How ‘mindDog’ are helping
Beautiful Quiet Heroes…
‘mindDog’ is a not-for-profit organisation certifying assistance dogs for people who could benefit from a psychiatric assistance dog. In most cases clients already own the training dog. This is beneficial as the client already has a bond with the dog. mindDog sets a training standard the dog needs to meet and then works with the client to develop an assistance dog able to accompany their owner in public and with increased access such as going on buses.
Dogs admitted to the mindDog program display suitable traits as candidates and will require training whilst in high distraction environments. They need to be at least 6 months old, desexed and many breeds of all shapes and sizes have successfully entered the program. Dogs are required to pass a set of official public access tests before officially becoming a mindDog dog.
Everyone has those days where we don’t feel great. For some, days like this can be frequent and include a range of emotions all the way up to debilitating stress or panic attacks. Because dogs are great at picking up on the way we are feeling and they are trainable, they make wonderful helpers when coached to provide specific support. Dogs can help us feel calmer and even detect our mood shifts in the early stages.
mindDog is an Australia wide program founded by Cath Phillips and run by volunteers. They rely on donations to stay afloat. Over 12 to 18months, dogs learn ways to provide emotional support. Under the supervision of a mindDog trainer, force free methods are used in developing the dog’s effectiveness. The trainer helps take the dog all the way to full accreditation and dogs wear a vest when out an about so they can be recognised as a working assistance dog.
This service has been provided for hundreds of clients to date.
To find out more about minDog check out their website at…
Leah & Angela OMeara
Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)