FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
At this moment in time we do not offer an owner training programme. This is something we hope to achieve in the future.
Canine Therapy Ireland CLG focus on enhancing mental health services, recovery and support through our canine assisted programmes. Placement is considered for individuals experiencing chronic mental health challenges that impact on daily living, a person-lead multidisciplinary approach is key throughout training. We do not train autism assistance at this time, nor do we train dogs to be tethered to children for safety, however charities such as My Canine Companion, Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland, Irish Guide Dogs may be able to offer support or guidance.
If a person requiring canine assistance happens to be autistic, yet also has diagnosed mental health difficulties, and is engaging with mental health professionals partnerships with an individual dog may be considered via mental health referral.
All of our dogs and training staff hold relevant public liability insurance, according to the NSAI standard IS340, section 4, sub section F1: Assistance dogs and assistance dogs/puppies in training have full access to public places including shops, restaurants, public transport etc. Our dogs can be identified by their bright orange training jackets bearing the organisation’s logo.
Our training programmes are delivered by qualified, accredited canine behaviour consultants and internationally accredited service dog coaches enabling our training to coincide with canine neurodevelopment. Prior to engaging in public access training, all of our teams undergo graded assessments empowering them with skills and knowledge to build confidence and abilities on both ends of the lead; we take a peer-lead approach to minimise frustrations and support our teams’ overall learning enabling bonds to grow and set our teams up for success.
As a registered charity, Canine Therapy Ireland CLG adhere to Assistance Dogs Europe (ADEu) standards in all aspects of our operations, including ethical treatment and training of dogs, ethical treatment of clients, solid assistance dog training and follow-up care, accreditation can take a few years to achieve but it is a top priority to support our clients, organisation and future assistance dog teams.
A multi-disciplinary approach means that our staff collaborate with a persons health care providers, this is essential when training psychiatric assistance dogs for people with long-term mental health challenges as it allows us to develop a tailored support system that addresses the diverse needs of each person.
Canine Therapy Ireland CLG assistance dogs are trained to support individuals with psychiatric conditions such as generalised anxiety, adult ADHD, (C)PTSD, personality and mood disorders, OCD, schizophrenia, people experiencing suicidal ideation, prolonged grief, and other chronic mental health challenges that impact daily living.
Please see waitlist for criteria. It is important to note that assistance dogs are not pets but highly trained working animals offering supports necessary in mitigating daily life.
We receive multiple enquiries every week, with limited resources we regret that we cannot accept all applicants, reasons for decisions are always shared. Our Clinic Canine programmes have been developed to offer support amongst mental health providers to offer canine assisted therapies where full time placement may not be required so that we may continue to meet community needs whilst expanding our vision.
We are fear free meaning all of our trainers abide by a strict code of ethics and do not use or recommend aversive training tools or techniques, including, but not limited to, slip leads, electronic (shock) collars, choke chains, prong collars or inappropriate working vests. We solely use our own customised equipment and offer full training to support the use of same.
We are a voluntary based organisation and always welcome individuals to join us in expanding our vision. For more information on how you can help please check out our ‘Join Our Team‘ page or contact info@caninetherapyireland.com
It is free to apply for an Assistance Dog from Canine Therapy Ireland CLG.