Service Dog?

[OneLittleSpark]

Hi everyone, I need some advice, and thought this might be the place to get it. I'm considering applying for a service dog, and wanted to 'talk it through' with all you lovely DISers who have SDs. I think that a dog would make a huge difference to my life, but I'm worried about whether I would be able to give them all the care they needed and deserved.

OK, quick background on me, for those who don't know. I've had Fibromyalgia for about four years now, which comes with all the fun of constant pain, weakness and extremely low energy levels . I use a wheelchair outside the house, and walking aids at home. I just about manage to get through a full week at work (thankfully, I studied a subject which allows me to work a sedentary desk job), but that's pretty much all I can handle. I've got pretty much no social life to speak of; rely heavily on my partner to manage all the household chores; and can't even pop out to the shops, less than a minute away, on my own. I feel like my life and independence are slowly being eroded away.

I think that having a SD to help me with the day-to-day tasks of life, that I used to take for granted (picking things up, opening doors, etc), would make a real difference to my energy and pain levels. I also have fairly poor balance when I'm walking, and have narrowly missed a number of nasty falls, when my head suddenly forgets which way is up.

Also, my partner is currently looking for a job (he graduated a few months ago, but this isn't the easiest time for anyone to find work ). At the moment, he is at home most of the day, so can handle the cleaning, shopping, cooking, washing up, laundry etc, but I can't expect him to continue doing all this once he gets a job. He says he'll be able to manage it, but I don't think he will, especially as starting a new job is always tiring. Besides, I wouldn't feel right asking so much of him.

My biggest worry with having a SD, is whether I'd be able to give them all the exercise they would need to stay happy and healthy. I think I could manage to take him / her out to the park before and after work, but I'm worried about the bad days. I know I could ask the fella to push me to and from the park if necessary, but I don't want to have to ask him too often. I'm sure that having a dog relying on me to take them out, would give me an extra boost of energy and an incentive to push myself on, but I can't be certain whether this would be enough or not, until I actually had a dog at home.

So, how well do those of you with limited energy cope with caring for your SD (or pet dog, for those without SDs)? Can you still exercise, groom, feed and clean up after them on the bad days? How much do you have to rely on others to help with their care? Basically, it all boils down to whether I'd be able to look after a dog, and whether their help would outweight this extra energy 'cost'. I feel it would, but I've never had a dog (SD or otherwise) before, so can't be sure.

Any opinions, advice, experience or pointers would be really helpful to me right now, even if what you're saying isn't what I want to hear.

Thank you for reading this long post everyone, and thanks in advance of anything you can tell me!

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Shameless bump

 

[Earstou]

No experience with sds here, but since no one else has answered, I'll try!!!!!

Is there anyone else that could help you out? Anyone that can volunteer, like a scout that needs service hours, or if you belong to a church, there often are people willing to help with small chores.
Are there any neighbor kids you could hire to exercise the dog? Or call on to occasionally walk the dog? I used to have neighbor kids who weren't allowed to have a dog. They would often come over and "borrow" my dog, walk her and play with her. If you could find someone like this, it would be great!

 

[videogal1]

Hi everyone, I need some advice, and thought this might be the place to get it. I'm considering applying for a service dog, and wanted to 'talk it through' with all you lovely DISers who have SDs. I think that a dog would make a huge difference to my life, but I'm worried about whether I would be able to give them all the care they needed and deserved.

OK, quick background on me, for those who don't know. I've had Fibromyalgia for about four years now, which comes with all the fun of constant pain, weakness and extremely low energy levels . I use a wheelchair outside the house, and walking aids at home. I just about manage to get through a full week at work (thankfully, I studied a subject which allows me to work a sedentary desk job), but that's pretty much all I can handle. I've got pretty much no social life to speak of; rely heavily on my partner to manage all the household chores; and can't even pop out to the shops, less than a minute away, on my own. I feel like my life and independence are slowly being eroded away.

I think that having a SD to help me with the day-to-day tasks of life, that I used to take for granted (picking things up, opening doors, etc), would make a real difference to my energy and pain levels. I also have fairly poor balance when I'm walking, and have narrowly missed a number of nasty falls, when my head suddenly forgets which way is up.



Any opinions, advice, experience or pointers would be really helpful to me right now, even if what you're saying isn't what I want to hear.

Thank you for reading this long post everyone, and thanks in advance of anything you can tell me!

Well, since you invited comment... First
I'm going to quote law to you, then I'm going to insult you, then I'm going to...well, no I'm not. I think I'll just give you my opinion. Here goes:
From what you wrote about your capabilities, weaknesses, etc, you don't really have a legal standing to have a service dog. People just don't seem to realize that the handler has to be disabled as defined by the ADA in order to have the right to have public access with a service animal. Nothing you mentioned would meet that definition. Who decides this? A judge in a court of law...after you have been challenged by a business that doesn't want you with your service animal in their establishment and is pushing the point by first subjecting you to public humiliation by tossing you off their property in front of their other customers and then by having the nerve to stand up to you by fighting your legal (and expensive) challenge of their right to deny you access. Then, there are the "legally statused" service dog handlers who will turn on you in a flash if your animal misbehaves in public or appears to have no other purpose but to enhance your social life. They can challenge you, too and I'm getting so annoyed at Cash being harassed in public places by yappy little ankle biters posing as "service animals" that I've joined their ranks. Don't give me this invisible disability baloney, either, those of you who just bristled at my words...a poorly trained service animal is not helpful to you if it cannot behave in public.
So, there, do some research on service animal law and public access laws, both state and Federal, and then ask yourself if the fight is really worth it. A service animal is ten times the work of a pet. If you don't think you can handle the work created by a pet and your life is manageable, although not fun, without one, just don't do it. Hire help...It's probably tax deductible.

You just want help around the house? Fine, have all the service animals you want...just keep 'em home... your employer would be happier as well...All that nastiness of animals in the workplace really fires up some employers and some will actually see you in court rather than have your "assistant" help you at work. Oh, you don't need help at work? Well, there's your answer...not at work, then not in public. It would probably be cheaper to hire a part-time attendant, though....most of them come already potty trained, speak pretty good English (compared to any dog)...(Back off, you PC enthusiasts, I am a working PCA), there's no legal requirement for their expertise, as there is for a service animal, you don't have to feed or groom them, and you can fire them if they don't work out..

 

[robynchic]

Videogal, I have a question for you- what do you think of people with invisible disabilities where the dogs are meant to misbehave (like intelligent disobedience) if something is amiss? I'm thinking of something like a seizure alert dog. My understanding, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is that they're trained to behave the way they have always reacted if the person is about to have a seizure. So if the dog starts whining, yipping, or doing something that may be disruptive to others, it's an indication that the person needs to do something quick.

 

[videogal1]

Videogal, I have a question for you- what do you think of people with invisible disabilities where the dogs are meant to misbehave (like intelligent disobedience) if something is amiss? I'm thinking of something like a seizure alert dog. My understanding, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is that they're trained to behave the way they have always reacted if the person is about to have a seizure. So if the dog starts whining, yipping, or doing something that may be disruptive to others, it's an indication that the person needs to do something quick.

What I think about intelligent disobedience is that if you think that a medical alert dog that has been trained to alert with some signal that would cause it to be invited to leave a public area because of its alerting technique being disruptive to a business or the other patrons of a business (like whining, yipping, or "doing something that may be disruptive to others") you need to do more research on the subject or stop hanging around with people who are truly misinformed. Intelligent disobedience refers to an action that is contrary to the training of a service dog...such as a guide dog refusing to complete a command to go forward if there is a reason not to that the dog can readily see...like a chasm in the middle of a sidewalk, or a barrier in the way.
Any dog that has been actually trained to act in some anti-social manner rather than to alert in a more subtle way is not only an annoyance to the general public but an embarassment to the handler, who may not want every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the vicinity to be alerted to their medical condition, as well.

What you actually have in a dog that alerts to some medical condition by "behaving the way they have always reacted" is an untrained dog. The method of alerting to a medical condition, to meet the Service Dog definition in the ADA, must be a TRAINED response and as a TRAINED response the appropriateness of the behavior can be controlled and understood. It is simply ludicrous to have a dog bark, whine, or yip as an alert...dogs bark, whine, and yip for all kinds of reasons. Only when the dog is trained to do something truly un-dog-like can it really be counted on as an alert....not to mention the fact that a dog trained to alert in that manner has much more credibility than one that just looks like it's misbehaving in public.

As pre-retired Cash got older and more cranky he began to react vocally to things I was not aware of...Luckily he doesn't alert to seizures vocally or I might have been throwing myself into nearby chairs for no reason...
and that's what I think...

 

[robynchic]

Ok, thanks for the clarification. As I've said in the past, my family used to train guide dogs, so our experience with intelligent disobedience is not following a direction when the handler is in danger. Obviously, blindness tends to be a visible disability, so I wasn't sure how invisible disability service dogs are trained. Just out of curiosity, what's Cash's and Heidi's trained responses?

 

[WheeledTraveler]

I just want to point out that OneLittleSpark is in the UK, not the US, although I believe their legislation covering service dogs is similar.

Videogal1, I'm kinda interested in why you think OLS doesn't qualify by US standards? I have several friends with similar levels of health (and outside help) to OLS who have trained service dogs (not self-trained as they felt that self-training was not something they were capable of for whatever reason) and have found them very helpful both at home and with work and school. If you're saying you think it'd be too much work for her, it's one thing, but at one point you gave me the sense that you thought she wasn't disabled "enough". (I may have been misreading what you said, though, so apologies if I'm putting words in your mouth.)

Otherwise, I agree with you about services dogs needing to be well trained and that they take a lot of extra work. (And that any dog that's misbehaving is highly problematic no matter what it supposedly is or isn't.)

 

[toocherie]

Videogal1, I'm kinda interested in why you think OLS doesn't qualify by US standards? I have several friends with similar levels of health (and outside help) to OLS who have trained service dogs (not self-trained as they felt that self-training was not something they were capable of for whatever reason) and have found them very helpful both at home and with work and school. If you're saying you think it'd be too much work for her, it's one thing, but at one point you gave me the sense that you thought she wasn't disabled "enough". (I may have been misreading what you said, though, so apologies if I'm putting words in your mouth.)

My first question is what is OLS? (I read back but couldn't figure it out)?

Second, I also wonder why a case of Fibromyalgia wouldn't be considered a disability under the ADA?

 

[dclfun]

Not to take the words from Lynda's mouth or misinterpret them...but what I think she is saying about the ADA is that here in the US it is actually very difficult to be defined as disabled by the ADA and as such to be legally able to be accompanied by a SD in public. Not only does the handler have to meet a narrow definition but the dog must be trained to do things that the handler cannot do for themselves. That said, it sounds to me as though a SD could be helpful to OneLittleSpark. A trained SD can provide balance support, open doors, pick up dropped items, hand money or change to a vendor, push an emergency alert or 911 phone button etc. and does save energy by doing those things, or in cases of loss of balance,could prevent a fall. My SD helps me with the laundry by getting things out of the drum and handing them to me, for instance, and also does some alerts ( very subtle nudging or pawing)- things which she was not originally trained for. As to the energy issue, it could be a challenge although a reputable SD organization will place a low-energy dog with someone who is not physically capable or active. My dog is low energy which is a good thing as I also have a sedentary job and no energy afterwards. I take her for a walk around the block during my 30 minute lunch break, she plays fetch with a friend in our courtyard at work while running like a little racehorse, and then in the evening we only take one short walk. On my days off we go to the dog park where she gets to run and socialize and "be a dog", but in the summer we don't go as it's too darn hot. One does need to be able to provide fresh water, fill a food dish, give meds, groom and bathe, exercise or have someone who can do those things. There also needs to be a plan in place if the handler becomes to ill to take care of the dog, is hospitalized, etc. So yes, it is a huge responsibility but also can make a difference in your life. I can't imagine not having Skye. As to qualifying, you would need to see whether or not you qualify in the UK. In the US, it would be doubtful based on your ability to work independently and perform tasks of daily living even though all of the above saps your energy. I'm not saying this is right, but that's the way it is.---Kathy

 

[bookwormde]

Actually congress reauthorized ADA a couple of year ago, and “reinstalled” the original intent that the courts had been narrowing for many year, so the OP (in the US) would certainly meet the definition for ADA, as now do people with serious impairment (2 life skills) from diabetes and many other debilitating conditions . Now for qualifying for government funding for any programs, that is a much tighter standard.

bookwormde

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Thank you all so much for your responses and opinions - they are all extremely useful! If I don't respond individually to any PP, please don't take it personally, I'm running on limited brain power!

I just want to point out that OneLittleSpark is in the UK, not the US, although I believe their legislation covering service dogs is similar.

No, the UK law for SDs isn't the same as the US law. In this country you have to be disabled (defined as having a long-term condition which impairs your ability to do one or more basic daily tasks, such as walking, dressing, cooking, etc), and your dog has to be certified by a licenced training school. There are organisations that allow people to self-train their own dogs, but I really don't think I have the expertise or energy to be able to do this. I've found one charity that provides dogs for a lot of partially mobile people with similar invisible disabilities.

Videogal thank you for giving me such an up-front answer, I know it's not always easy to do so. A lot of the points you made are things that concern me too, especially the issues of care and exercise. The legal stuff, thankfully, shouldn't be an issue in this country, as I am counted as disabled and would be getting the dog through a registered organisation. Also, I quite understand your worries about people bringing poorly-trained 'SDs' into public places .

I have several friends with similar levels of health (and outside help) to OLS who have trained service dogs (not self-trained as they felt that self-training was not something they were capable of for whatever reason) and have found them very helpful both at home and with work and school.

Thank you for this, it is reassuring to know that there are others out there in similar situations, who have benefited from the help of a SD. I don't want to be an imposition on anyone, but might any of them be willing to share their experiences / tips with me? If you PM me, I can send you an email adress. Thank you!

My first question is what is OLS? (I read back but couldn't figure it out)?

It's a shortened version of my name: OneLittleSpark. Don't worry about not getting it though - the first time somebody called me that it took me a little while to cotton on, and I chose the name!

That said, it sounds to me as though a SD could be helpful to OneLittleSpark. A trained SD can provide balance support, open doors, pick up dropped items, hand money or change to a vendor, push an emergency alert or 911 phone button etc. and does save energy by doing those things, or in cases of loss of balance,could prevent a fall. My SD helps me with the laundry by getting things out of the drum and handing them to me, for instance, and also does some alerts ( very subtle nudging or pawing)- things which she was not originally trained for. As to the energy issue, it could be a challenge although a reputable SD organization will place a low-energy dog with someone who is not physically capable or active. My dog is low energy which is a good thing as I also have a sedentary job and no energy afterwards. I take her for a walk around the block during my 30 minute lunch break, she plays fetch with a friend in our courtyard at work while running like a little racehorse, and then in the evening we only take one short walk. On my days off we go to the dog park where she gets to run and socialize and "be a dog", but in the summer we don't go as it's too darn hot. One does need to be able to provide fresh water, fill a food dish, give meds, groom and bathe, exercise or have someone who can do those things. There also needs to be a plan in place if the handler becomes to ill to take care of the dog, is hospitalized, etc. So yes, it is a huge responsibility but also can make a difference in your life. I can't imagine not having Skye.

Kathy, thank you so much for all this information, it really is a huge help! It's good to know that SD training organisations will try to match the dog's energy to the handler, as I'd hate to feel I was restricting a highly active dog. We have a huge park very close to us, which I should be able to go to at least once a day, for them to have a run around or play fetch (it's all enclosed, so there would be no danger from traffic etc). I also have an hour-long lunch break at work, so I could fit a short walk in then, and still have a bit of time to recover. If I was completely unable to give the dog exercise, I'm sure my man wouldn't mind taking him / her out for a walk, or I could ask someone from church (some of them already have dogs, so it wouldn't be too much extra work for them).

I should be able to manage other care responsibilites, such as grooming and providing food and water. I would probably need to take them to a dog groomer every now and then, to make sure their coat stayed managable, but I could do that (even if I needed help to get there and back).

I hope you don't mind me asking, but how easy do you find it to clear up after Skye, with limited mobility? This is one of my long list of worries, as bending and me don't often go well together. I know you can get all sorts of fancy gadgets, but I haven't the first idea about any of them, or how easy they'd be to use from a wheelchair.

Thank you again everyone for taking the time to reply to me! It really is a big help to have so much information and guidance from people more experienced than me. You are all wonderful people, and I'm extremely grateful! Any more input, opinions or feedback gratefully recieved!

 

[dclfun]

Sorry it took me so long to respond. About the poop scooping- yes there are scoopers but unless you are very adept and coordinated they either drop what they scooped or have waste remains on the "scooper" which means you'd have to clean it somehow or not be able to bring it back indoors/into your workplace smelling like a potty. There are doggy waste baggies that can fit around the scooper though if you are coordinated enough to deal with them. I have an exemption from my county for picking up after my dog which means that I would not be fined. I often have someone to help me but that's not always the case so sometimes we have to leave her gift behind. When we travel, which is usually to Disney, I ask at the resort where they'd prefer for her to relieve herself and they offer to pick up after her. On the Disney ships they provide a sod station which is now a rectangular tray and the stateroom host picks up after her. On our last cruise they put a Diaper Genie in the room for her bagged waste. I've known some people with SD's who contacted a service organization such as a scout troop or school ( where kids were needing to earn volunteer hours) and the kids would pick up a few times a week in their backyards. I'm mentioning a few scenarios as hopefully you will be able to go places other than work and your community where an alternate solution will need to be found. Where there's a will, there's a way...or a solution to every problem. ---Kathy and Skye

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Thank you for all the information Kathy, it's a huge help! I reckon I should have enough dexterity to be able to manage to use one of the 'tools' (she says, whilst sitting here with violently shaking and cramping hands ), but hopefully the agency would be able to help me find something that suits my needs best. After all, I seriously doubt I'm the first person to come to them with upper-upper body impairments.

My partner is still unsure about this. He's very supportive, and wants me to do whatever will help me deal with my condition, but he's worried that having a dog will take more away than they could give back. Kathy, or anybody else with limited strength and stamina, do you find the help that your SD provides outweighs the energy 'cost' involved in caring for them? I'm guessing that the answer will be yes, or otherwise you wouldn't have them, but any information I can get would be grately appriciated!

 

[mcco5543]

I have spina bifida and use a wheelchair full time. I have also considered a service dog. in the USA if ther person with the disability is unable to completely and adequately care for a service dog, they must have a human companion that attends all trainings with the person with the disability and the dog and commits to caring for the dog along side the person with the disability (who still must participate in every aspect of the dog's care, even if it means something simple as holding the dogs collar while someone else bathes them.

I also agree that finding someone like a boy/girl scout or a neighborhood kid looking for a few bucks or a volunteer opportunity would be great for walking a dog but pretty much impossible with a service dog considerign the bond a dog must form with its working partner. Multiple people can not care for a service dog or the dog/person the dog is serving bond will be diminished and therefore the pairing may not work! It can be very risky.

However, I also agree that you could/should look into getting a home health aide/personal care attendant. This person would be able to assist you with light house keeping, shopping, driving you places. Helping YOU walk your own service dog, laundry, light cooking, etc...
It would also help out your partner, ease stres in your relationship, and leave you with mroe energy to do more things. You'd certainly be eligable in the states and i'm sure where you live you'd also be qualified. Call your county disability office and see what they can help with! Good luck!

 

[dclfun]

I have spina bifida and use a wheelchair full time. I have also considered a service dog. in the USA if ther person with the disability is unable to completely and adequately care for a service dog, they must have a human companion that attends all trainings with the person with the disability and the dog and commits to caring for the dog along side the person with the disability (who still must participate in every aspect of the dog's care, even if it means something simple as holding the dogs collar while someone else bathes them.

I also agree that finding someone like a boy/girl scout or a neighborhood kid looking for a few bucks or a volunteer opportunity would be great for walking a dog but pretty much impossible with a service dog considerign the bond a dog must form with its working partner. Multiple people can not care for a service dog or the dog/person the dog is serving bond will be diminished and therefore the pairing may not work! It can be very risky.

However, I also agree that you could/should look into getting a home health aide/personal care attendant. This person would be able to assist you with light house keeping, shopping, driving you places. Helping YOU walk your own service dog, laundry, light cooking, etc...
It would also help out your partner, ease stres in your relationship, and leave you with mroe energy to do more things. You'd certainly be eligable in the states and i'm sure where you live you'd also be qualified. Call your county disability office and see what they can help with! Good luck!

Having a human as a co-partner to do physical tasks was not a requirement to receive a service dog though the SD organization that placed Skye with me. In fact, if someone has a human with them at all times, the thought would be "why do you also need a dog"?. For the most part, many people would need only someone to pick up waste and occasionally to bathe the dog. Even a quadriplegic can walk a dog- my dog, for instance has a collar that she can slip her own head in/out of and she's the one who opens/shuts the door. Some things will require a bit of creativity. You'd be surprised how independent you can be with a SD to help. Having a person with you gives a feeling of dependence. A dog? Freedom.---Kathy and Skye

 

[mcco5543]

Having a human as a co-partner to do physical tasks was not a requirement to receive a service dog though the SD organization that placed Skye with me. In fact, if someone has a human with them at all times, the thought would be "why do you also need a dog"?. For the most part, many people would need only someone to pick up waste and occasionally to bathe the dog. Even a quadriplegic can walk a dog- my dog, for instance has a collar that she can slip her own head in/out of and she's the one who opens/shuts the door. Some things will require a bit of creativity. You'd be surprised how independent you can be with a SD to help. Having a person with you gives a feeling of dependence. A dog? Freedom.---Kathy and Skye

Yes I see your point totally. That's the whole point of an SD after all, to be more independent, including caring for the dog. I'm just saying, the places I've looked into, allow /require you to have a designated human as the one who will be assisting with anything neccesary for the care of the dog that the person with the disability may have trouble with. This allows for the dog to be cared for by a minimum amount of people other than the person with the disability and therefore maintains the bond between Dog and owner.

This has only been my experience and was in response to the OP's inquiry of options to care for an SD if she were not able to for whatever reason.

 

[OneLittleSpark]

my dog, for instance has a collar that she can slip her own head in/out of

Wow! Now that's a neat piece of design!

the places I've looked into, allow /require you to have a designated human as the one who will be assisting with anything neccesary for the care of the dog that the person with the disability may have trouble with. This allows for the dog to be cared for by a minimum amount of people other than the person with the disability and therefore maintains the bond between Dog and owner.

I think it is important to know that there is someone available to help out, if you are unable to look after your SD for any reason. Like Kathy said earlier there may be times when I would be unable to provide for all the dog's needs, for instance if I were in hospital for a while. That's probably why the organisations you've looked into ask that there be somebody 'standing by', in case they're needed.

You'd be surprised how independent you can be with a SD to help. Having a person with you gives a feeling of dependence. A dog? Freedom.

This is exactly what I long for. I know that people think I am already pretty independent, because I (somehow) manage to work, but I still feel trapped in this body. I struggle to get through a day at work, as even the most basic physical task (like picking up the pen that I have already dropped for the 500th time) is so difficult; I can't go to the shops on my own; I couldn't really take proper care of myself without my partner's help; I can't help out around the house - I just feel so useless sometimes .

 

[dclfun]

Skye's collar was made for me by my SD organization as they will manufacture what each individual client needs as much as possible. They also designed a door opener device with different hooks for different types of door handles that are freely given to any client with a SD. The collar is a piece of sturdy hollow pliable plastic tubing. Inside the tubing they threaded a webbed collar and looped it through a d-ring.I have a Flexi leash attached to my chair and the d-ring is attached to the leash clip. The collar is always hanging on the side of my chair via the Flexi. When we are out in public, Skye puts her head through the collar herself and then once she starts to move forward the d-ring tightens it a bit. She can easily remove her head from the collar when we get back home so there's no need for me to ever attach a collar.---Kathy

 

[OneLittleSpark]

Skye's collar was made for me by my SD organization as they will manufacture what each individual client needs as much as possible. They also designed a door opener device with different hooks for different types of door handles that are freely given to any client with a SD. The collar is a piece of sturdy hollow pliable plastic tubing. Inside the tubing they threaded a webbed collar and looped it through a d-ring.I have a Flexi leash attached to my chair and the d-ring is attached to the leash clip. The collar is always hanging on the side of my chair via the Flexi. When we are out in public, Skye puts her head through the collar herself and then once she starts to move forward the d-ring tightens it a bit. She can easily remove her head from the collar when we get back home so there's no need for me to ever attach a collar.---Kathy

Very impressive piece of design! Thank you for describing it for me; I'm an engineer, so am always interested in clever design work.

I'm thinking about filing an application with a SD organisation in the new year. The charity I'm looking at are very encouraging, and say that they will work with you to decide whether a SD is the best option for you or not. Their application process has a number of 'check points' to determine this, including time interacting with the dogs in training. If your application is accepted, it can take a year or two before they partner you, so this would still be a way off in the future (which is, of course, to be expected).