Partnerships > Assistance Dogs for Children with physical disabilities
Assistance Dogs for Children with physical disabilities
At Dogs for the Disabled we believe that by training a dog with specialist skills, it will provide not just independence but also give therapeutic care and further enhance the development of a physically disabled child.
As with our adult services, a child’s assistance dog will be trained in tasks such as retrieving dropped items, opening doors and helping remove a jacket or pair of socks and shoes. But a major contribution will be the unconditional love that a canine friend can provide. As the relationship between dog and child develops, it is expected that the dogs will help with physiotherapy. For children who need regular practice at moving their upper body or improving their hand-eye coordination, their dog can be trained to ‘mirror’ stretching exercises or play a game of ball with a child.
To find out more about enquiring for an assistance dog for your child, please click here.
