The best news in weeks!
6 July 2017
So, I know I have been quite for the past few weeks; health wise I seem to always have hurdles and hoops to jump through… but I have been working hard in the background, now I feel I have been achieving a lot.
The good news is I have now been accepted under the Skilled Companion Dog category through PPADT (Perfect Partners Assistance Dog Trust). The Trust feel that my energy is best focused on training a dog in general obedience, socialization, bonding with me and training in specialist tasks that will help alleviate the effects of my disability.
By taking the next 18 to 24-months to focus on these tasks it will help me and the dog in the most effective way. PPADT will be there to maximize the benefit to me, rather than "wasting time" on training public access skills that I’m not really going to need in a big way right now because of my limited abilities.
If after the 18 to 24-month period, the dog is doing these trained tasks and I feel that adding public access will be of benefit (because I am more active) Then I can apply to PPADT for a transition to disability assistance dog and they will help me by training for tasks in public. PPADT will then look at where the dog is up to, what we’re doing together, and what the dog needs to learn for this transition. If I have built a strong base at home and I am able to do things like walking to pick my son from school, catch buses and other social situations, then PPADT don't see this being a hugely difficult task, more a natural progression.
PPADT's role is going to be to mainly oversee our progress and to advise. They will help me find a local trainer here in Hamilton and will get monthly feedback from them about how I am doing. I will also complete a form every two or three months to show what we’re working on, the challenges we are facing and the progress we are celebrating. PPADT will also add my dog to the dog register on the PPADT website, with a photo of me and the dog and that it is a skilled companion dog with us. This gives validation to the dog being highly trained to help with my disability as a comparison to it being a pet.
Exciting times ahead; still need to find a dog and raise A LOT of money… but I feel the journey has certainly officially started!