The three types of Assistance Dogs are GUIDE DOGS for the blind and the visually impaired , HEARING DOGS for the deaf and hard of hearing and SERVICE DOGS for people with disabilities other than those related to vision or hearing.
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Service dogs help a people with physical challenges gain greater independence. These dogs assist by picking up dropped items, opening doors, turning on lights, or retrieving a phone.
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Most assistance dogs wear a tag, vest, harness or backpack identifying the dog as a guide, hearing, or service dog. However, there is not a law requiring identification so if you are unsure you may ask the person if their dog helps them. It’s important to note that Federal law (ADA) protects the privacy of individuals with disabilities. They are not required to explain their disability, nor are they required to explain or demonstrate why they are accompanied by a Service Dog.
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Yes, please talk to the human partner as many enjoy talking to members of the public about their dogs. Please do not call or distract the dog because that could endanger the disabled partner. Do not be insulted if they ask you not to pet or feed their dog. Most people partnered with a service dog prefer that people not interact with their dog while it is working. It is important that the dogs remain calm and focused.
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PAALS primarily trains assistance dogs for children and adults with physical disabilities. More specifically, we currently train 5 types of dogs:
• Service Dogs: perform helpful tasks for people who use wheelchairs or have other limitations in the arms, legs, back, or energy level.
• Autism Service Dogs: perform helpful tasks for children with autism such as anxiety relief body positions, assistance with life skills including increased independence.
• Facility Dogs: work with professional caregivers who incorporate the dog into the care of their clients and/or students. These dogs can assist youth counselors, physical therapists, teachers, nurses and other care professionals facilitate sessions with others in need.
• Social Dogs: perform in-home tasks, but are not given access to all public places. These dogs can be used to assist autistic children with therapy and social skills or a home bound person in a wheelchair.
• PTSD for Soldiers: perform tasks that help reduce anxiety in public often related to tragic events during war.
At this time PAALS does not provide hearing, guide, seizure alert or seizure response dogs. Additionally, PAALS does not train dogs for people with psychiatric disorders.
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Most of PAALS dogs come from other service dog breeding programs and our own small breeding program. We also try to use some rescue dogs thanks to our partnership with the Heartworm Project.
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Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers have proven to be the most successful service dog breeds. Service dogs need to have moderate energy, good social skills, and confidence in all environments and with all people and animals they encounter. Dogs that are protective, have high prey drives, bark a lot, fearful, or overly active do not make good service dogs. Small dogs can’t pick up large objects and can be hurt by wheelchairs. Large dogs are hard to put under a table in a restaurant or out of the way on a bus or plane. In other words, a good service dog is hard to find, but worth it once you do!
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Occasionally, an exceptional dog that would have ended up in a shelter or that an owner must place in another home due to extenuating circumstances turns out to be a great service dog candidate, but this is rare. A candidate that has unknown health (specifically hip and elbow health certifications from the parents of the dog) should be between 18 months to 2 years old. A younger dog will not show its adult temperament and will not have adult bone structure for hip/shoulder/elbow x-rays. Older than two reduces the amount of time the dog will be able to work with their disabled person. This will eliminate 60 to 80 percent of the dogs in a shelter or privately owned. Dog size and inappropriate breeds will eliminate another 10 to 20 percent. Temperament tests will eliminate many more. Due to the financial challenges as a nonprofit PAALS therefore needs to decline most dogs that people try to donate. If you feel your dog meets all the above mentioned criteria as well as the description in the breeds that make good service dog section please contact us. If you are a breeder who is interested in donating a dog to PAALS please contact us. We are grateful to all of those who consider supporting our cause.
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PAALS normally starts with young puppies that take two years to train and are mature enough to make a good service dog. Minimum service dog training standards established by Assistance Dogs International is 120 hours over 6 months. A well-trained Service Dog should be trained 1 to 2 hours per day over 6 months - in other words 180 to 360 hours.
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At this time PAALS does not have the resources to help owners train their own assistance dog. We recommend you visit the Delta Society’s website at www.deltasociety.org to find a trainer or organization in your area that could assist you. Simply click on the link for the National Service Dog Center and search their directory alphabetically or by state. Be sure to look for the phrase “own animal”, which indicates training is provided for your own dog. Please consider that there is a greater chance of success in producing a service dog when a dog has been raised and trained, and often comes from long lines of service dogs. These dogs are selected for working temperaments, strong hip and elbow health, and can be removed from the training program at any stage of the training due to health or behavior.
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• Hip and elbows X-rays show that the dog may not be strong enough for a working role
• Temperament problems demonstrate that a dog is too shy, too aggressive, or too protective
• Skin allergies develop which can be too big a problem to be handled by a person with a disability
• The dog has difficulties with the stress of the kennel or public work.
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PAALS has a waiting list that you can be added to if you want to adopt a puppy or dog after we decide that we cannot use it. The dog will be spayed or neutered. Because of the costs of veterinary care and other expenses, a donation is requested, based on the age and value of the dog; the donation is usually between $800 and $2000. If you would like to be on the waiting list, please email us for an adoption application.
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Most dogs “retire” once they reach about 10 years of age. Sometimes the partner can care for their own dog and sometimes we need to find them a retirement foster home. Either way, PAALS remains committed to supporting the assistance team throughout their lifetime to ensure the person and dog’s well being.
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The length of time varies for each individual as much effort is spent on finding the right match of assistance dog and partner. This means that dogs are not placed on a first come first serve basis. PAALS also makes priority for placements is with people in need in the state of South Carolina. At this time we hope that your wait will not be longer than a year and a half, but this is only an estimate. You are welcome to contact us for an update.
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The decision for a person, family or facility to bring an assistant dog into their life requires a serious and sustained commitment. PAALS is committed to making sure that PAALS dogs are going to increase the independence of a recipient and are placed in safe, healthy environments. Some of the considerations we evaluate include the following:
• The recipient must be able to house the assistance dog indoors.
• The recipient must have a place to exercise the dog in an enclosed area nearby and commit to providing two walks a day in addition to some run time each day.
• The dog must never be let off leash outside in an uncontained area.
• There must be a plan for another individual to take over care of the dog during times their partner cannot. Some individuals who have disabilities find that their strength and/or symptoms vary considerably from day-to-day or week-to-week. It is important for a back-up plan be in place in the event that the primary recipient of the dog is not able to care for the dog.
• Are there other members of the household? If so, how do they feel about an assistant dog? Are they supportive? Are they willing to help with the care and upkeep of the dog (e.g., trimming dog’s nails, grooming, taking dog to vet as needed, picking up dog waste)? Does anyone have allergies to dogs?
• Are there other animals in the household or facility? If so, how might introducing an assistant dog impact them? Have other dogs be introduced before? Dogs and cats can be quite socially sensitive and not all will adapt readily to “newcomers”. While we do place assistant dogs in homes with multiple animals, it is an undertaking that deserves consideration.
• Does the person or family have the financial means to care for assistant dog? While estimates vary on how much it takes to provide care and proper vet care for a dog, most people place the cost between $500-$1200/year.
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We will be posting applications soon.
Presently, the first step in the process is to email info@paals.org to request a client application. Within two weeks of receiving your completed application a PAALS representative will contact you via phone to set up a home interview.
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The nationwide average shows that it costs over $20,000 to breed, raise, train, certify and place a Service Dog. Clients are asked to fundraise or pay the cost of tuition for their education on how to use and care for a service dog during PAALS 1-2 week team training. This costs between $2500-$5,000. As a nonprofit organization PAALS constantly seeks support through in-kind services and general donations to cover the rest.
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PAALS is a provisional member of Assistance Dog International.
To learn more about this organization please visit their website:
www.adionline.org.
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The American Disability Act (ADA) is a federal law that protects the use of a service dog in all public places so that they can assist their partner. Each state has its own laws about puppies and dogs in training. In South Carolina trainers of assistance dogs are given the same rights as the ADA law states to train these dogs in all public areas.
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Yes, of Course! Our dogs work hard, but they also get to play. Being well exercised is an important part of maintaining good behavior in public. Service dogs also enjoy hanging out at home with their person and being snuggled.
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PAALS is a nonprofit organization that relies on volunteers and donations of all kinds to help! To find out more about how you can get involved please contact us at info@paals.org for an application or sponsor information. If you are interested in being a puppy raiser there is a separate application and qualifications. Look under our APPLICATION pages coming soon!
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