Assistance Dogs-What’s best for me?
The decision to apply for an assistance dog in Florida is one of the most important you will ever make. The decision to work with a specific organization is equally, if not more important. Your first question when setting out on the journey to find your service dog must be “Assistance Dogs-What’s best for me?”
To answer this question you should know that almost all reputable assistance dog groups will ask for medical documentation at some point during the application process. Your physician is actually the first person you should approach to discuss your medical condition and prognosis for being able to care for a dog long term. Remember, having an assistance dog is a lifetime commitment. Your doctor should be able to help you decide if a service dog will truly meet your specific mobility needs or if you might be better served by a therapy dog.
Once you have determined what kind of service dog you will be best served by, you should seek to work with an organization that specializes in training those specific services. In this respect you need to know that not all organizations will work to customize training to meet your needs. If you’ve decided that you will be best served by a mobility assistance dog, Genesis is a very appropriate choice.
At Genesis we of course train our puppies to respond to all of the basic commands. The education is reinforced at each stage of the process as our pups are socialized and moved to new puppy trainers every 6 months or so. This allows our dogs to learn to be flexible, accepting, and able to follow commands from several caretakers along the way. This is an important component to successful placement especially if an assistance dog is homed with someone who may require a family member to assist with the care of the dog in the home.
Mobility assistance dogs are the focus of Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. training. Our beautiful dogs are specifically trained to provide stability for those who have balance impairments and service to those who are wheelchair bound. Depending on the individual’s needs our dogs can be trained to perform a variety of important tasks such as: opening doors, pushing buttons for electric doors and elevators, turning lights on/off, etc. They can also retrieve dropped items or locate a cell phone. Additional services are customized to meet the unique needs of our clients.
Unfortunately, if you are looking for a dog to who can alert you to medical conditions such as diabetes or seizures, seeking companionship or therapy to help you deal with PTSD or mental health issues, Genesis is not the appropriate organization for you.
If you are ready to apply for a assistance dog in Florida through Genesis Assistance Dogs, Inc. click here to begin your journey to independence.
