 As we now know, assistance dogs provide support beyond just helping those who are hearing or vision impaired. One remarkable area where assistance dogs make a difference is in Diabetic Alert. But how exactly does a dog assist someone with diabetes? We will let Owen and Airlie answer that for you! Meet Owen & his dog Airlie! Airlie is Owen's Diabetic Alert Dog who Owen received from Lions Assistance Dogs in 2024. Airlie marked a significant milestone for the Diabetic Alert Dog program, as she was the first dog delivered interstate and their sixth dog overall delivered to a type 1 diabetic. So let's find out what a difference Airlie makes to the life of Owen and his family! 'Airlie quickly blended in very nicely with Owen’s family and is the perfect fit as Owen’s Assistance Dog. Airlie also made friends with the family cats and loves to snuggle with them on cold winter nights. Now that Owen has Airlie, he is going on more walks which helps keep his blood glucose levels lower and also helps keep them both fit. Airlie provides an extra level of comfort, especially when Owen is home alone. Knowing that Airlie can perform the ‘Emergency Button’ task and alert his Mum is a huge sense of relief for Owen and makes him feel safe. Since receiving Airlie, there was one situation where Owen’s Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) was ‘out’ and he was hesitant to give himself extra insulin as he didn’t have his Blood Glucose Level Meter with him. Knowing that his Blood Glucose Levels were high from Airlie's alert, he was able to make necessary adjustments via his sugar sources. Airlie is very funny, entertaining as well as high energy which is great for Owen's lifestyle. Her intelligence has given Owen and his family a great sense of security as well as a perfect addition to their family.'
Want to find out more about the amazing work Lions Assistance Dogs do? Click here! To see how you can support the work that the Lions Assistance Dogs team does, click here! If you have your own Assistance Dog story that you want to share with us, be sure to reach out to us on our socials!
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Guide Dogs Australia feels like a household name now and we all know and love the incredible work and support that comes from this group. But did you know they offer support and assistance dogs to more than just the blind community?!
Meet Zena Zena belongs to Oisin and he shares their story; 'Life for eight-year-old Oisin has changed dramatically since he was matched with Autism Assistance Dog, Zena! At just three years old, Oisin was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). He is sensitive to noise and has a low sense of danger which can be challenging for his family as he often tries to run away. Early intervention is important for the wellbeing and development of children like Oisin. An Autism Assistance Dog can promote positive social interaction and help children develop the skills they need to engage with their peers and participate in the community. A world of possibility is now open to Oisin thanks to his new companion!'  What is an Autism Assistance Dog? Autism Assistance Dogs are specially trained dogs who are brought into the lives of a child with autism to create a sense of assurance and calmness. They help assist their little person to feel independent, safe and comfortable when they are going about their daily tasks.
Want to know more about Autism Assistance Dogs, Guide Dogs Australia or how you can support the amazing work they dog, visit their website here!  Meet beautiful Phoebe, an Education Support Dog from Assistance Dogs Australia. ❤️  Berry Street School in Ballarat, Victoria is a very special place. It’s where children who have experienced severe trauma in their young lives can go to heal. At the school, they are shown what they can achieve. They are made to feel loved and valued. Phoebe is now a vital member of this little school community. She brings so much fun, laughter and happiness to the kids. She’s also teaching them responsibility and empathy. They adore her, and the feeling is mutual. Students who are normally aggressive or introverted open up to Phoebe. She can often be seen rolling around on the floor with them as they allow themselves to just be silly. They talk to her like a person – the person they wish they had to talk to at home. Phoebe curls up in a corner and listens intently while they tell her all their problems. She also has a knack of wandering to the student who is the most troubled and offering her paw, or ‘visiting’ them. She gives a lot of hugs every day. The students adore Phoebe. They have bought her gifts; which considering how little most of them have for themselves is quite remarkable. Phoebe is always there when students have to talk to DHS or the police, and patting her has certainly helped to soothe them during these difficult times. Phoebe has a lot of personality and can be quite cheeky, but this is something the students adore. A ‘teacher’s pet’ would never fit in at Berry Street School. They love to watch her zoom around the yard during breaks, and they laugh over her attempts to get them to feed her by using the world’s saddest dog face. Staff and students at Berry Street School tell us Phoebe is a gift to every single day.
It's no secret - Assistance Dogs are amazing and bring positive support to so many lives.
If you want to keep up to date on Phoebe's amazing adventures - be sure to follow her HERE! 👈📸 To learn more about Assistance Dogs Australia, the amazing work they do or to see how you can support them, visit here! ❤️🦮 A question often posed to the team at Australian Support Dogs is: How should an assistance dog be treated or approached in public? 🦮
We’ve all seen working dogs out and about, and it’s undeniable – they’re absolutely adorable! It’s hard not to want to rush over and shower them with love and attention. But it’s important to remember: they’re working and have a very important job to do. When an assistance dog is out in public and wearing their vest, they are in work mode. This may mean they’re actively assisting their handler or undergoing training. Socialisation and exposure are both critical parts of an assistance dog’s development, and we all play a role in helping ensure their training goes smoothly. So, what guidelines does ASDOG want us to know and follow to help assistance dogs when they’re in public? 🐕🦺👩🦯
 Assistance dogs are more than just adorable companions — they’re highly trained professionals with an important job to do. By understanding how to behave around them in public, we can all help create a safer, more supportive environment for both the dogs and the people they assist. Whether it's resisting the urge to pat, giving them space, or simply educating others, small actions can make a big difference. Together, we can ensure that assistance dogs stay focused, confident, and successful in their roles.
 Over recent months, we've shared many heart warming stories about Therapy and Assistance Dogs in Australia and the enormous, positive impact they have on the lives of the families they support. One amazing organisation we've featured is Australian Lions Hearing Dogs. As of this month, they are proud to announce a new name: Lions Assistance Dogs, and it’s for a very exciting reason! Over the past five years, the scope of their services has expanded significantly. As a result, they now provide a variety of Assistance Dogs to individuals with different needs — not just Hearing Assistance Dogs. How amazing is that?! In addition to training and placing Hearing Assistance Dogs, Lions Assistance Dogs now provide Medical Assistance Dogs and Psychiatric Assistance Dogs — further extending the life-changing support they offer. What Is a Medical Assistance Dog? Medical Assistance Dogs are specially trained to alert their human to changes in health or to signal an impending medical episode before it happens. They can also retrieve essential medical equipment in an emergency. One example is their Diabetic Alert Dogs. These incredible companions can detect changes in their human’s blood glucose levels simply through scent. Thanks to their highly sensitive noses, they can smell fluctuations and alert their human early — potentially preventing dangerous situations. They’re also trained to:
What Is a Psychiatric Assistance Dog? Developed by Lions Assistance Dogs in 2024, the Psychiatric Assistance Dog program is designed to support Veterans living with PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). These dogs are trained to interrupt anxious or anti-social behaviours and help Veterans return to a calmer state. Their tasks may include:
What an incredible difference one of these dogs can make! It’s no secret — Assistance and Therapy Dogs do incredible work. The support they provide to individuals and families is immeasurable.
But none of this would be possible without the selfless work of the dedicated people and volunteers behind the scenes — those who train and care for these amazing dogs every step of the way. If you'd like to support the life-changing work of Lions Assistance Dogs, visit their website to learn how you can get involved: 👉 https://lionsassistancedogs.com.au/get-involved/ We are excited to share, on this Therapy Dog Thursday Blog, an update on our beautiful assistance dog Frankie and her special young lady Abigail. For those new to this space, Frankie is a very specially trained assistance dog that our business and amazing Doggy Doaters and Customers helped to bring into Abi’s life, to help her live her best life, almost 3 years ago. Abi has a very rare condition called Auts2 and life can be a bit tricky for her. Recently she has had to visit with a number of new doctors for the different medical challenges she faces. We are excited to share with you how amazing these doctors have been to allow Frankie to attend these appointments. One of the key roles for Frankie is to provide Abi with a calm and reassuring touch point when things in her life are different or difficult. As you can imagine seeing new doctors, in unfamiliar surroundings, can be difficult for many, but especially for Abi. With Frankie by her side Abi was able to attend these appointments and by all reports (thanks Sarah – Abi’s mum) was able to work with the doctors to get them what they needed. For many years guide dogs have really been the only service dogs allowed in medical rooms. It’s great that now the support these amazingly well trained dogs provide is being accepted by the wider medical community. Abi and Frankie also came to visit us when we recently attended Pets in the Park in Malvern. While Abi loved all the dogs, there were also lots and lots of people and noise and general sensory overload. Again, Frankie helped Abi to attend this community event, with her family, and get to see all the wonderful dogs that were there. Frankie is an exceptional dog that, thanks in part to her training and in part to her lovely temperament, support Abi to live as normal a life as possible. We always love hearing stories of their adventures and seeing pictures of them together – Abi is growing up very quickly.
Frankie was trained by Assistance Dogs Australia – they do a great job training all kinds of dogs for all kinds of special needs. If you want more information or would like to support them please visit https://www.assistancedogs.org.au/ Run by MackIllop Family Services, Paw Pals works to provide support workers and therapy dogs to students who face any difficulties to learning. Paw Pals aims to help improve confidence, behaviour and self-regulation for students who require the support. Amazingly, with the support of the community, Paw Pals have been able to help over 1300 kids, working across Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. The demand for their support continues and their program is continuing to grow, enabling them to help more and more students every day. Due to this demand, the appeal to the community for donations and support is always there. Lara Shannon, a Paw Pals Ambassador shares the impact the dogs have on the students. “Children respond to a compassionate wet nose. The program is trauma-informed and much more than bringing a dog to school, but if you’ve ever melted when looking at a pair of soft brown eyes, you will understand why Paw Pals works. “Dogs have an innate sense of responding to human emotion, body language and needs. When children meet MacKillop’s Paw Pals, it’s the start of getting back in touch with their education.” Paw Pals offer two services, school group sessions which allow up to 8 students at a time in a session to 1 on 1 sessions, which can be taken anywhere the student feels comfortable. The results from Paw Pals speak for themselves and parents and children involved cannot speak highly enough of the program, with many saying the confidence and attendance records of their children improving greatly.  Want to learn more about Paw Pals or how you can support them? Visit here for more info! Have you ever wondered what an assistance dog does when they are off duty? Solo is happy to fill you in! As we arrive home and walk in the door, Solo follows me into my office to take off his uniform. He heels, we take off his harness and then collar is removed—oh sweet bliss after a big day at work! Now, ‘dog mode’ kicks in: firstly, food. Thirty seconds later, now it’s playtime as he races around and says g’day to my wife and son with a trusty Kong stick in his mouth. Later, it’s cuddle time. As I recline in my chair, he curls up between my legs for some good one-on-one time before bed. Solo’s favourite thing to do when I’m not working is to simply snuggle, he’s such a softy and I love that about him so much. Weekends and daytime at home, he loves to play and follow people around—he’s such a sticky beak, always needing to know what everyone’s up to! But he always makes sure to keep a watchful eye on me. So much more than a Guide Dog or mobility tool, Solo is a true family member.” – Tony, Guide Dog Handler  We all know the amazing work that the team at Guide Dogs Australia do. Want to know more or how you can help? Support for groups such as Guide Dogs Australia is not just limited to donations. You can be involved in being a puppy raiser or even volunteer your time. You can find out more ways you can get involved HERE!   Meet Jade, an Australia Support Dog who has been a companion for Sheree for over 6 years. Jade shares her story below. Editor: Jade, you must be a great help for Sheree. What sorts of things do you do for her? Jade: I do heaps; I’m very clever you know! I open and shut the doors, drawers and the fridge, I put things away and retrieve things, I take Mum’s jackets and shoes off, pick things up that she drops, put the toilet seat up and down, open and close the blinds, turn lights and the water fountain on and off, take the phone to Mum… Editor: Wow! You are clever. What about house work, do you help with that? Jade: Oh yes, I forgot that. I take the washing off the airer, put Mum’s things away where she tells me, tidy my toys up, pick up my old bones in the backyard, put things in the bin, take my dinner bowl to the sink… Editor: And when you go out? Jade: Yep, I’m helpful everywhere. I help with doors, I take the queue ticket out of the machine at the bank, I pass Mum things from shop shelves and pass Mum’s credit card from the counter back to her… Editor: Which job do you think is the most important to Sheree? Jade: Mum says that when I pick things up that she drops like the door key or mobile phone it makes her feel safe. Editor: That’s fantastic. You must get a bit tired of working sometimes though. Jade: Are you kidding? I’m given a treat every time I help out. I could work all day; in fact if you have a dog biscuit I could help you now. Would you like your jacket taken off? No, what about your shoes? Perhaps you’d like me to put your mobile phone on the table…? Editor: Ah… I’m okay for now. Did you have to learn anything new after you moved in with Sheree? Jade: Yes, funny you should ask that, I thought I had passed graduation! Mum needed a few things that weren’t on the curriculum yet. It wasn’t a problem for a special dog like me, though. I quickly learned and passed the blinds, toilet seat and ticket machine tests. Editor: How do you know when Sheree needs your help? Jade: She either tells me with a known cue, points to something like a drawer handle or positions herself in a familiar spot like next to the fridge door. Editor: Can you tell me about where you and Sheree go in an average week? Jade: Well, we go to work five days a week to the office and two hospitals. On the weekends we have lunch with Mum’s friends and go to the lake, the beach and different parks. The lake is my favourite place; I loooove swimming. We also go shopping every week or so. Mum lets me pick a new toy sometimes. I only buy the ones that squeak, they’re the most fun! Editor: What a busy week. What happens on a typical workday? Jade: After breakfast we have a run and a sniff in the park. I don’t have my jacket on then so I get to play with my friends. I like Baxter, Lilly and Monty the best because they’re big like me. I get dressed in my jacket and we catch a taxi to work. I sleep on my bed next to Mum’s desk or go out to the lawn if I need a break and then we go for a run at lunchtime. Another taxi takes us to the hospital sometimes so Mum can see some clients or attend a meeting and we go home at about 5 p.m. Our friend Paul drives the taxi home and he plays with me after I get changed out of my jacket. Editor: What jobs are you required to do at work? Jade: I retrieve printed pages from the photocopier, fetch the air conditioner remote from the wall bracket, put things in the bin, open and shut doors, pick up anything that Mum drops, take her jacket off if she gets hot. Occasionally I have to demonstrate my skills for Mum’s clients who have a spinal cord injury. They say I’m more intelligent than their children sometimes! Editor: You’re so busy! Are you given plenty of play times? Jade: Play times are cool! I only wear my jacket when I’m in a public place where pet dogs wouldn’t be allowed to go. Every day I get to run free in off leash areas and play, sniff, swim… it’s a great life you know! Editor: It Certainly sounds like It! Who looks after your feeding, brushing and washing? Jade: Mum gets my food ready and I gently take the bowl off her lap. I get brushed by Mum with the special brush that she straps to her hand. And washing… aghhh… Mum’s carer washes me in the shower. They think I run around excitedly after a shower because I feel fresh. What a myth; I’m just so ecstatic that the chore is finally over! Editor: Where do you sleep at home? Jade: My white leather chaise is near Mum’s bed. I sleep on my back with my head on my cushion and snuggle against my cosy purple blanket. Mum’s friends laugh and they’ve all taken photos of me. I don’t know why. Editor: Laugh? How odd! Have you ever been on holidays? Jade: That’s when you don’t come home at night time, right? Well, er… I don’t like to boast but I have frequent flyer points you know. I’ve been on planes to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Bundaberg Adelaide, Coffs Harbour and Melbourne. I get to ride in the plane with Mum; I sit on the floor next to her. Every couple of months Mum and I catch the train to the Blue Mountains and spend the weekend at Nanna and Grandad’s place. That’s the best fun. They live on a big bush property and I get to run and swim in the dams to my heart’s delight! Editor: You are well travelled. Have you been everywhere with Sheree? Jade: No, I had to stay at home once when Mum and her niece went to the zoo. It’s a designated quarantine area and no animals are allowed to go there, not even Guide Dogs and Assistance Dogs. It’s okay though because I got to chew a huge bone at home. Editor: It must be hard to do the right thing all the time. Have you ever done anything wrong? Jade: Ha ha ha… listen to this. I ate a whole sponge cake once… as quick as I could… at Nanna’s house! Everybody laughed at how silly they were for putting it on the footstool and then racing out onto the back deck when something caught their attention. Phew!! Editor: What are your favourite things? Jade: Umm… breakfast, working for food, dinner, bones, swimming, my friends, rolling on my back, exploring, did I say food?, Nanna and Grandad, playing, taxi rides, carers, running and just going out anywhere. Oh did I say food, because I think that’s my very favourite thing. Editor: I know how you feel! Finally, do you think Sheree realises just how special you are? Jade: Oh definitely, she tells me how beautiful and clever I am all the time.  Want to know how you can help support the amazing work that Australian Support Dogs do? Donations are not the only way you can support, find out more about how you can volunteer and help out HERE!
 We share with you another beautiful story that we know will bring a smile to your face of the amazing impact an Assistance Dog makes to the life of the family they join. Luis and Piper....Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Assistance Dogs are sometimes referred to as Psychiatric Assistance Dogs. Luis has come a long way. He is an ex-policeman and was diagnosed with PTSD in 2017. He was medically retired from policing a year later. With the life-saving help of Piper, the PTSD Assistance Dog, Luis can look back on his journey and be proud of how far he has progressed. At Luis’ lowest point, there would be days where his wife, Paige, was not able to go to work. She was too worried about leaving him alone for the whole day, fearing the worst. PTSD took control of Luis’ life, especially in quiet night-time moments. Luis said, “I used to have really graphic and horrible night terrors 3-4 times a week. I would sweat through my sheets and wake up choking and struggling to breathe.” Luis tried for so long to feel better. He did the PTSD therapy and treatments the doctors and specialists told him to do. But he needed something extraordinary to have the breakthrough he desperately needed. In July 2019, Luis received his highly-trained PTSD Assistance Dog, a loveable chocolate Labrador named Piper. The main skill Piper does is “Visit”, which is where Piper lays her head in Luis’ lap and releases the weight of her head, which helps ground and relax Luis when he becomes overwhelmed. Luis said, “I use ‘Visit’ a lot, both at home and in public, as it helps me to relax and feel more secure because I can focus on Piper and not get overwhelmed by all of the thoughts that start swirling around in my head when I get stressed or anxious.” Having Piper by his side has been a huge help to Luis when his PTSD has caused him to feel extremely distressed when he is out in public. Luis said, “Sometimes when I run errands in town I can get really panicky all of a sudden out in the open. I focus on Piper and pet her and look at her for five minutes and then I don’t have to go home straight away and can usually finish my errands.” At the end of the day, it is Piper’s unconditional love that has been a life-saver so many times for Luis, he said. Luis calls Piper his “offsider”, which is what police call the officer who backs up another. She has brought so much joy and peace to their lives, and enabled Luis to feel safer, less anxious and much happier on a daily basis. With Piper in their lives, Luis and his wife Paige can get their lives back on track and feel better about the present – and future. Want to know how you can support Assistance Dogs Australia? There are more options then just giving a donation. Check our their website HERE for the many ways you help support the amazing work that they do. You never know how much of a difference you could be making in someone's life!
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