than a car as it stops and alerts its own handler to any threat or obstacles in their path,” says Dr. White.

“With growing numbers of Assistance Dogs working on our roads because of climbing vision loss, we think it is vital that the public fully understands the important role of Assistance Dogs in the area,” he adds.

About VuCare Assistance Dogs

VuCare runs as a not for profit organization that provides support with medical aids and has a target to train Assistance Dogs and Company Dogs to enhance the quality of life and raises the degree of freedom for those who have handicaps. VuCare Assistance Dogs and Company Dogs offer their new owners greater autonomy increased freedom, enhanced trust, and higher self-esteem.

To find out more phone us on 1300 830 166 or e-mail us at info@vucare.com.au. See VuCare Assistance Dogs Australia website at http://vucare.com.au.

VuCare Assistance Dogs – Helping People with Varying Disabilities in Australia

VuCare was founded in 2006 and first commenced training dogs in 2008. Our goal is to train 6 new dogs each year. These dogs will then go on helping people with varying disabilities throughout Australia.

The dogs themselves vary both in size and breed from little Fox Terrier to large St. Bernards! From pedigree dogs to cross breeds from rescue centres. They also donated by a group of caring breeders, VuCare members and loving members of the public.

If you have, or know of, a puppy/young dog, which you think might be suitable for training, please contact our pooch support team by calling our Head Office on 1300 363 700 or by email at poochteam@vucare.com.au.

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs website at http://vucare.com.au/

 

Considering a Therapy or Service Assistance Dog for Your Special Needs Child? Pros and Cons

To begin with, let’s differentiate between ‘assistance dog or service dog’, ‘companion dog’ and ‘therapy dog’.  Terms are not always used consistently but, these are the definitions:

Assistance or Service Dog

An Assistance or Service Dog is trained to perform specific physical activities to help someone with a disability, like opening doors, turning on lights, retrieving dropped items, carrying things, and alerting to sounds.  These dogs are typically trained and certified by assistance dog organizations and have full public access rights under the ADA law.  (NOTE: there have been some instances where the public access rights of assistance dogs for children are challenged.

Therapy Dog

A Therapy Dog is trained in basic obedience that offers companionship but does no particular tasking.  These dogs are often graduates of assistance dog organizations and especially suited for this work because of temperament.  They normally don’t have public access rights and work mostly in the home.  However, they are often invited to accompany the child into public places.

Companion Dog

A Companion Dog is a family pet with no particular training or certification.  They don’t have public access rights.

All three of these sorts of dogs will, if partnered correctly with children, provide the main service of all: love, affection, acceptance, and companionship to children too often disenfranchised and lonely.  In reality, often times, obtaining a four-legged furry ‘best pal’ will function as a social magnet, attracting other children, and for that reason promoting positive relationships which may otherwise be tricky to attain.  Children with disabilities are ‘different’ and those ‘differences’ are sometimes seen by peers as ‘negatives’… something to be frightened of or uncertain about.  But a child with a canine partner, while also seen as ‘different’ is seen as ‘different’ in a nice and appealing way.  So not only does the child have the comfort, security, and benefits of a loyal best friend in their dog, but they frequently acquire more human friends due to the dog.

Whilst adding a furry friend to the family can mean added expenses at the end of the month, it may also be a possible benefit from a tax perspective also.  Naturally, completely free taxes would be wonderful: but as most of us know, taxes are a simple fact of life.  That means that the intial purchase of the dog, any costs to train, and expenses related to the maintenance of said animal are completely tax deductible provided that the creature is employed to assist somebody who’s physically disabled.

For children with specific physical disabilities, an assistance dog can offer specified help past the companionship.  A child who must rely on others for everything (retrieval of a dropped toy, opening a door whilst negotiating a wheelchair or crutches) cannot develop independence in a natural progression.  At these times, self-esteem suffers and often there’s an accompanying fear of being alone that inhibits natural curiosity and exploration.  A child who’s afraid of falling is less likely to feel comfortable alone in a room, out in the yard, or even going to the bathroom by themselves, but a partnership with a dog tends to lessen fear.  Moreover, an assistance dog can ‘alert’ if there’s a problem (barking for help or actually going to have a parent or other adult).  Additionally, these dogs have the ability to provide actual physical help to a fallen child (the dog stands close and braces while the kid pulls him/herself up by grasping the dog).

Assistance dogs and therapy dogs can offer great help during various medical procedures also, especially when physical or speech therapy is necessary.  Imagine how much more motivated a child would be to walk across a room, regardless of pain, if their very best friend is waiting with a wagging tail and smiling face.  Even in hospitals, assistance/service and therapy dogs can offer great comfort and distraction from unpleasant medical procedures and are allowed into facilities in several instances.  For speech therapy, reading to a dog has been demonstrated over and over to offer great benefit.  A child sitting beside a dog, petting the fur, while reading aloud literally lowers blood pressure and other stress factors.  When this occurs the reading experience is much more pleasant for the child, which means more time is spent practicing leading to improved performance.

If you are looking for assistance dogs in Australia, check out VuCare Assistance Dogs. VuCare operates as a not for profit organization that provides support with medical aids and has a goal to train Assistance Dogs and Companion Dogs to improve the quality of life and increases the level of independence for people with disabilities. VuCare Assistance Dogs and Companion Dogs offer their new owners greater independence increased mobility, enhanced confidence, and higher self-esteem.

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs Australia website at http://vucare.com.au.

VuCare Pooch Support Team

If you have, or know of, a puppy/young dog, which you think might be suitable for training, please contact our pooch support team by calling our Head Office on 1300 363 700 or by email at poochteam@vucare.com.au.

 

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs website at http://vucare.com.au.

VuCare Volunteer Puppy Parents

Our Volunteer Puppy Parents walk the dogs, spend time with the dogs, help with administration and fundraising. Puppy Parent Volunteers need to be 18 years of age or older. We also have occasional Puppy Friend volunteers for specific work experience programs. Puppy Friend Volunteers need to be at least 14 years of age.

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs website at http://vucare.com.au.

VuCare Assistance Dogs – Trainers and Assistance Dogs

Trainers and Assistance Dogs
VuCare in conjunction with our registered trainers preselect our dogs from a small group of trusted breeders so as to assure temperament and avoid potential genetic issues.

An applicant’s own dog may be used for this program after both the applicant and dog undergo a full assessment before being accepted into any VuCare program. There is a small fee to cover our trainers time.

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs website at http://vucare.com.au/

Vucare Training Programs

The VuCare training program has been developed to help improve the quality of life and increase the level of independence and resilience for people with disabilities.

VuCare is committed to providing the highest level of training for our dogs in order to improve the lives of our clients and the dogs who care for them.

Training Programs:
For Pets and their companions.

– Better Pet basic
– Social Interaction
– Assess for home assist
– General home assist
– Advance home assist
– One on One Training
– Private Assistance Dogs
– Security Guard Dogs (AFP check required)
– Dog Training Course 1 (beginner)
– Dog Training Course 2 (advance)

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs website at http://vucare.com.au/

Happy Halloween From VuCare Assistance Dogs

Wishing everyone a Happy Halloween in advance. Have fun!

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs website at http://vucare.com.au.

VuCare Trainers and Assistance Dogs

VuCare in conjunction with our registered trainers preselect our dogs from a small group of trusted breeders so as to assure temperament and avoid potential genetic issues.

An applicant’s own dog may be used for this program after both the applicant and dog undergo a full assessment before being accepted into any VuCare program. There is a small fee to cover our trainers time.

For more information call us on 1300 830 166 or email us at info@vucare.com.au. Visit VuCare Assistance Dogs website at http://vucare.com.au.