Hello from Canberra Australia

Hi and welcome from me and nine month old (in 5 days, eek where did that time go) Dexter. Looking forward to following your journey.

 

Trying to find Assistance dog training information in australia is difficult , there is only one training centre and they train pups from 8 weeks old but you have to send the dog to them. I have just started a certicate 4 in dog phsycology which should help

 

@pat foley assistance dogs, to the best of my knowledge, are trained to aid a specific set of circumstances for example some one who is wheelchair bound compared to say a pup who is intended to assist someone with epilepsy. A clear idea of what is going to be expected of the pup will help with developing a training plan

 

I'd be thinking that the intention is for the dog to be more like a PAT dog.... Just there for company, pats etc. There will be a lot of residents with many different needs and the dog won't be expected to assist all these people with their specific needs - there are staff to do that. But what the doggie will be able to do for all residents is be a friendly, smiling and affectionate companion - I'd say that that is what is expected here But that is still a 'job' and I do agree that it's a great idea to identify the behaviours that are reasonably to be expected of Gypsy and then to develop a training plan to match. It doesn't have to be complicated.... Bite inhibition, not jumping, paws on the floor all the time, lying quietly, taking treats nicely....that kind of thing.

Where will she live, long term (like, where will she stay at night and who will be responsible for her vet care etc.)?

 

Thanks for the input, Rachael , Gypsy will spend the majority of her time in the first 6 months at our home with trips to the nursing home on a regular basis. My wife works nights at the nursing home , so when gypsy is a little older she will be able to spend the night there aswell. We have organized a place for her to be used as her space when she is there. Gypsy is actually the nursing homes dog , so they will be covering food and vet bills

 

Ah what a special dog she is going to be x

 

Hi there and welcome! Looking forward to hearing all about Gypsy's adventures! Did the previous dog at the nursing home have one person who was mainly responsible for walks, exercise, etc? As the others have said it might be a bit of a shock to go from the older, calm, used-to-the-routine dog to the full-of-life-and-mischief pup! Hopefully she will have a mellow personality!

 

hi Lisa. Nara ,the previous companion dog did have a primary carer named Jo . She would take Nara home one or two nights a week and to the vet etc , this is our role with Gypsy

 

Ah, wonderful! It will be a great adventure for you all!

 

Hi again , Gypsy came to live with us today . I havent stopped smiling all day

 

Great!!

 

Yay!! Enjoy the lovely puppiness of it all, they are on,y little for such a short time!

 

Hello and welcome to you both from Fred, Annie (2 black Labs) and me. What a special dog Gypsy will be to her new elderly friends. What joy she will bring them