ADVICE
Is An Assistance Dog Right for You?
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Firstly, for you to have an Assistance Dog you must have a disability an Assistance Dog can do tasks to help you with.
These can be physical, mental health or through neurodivergence (autism/adhd and more). Check out our massive list of tasks a dog can be trained to do.
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X If you do not have a disability then an Assistance Dog is not for you.
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Are you able to give a dog the care they need even if you are having a bad day?
Your dog will still need fed and out for comfort breaks regularly. If your health is too poor for this do you have regular care from someone who would always be willing and able to help with your dog's care?
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X If not then an Assistance Dog is not for you.
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Are you ready to cope with the dirt and hair that having a dog brings to your home?
If the dog is short haired be prepared for hair casting everywhere and if long haired will need very regular care at the groomers or you to comb them through thoroughly every few days if kept longer. Grooming is an expense you have to budget for.
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X If you struggle with hair or mess then an Assistance Dog is not for you
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Can you afford the extra expenses a dog will bring?
As well as the collars, leads and dog food there are other regular expenses as well as unexpected ones. Monthly flea/tick prevention, three monthly worming, yearly vaccinations, insurance for medical costs and public liability. Even when insured you may have an excess fee to pay out first and some policies/vets insist you pay out first and claim back. Accidents and illnesses can rack up a bill into the thousands. Grooming if you have a long coated breed can be every 6-8 weeks and can cost £45-70 a time. New leads, collars, harnesses etc all also add up. Having a pet dog isn't cheap and an Assistance dog even less so.
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X If you are already struggling for money then an Assistance Dog is not for you
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Will you be able to handle the extra attention having an Assistance Dog will bring?
As soon as you are in a shop or other place dogs arent usually people will start asking you about your dog, want to pet your dog and otherwise give you and your dog attention. If you have social anxiety this may be overwhelming for you.
X If you won't cope with the added attention then an Assistance Dog is not for you.
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Organisation or Owner Trained?
Note that what may be a pro for one person may be a con for someone else and vice versa
ORGANISATION or CHARITY TRAINED
​Pros
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​The training is already carried out by professionals
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Lifetime back up by the organisation
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The dog may be supplied free (some are not though)
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Dogs carefully matched with you and your conditions
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You don't have to train a puppy/adolescent
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The organisation may offer a retirement home
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If an ADUK organisation you have better access rights (unfortunately despite it being against the Equality Act many businesses are now only allowing ADUK dogs)
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Cons
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​Most organisations have massive waiting lists that may be many years long
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Some organisations wait lists are so long they are presently closed
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Some organisations do charge for the trained dog and this may be thousands
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Many organisations supply dogs only for one specific disability
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You may not be accepted if you have several disabilities
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Some organisations only supply to certain age groups
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Some organisations only supply in certain areas of the Country
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OWNER TRAINED
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Pros​
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You get to pick your own dog
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You can train up an existing pet if suitable
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You can train for multiple conditions and tasks
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Train at your own pace
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Train independently or with a trainer
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Do your own thing
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No waiting you can start quickly​​​
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Cons
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The dog you start training may not end up being suitable
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Pups can mature up with a nature that changes during puberty
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Finding the help you need can be difficult at times
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If you are disabled then having the fitness and energy to train can be difficult
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Imposter syndrome can be an issue for some people worrying that you and your dog aren't good enough
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When you retire your dog it stays with you so you then have two if you start training a new one.
Can I do it totally Independently?
Yes!
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There is nothing to stop you choosing and training your own dog without using a trainer or any other organisation. By law you do not need your dog assessed, to join any organisations or pass any tests.
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You may prefer to do it that way or if you live somewhere remote it may be necessary.
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If you go this route there are many video resources you may find on YouTube if you need help training something plus lots of helpful websites, TikTok's and Facebook groups.
BREED SELECTION
So if you have the option of choosing what breed should you select?
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As well as breed characteristics every dog has their own character. Some characters mean that dogs from breeds you don't normally associate with being an assistance dog are well suited to it so each dog has to be assessed for suitability on their own merits and not as a breed.
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Dogs were bred for different traits that when choosing a breed you should be aware of
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Terriers.
Tenacious and bred to think for themselves. Tend to be noisy as this helped them be located if stuck underground. Jack Russells, Westies and Cairns are examples.
Hounds
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Sighthounds. Bred to see prey and head off after it fast. Tend to take off in a straight line. May need muzzled around small furries. Great at settling in between short bursts of energy. Greyhounds, Salukis and Borzois are examples.
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Scenthounds. Its all about the scent and when on a scent their ears disconnect. This can be useful for scent based tasks. Beagles, Bloodhounds and Foxhounds are examples
Gundogs
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Setters/Pointers Bred to alert their handler to game. High energy to be on the moors all day. Red and Gordon Setters and German Short Haired Pointers are examples.
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Retrievers Bred to work with their handlers waiting to collect shot birds and retrieve them to their handlers. Can be high energy if from working lines rather than show lines. Usually happy to work. Labradors, Flat Coats and Goldens Retrievers are examples.
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Spaniels busy dogs bred to flush game birds up into the air. They also retrieve. Working lines can be very high energy. Like to work. Cocker spaniels, Springer Spaniels and Clumber Spaniels are examples.
Pastoral Dogs
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Herding Dogs. Bred to round up Tend to be high energy and need a job. May have issues with fast moving things such as cars, bikes and joggers that they want to herd back to their handler especially if bought from the farm. Usually very intelligent.
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Border collie, rough collie, Bearded Collie are examples.
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Drover Dogs. Bred to move animals along by nipping at their heels. May be nippy with people. Old English Sheepdogs, Welsh Corgi and Australian Cattle Dog are examples.
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Guardian Breeds Bred to protect flocks. They do this by getting between the threat and the flock and barking and asting aggressively. May be prone to barking and lunging at other dogs or people so need careful socialising and training. Usually have a strong bond with handler and like to work. Not good for people with anxiety who they may go into guard mode qround which is not suitable in public access situations. German Shepherd dogs, Belgian Shepherd dogs and great Pyrenees are examples.
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Toy Dogs
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These dogs were bred to be the perfect companions. They are usually small dogs and often need less exercise than many of the larger breeds. They are mainly friendly and sociable. Examples are pugs, Pomeranians and Bichon Frise
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Working Dogs
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Bred with a purpose varying from search and rescue to sled pulling. Research your chosen breeds purpose to find normal breed traits. Usually larger dogs that enjoy more exercise. Examples are St Bernard, Doberman and Alaskan Malamute.
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Mixed Breed Dogs
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These dogs can inherit a variety of traits from their parent breeds. Breeding two very different breeds together can bring together the best traits of a mix or the worse. Rescue dogs may have no history and their breeds be guessed by their looks which is not always a reliable way to do i'tt. Some crosses such a Labradoodles and Cockapoos are very popular. Be aware that poodle crosses are not always non casting dogs and that their coats will take a lot of maintenance and expense at groomers if you aren't able to trim and maintain the coat yourself.
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The Fab Four of Assistance Work
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These are Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Standard Poodles, and less commonly in the UK, Rough Collies.
While individual dogs in each of these breeds may not have have a character suitable for Assistance work you have a higher chance of these dogs having the right nature for it. Labradors are the breed most associated with Assistance work especailly Guide Dogs.
Puppy or Adult Dog?
​​Puppy Pros
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Prior experience is known
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You can carry out thorough and careful socialisation
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All training carried out using methods you want
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Strong early bond
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Cons
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House Training
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Puppy mouthing
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Pup may mature a different size to expected if cross breed
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Training will need carried out over a longer period when younger
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Adolescent regression (teenage phase)
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Dogs nature may change at puberty
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Neutering/spaying time off
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Adult Adoption Pros
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Dog is mature size
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Dogs adult character can be assessed
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Often already housetrained
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May have had training already carried out
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Don't have to deal with puppy or adolescent behaviour
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Cons
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History may not be known
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If older then will have a shorter working life
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May have difficulties due to poor socialisation when younger
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May have behaviour traits that show weeks/months after adoption
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Male or Female?
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This one comes down to a matter of your preference.
Neither has big pros or cons.
The only thing to consider is that bitches will need time off while on season due to mess and their hormones and males may mark after puberty (whether neutered or not).
Some people bond better with dogs and other bitches so pick which ever pup/dog you feel drawn to.
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