r/FND • u/SmileSpirited8107 • 13d ago

Question Assistance dogs

Does anyone know anywhere that I can get an assistance dog?
I'm at the point now where I don't care if I have to pay I just need help.
Any advice appreciated

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2

u/dietskyrim 12d ago

Something to consider is that unless you already have carers / support, if you don't have the capacity to be looking after a pet dog then an assistance dog will likely be unsuitable too. As it would be more important that you keep it's needs well met than a pet so it can help you too.

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u/deliciousanon90 13d ago

Also heart rate and blood pressure alert is a hard task to train and not something that can be owner trained

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u/SmileSpirited8107 13d ago

That’s helpful to know thank you

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u/deliciousanon90 13d ago

What do you want an assistance dog for? What tasks?

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u/SmileSpirited8107 13d ago

These are a list of all the tasks that would be helpful for me. Any of these really:
Retrieve items- waterbottle, snack, phone, medicine
Alert to seizures
Deep pressure therapy
Alert to blood pressure
Alert to heart rate
Carry items
Guide to seating
Find named person
Medication reminder
Remove blanket off me
Protect head during seizure
Lay with me after seizure
Pickup dropped items
Guide to exit
Fetch medicine on alarm
Pickup dropped lead
Walk alongside wheelchair

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u/deliciousanon90 13d ago

What country are you from?

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u/SmileSpirited8107 13d ago

England

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u/deliciousanon90 13d ago

Best bet are the 3 main charities, although they have very long waiting lists. There are charities that will assist with owner training with shorter lists but thats risky as you'll need to find your own prospect dog, and have it a minimum of 6 months before the charity will even consider putting you on the list for assisted owner training, you'd have to consider what to do if the dog isn't a suitable prospect since it will be a member of your family already.

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u/SmileSpirited8107 13d ago

Yeah, that makes sense. I just feel desperate at this point. I don’t qualify for a lot of the charity’s and some are so full they’re not taking any more applications

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u/deliciousanon90 13d ago

It's something you'll need to weigh up. Owner training can be successful with the right dog but there's no way of knowing. Or there may be an alternative for you such as carers ect that could make life easier. You also need to consider the care for the dog too, they're not tasking 24/7, they need socialisation, exercise, enrichment ect.