“What is that dog doing mummy?”

I was out with Rebel today and we had to go onto a flat escalator at the shopping centre, as we got on I heard a small child say, “What is that dog doing mummy?” Her mother said, “It is a guide dog for that man he cannot see.”

Rebel and I went into the shop. I talk to Rebel about what ever I’m doing; “Where are the eggs or baked beans, oh! look beet root is on special, and so on.” It seems to keep her focused on shopping, it is so boring. A man shopping said. “What is that dog doing in this shop ?”

I said to Rebel“check-out,” it is a signal that we can go to pay. She likes queuing, after the shopping, we go to a bench seat and she gets to rest. Outside in her favorite resting place when a family with four children walked past, one of the children said, “Dad why does that man get to bring ring his dog to the shops?,Why can’t we bring Maxie?” “The man has a Seeing Eye Dog he is blind,” said Dad.

I thought for a short while and then decided that I needed to explain to the children what my dog is doing. I said, “Hello, Rebel is my assistance animal; I am not blind, Rebel helps me in many ways.” The children asked so many interesting questions, Rebel enjoyed talking and listening and being petted by them. We all had a good time and as the family left to go home every child wanted to say goodbye to Rebel.

It seems that most people think that assistance dogs must be a large breed of dog. Labradors Retrievers and Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds usually have the task being guide and mobility assistance dogs. An assistance dog can provide disability support regardless of its size or breed. Hearing assistance dogs, seizure and medical alert dogs, mental health dogs, and emotional support dogs tasks may be performed by a smaller dog of any breed. The size and breed of dog is selected to the patience and disability of the handler. Different needs and tasks are assessed and a dog that can best fulfill those needs is chosen.

The training to meet these tasks takes time, patience, and consistency over many months. Many people are choosing smaller dogs. The training usually less intensive because these dogs are not required for road work and are not usually working in public places. Most of these dogs work in the home and they are less difficult to care for. When they taken out into public places they are less conspicuous and much more portable.

It is a misconception that an assistance dog must be certified. All dogs must be registered by local council. Some assistance animals have undergone formal training and certification by Assistance Dog Training Organisations, and some have been trained by its own handler and a qualified dog trainer working together. The disability and impairment of the handler that determines that a dog is an assistance animal, these dogs are individually trained to provide assistance or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a physical or mental disability.