RuralPug Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Question for those of you who have had assistance dogs. Was recently given a link to a fundraiser for a severely disabled child in Victoria, aiming to raise funds for a seizure dog for the child.(Family and child are known to me.) They claim the cost will be $35,000.00 for a trained seizure dog. I'm doubting that total - any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 (edited) Hmmm.. I THINK .. yes, it may well cost that much to obtain/train a dog for a specific purpose , but the organisation providing the dog covers that cost .. which they get from donations , etc. AFAIK recipients of a trained dog do not pay . It would be fantastic if that amount was raised , to donate as a lump sum to whichever organisation they choose !! Edited August 12, 2017 by persephone 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Kisses Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 https://www.guidedogs.org.au/frequently-asked-questions How much does it cost to train a Guide Dog? It costs in excess of $30,000 to train a Guide Dog. So that's what it costs Guide Dogs. BUT, I don't know what the cost would be if they were to pay a professional to select a suitable candidate and help them train the dog and get it accredited. I suspect it would be cheaper. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 I know Tapua trains medical alert dogs. Hopefully she might come in here and give an indication of whether this figure sounds reasonable. I know a lot of skill and hard work goes into the training right from when the puppies are born and there is probably ongoing training and support necessary to make a new partnership as effective as it needs to be. Plus it is a specialist thing with a limited pool of dogs and trainers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 My brother trained his own assistance dog... and I'm pretty sure it cost a LOT less than $30k... Now he is legally blind, he has a guide dog, which cost him nothing. T. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lhok Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 Depending on what the dog is actually for and where the dog is from some organisations do not cover the cost of the dog and the future handler does need to pay. Some require a partial payment while others go off donations. Around the 35k mark is what I have heard some dogs costing. If you have doubts you could ask where and why they are going with that particular org. --Lhok 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogbesotted Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 Assistance Dogs Australia provides freedom and independence to people with disabilities. At Assistance Dogs Australia, we understand the important bond between humans and dogs. We train Assistance Dogs to perform a range of tasks for people living with disabilities, ensuring that an Assistance Dog is not only man’s best friend, but man’s most helpful friend too. Every Assistance Dog undergoes tailored training to meet the individual needs of their new owner. We support people living with physical disabilities, autism, post-traumatic stress and dementia, as well as schools and care facilities. It can take up to two years and costs over $30,000 to train each dog. Assistance Dogs are placed completely free of charge with their new owner, providing life-changing support for up to 10 years. Assistance Dogs Australia is one of my chosen charities..:) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 I know that several of the organisations place dogs free of charge or for a comparatively small fee. What really has me wondering about this case is that a seizure dog does not need the advanced training of an assistance dog for the hearing, who is trained to alert their owner to many things, or an assistance dog for the physically disabled who is trained in a wide variety of ways to assist their owner (including retrieving dropped items on request and providing stability assistance). A seizure dog is, as far as I am aware, trained to alert able carers when a seizure is about to happen and apart from the normal well socialised, bulletproof and well behaved core training that any dog which may be required to work in public places require, it would seem to me that the training is not as extensive as you average assistance dog. I have asked which organisation this family have chosen to source their dog from but haven't got a straight answer. I would be very interested to hear @Tapua's input, as this is basically a medical alert dog so she should have a fair idea - thanks for the reminder LG! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 29 minutes ago, RuralPug said: a seizure dog does not need the advanced training of an assistance dog for the hearing, who is trained to alert their owner to many things, or an assistance dog for the physically disabled who is trained in a wide variety of ways to assist their owner (including retrieving dropped items on request and providing stability assistance I think a seizure dog , in some ways needs MORE Choosing/ training . They need to read very subtle signs , and then act in a few chosen ways ...they always need to be on alert , to act on their own instincts ... I think perhaps this type of dog would be less commonly seen ? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjosa Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Last week on Super vet, he is in Surrey, he was treating a beautiful 9 year old Staffie who is a seizure dog, it was quite amazing to hear how this dog, the owner also had a live in carer, knew a least a couple of ,minutes before her owner was going to have a seizure and alert the carer. The owner a lovely lady, said that if it was not for her girl she would have died as she suffers from nocturnal seizures. Our beautiful dogs are just amazing, no wonder they are called dog as if you reverse it it spells God. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 17, 2017 Share Posted August 17, 2017 Just found this gorgeous boy , Colt . He has his own youtube acc't ... and there are lots of videos posted ! Training ones like the one here.. working ones, play .. ones of his owner's original injury ..all sorts LOVE the ideas shown in these videos! (this is not a training exercise; apparently it is a real episode ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted August 18, 2017 Author Share Posted August 18, 2017 (edited) On 17/08/2017 at 8:37 AM, persephone said: I think a seizure dog , in some ways needs MORE Choosing/ training . They need to read very subtle signs , and then act in a few chosen ways ...they always need to be on alert , to act on their own instincts ... I think perhaps this type of dog would be less commonly seen ? Yes, in a way you are correct. They are made to the individual, as scents provided by body processes immediately prior to seizure and/or invisible to human eyes pre-spasm muscle twitches can vary from individual to individual. I have been told that it does not take so much training as discovery to match a seizure dog with a disabled person. I have heard back from the family and apparently the $35,000 goal will not go directly to the training organisation but will cover the costs of transporting the family to the US to be matched with a seizure dog there. They are adamant that no one in Australia trains seizure dogs they way they want this one trained, and besides, there is Disneyland there for the other members of the family to enjoy during their trip! When I asked had they also calculated the expense of importing and quarantining the dog, they hadn't but decided that it didn't matter as they could learn how to train their own dog while they were in the US. I gave up about then. Edited August 18, 2017 by RuralPug unfinished 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 O......K...... so they are going to enjoy a holiday , and maybe get a dog ? .... Fine .. :/ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted August 18, 2017 Share Posted August 18, 2017 ... and that is why I steer well clear of thoe crowd funding sites... *sigh* T. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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