Community Dogs - FAQs

What are the benefits of having a Community Dog?

• Encourage school pupil attendance (Dog can greet a child on arrival/or at specific times throughout the day etc.)

• Engage with children or adults who have emotional challenges and provide emotional comfort through sensory regulation by providing tasks which target deep pressure therapy, dog lies against person or across legs or rests head on lap.

• Facilitate with movement breaks for children with specific needs (adult handler brings dog on walk to accompany child).

• Encourage social interaction with adults and children (others engage with dog).

• Engage with task-specific activities,

  • Encourage children reading to dog. (Dog is in non-judgmental listener)

  • Dog can retrieve an object to bring to child.

  • Dog can touch (target) an object to engage with a child through a talking button or pushing back a yoga ball etc. For example, the dog can bring a box of tissues to a person requiring comfort etc.

What are the logistical implications of owning a Community Dog?

For Handlers:

While there can be many benefits to having a Community Dog, there are also some important logistical implications that we encourage each facility and handler to consider. Better understanding and accepting these implications can enhance the benefits of having a Community Dog.

• Dogs should not be left at home alone for more than a 2-3 hours per day.

• Dogs have ongoing care needs such as grooming, vet scheduling and costs, feeding and keeping up on training.

• Submitting biannual veterinary reports to our Training Centre.

• There is a constant presence and consideration of the dog’s needs at home.

• Outings sometimes need careful consideration according to the dog’s needs.

For Managers/Principals:

• It is imperative that you undertake a risk assessment of your facility to determine any changes that need to be made to have a dog attending, and also to mitigate potential issues with visitors to your facility.

• You should enquire with your facility’s insurance agent to determine if a dog can be added to your policy for public liability, etc.

What supports are available?

Although primarily up to the responsibility of the designated handler at the facility, we have some supports in place to help with the logistical implications.

• Aftercare service, which entails more intensive support for the first six months, and then once a year support service delivered either through a home visit, phone call or video call. These are scheduled annually but can be requested at any time.

• Holiday support – advice and information, sometimes helping you connect with a volunteer dog minder if necessary.

• Support with weight management plans for the dog.

• Additional training for the partnership, as needed.

• A behavioural management problem with the dog.

• A major veterinary problem.

• Refresher training.

• Emergency advice.

How is the quality of the Community Dogs at Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind regulated?

Our Community Dog Programme is regulated by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and their standards guide our training and management of our dogs. Please visit the ADI website to learn more.

What is the estimated annual cost of having a Community Dog?

The estimated minimum cost of having a Community Dog in your facility is €1,700 per annum. Please see the last section of this page for a breakdown of these costs. This includes visits to the vet (which is required by ADI regulations), the annual cost of vaccinations, worming and flea treatments, the cost of insurance, the cost of food, and an estimated cost of enrichment accessories, such as bedding and safe toys.

Once I bring the dog home, who owns the dog?

Like many service dog organisations, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind remains the owner of the dog during their working life. This helps us guarantee the health and welfare of the working relationship. We stay connected through our annual Aftercare Programme. Aftercare helps us problem solve behaviours, give advice about how to manage your dog’s health, and how to continue getting the maximum benefit of the dog in your facility. It also facilitates us completing compliance checks with the Community Dog Lease Agreement.

Can I give/loan the dog to other people or facilities?

No. The dog is matched with you and trained for your facility only. If the dog attends other facilities without written permission from IGDB, the partnership will be discontinued and the dog returned to us.

How long does a Community Dog work for?

Our dogs are roughly 18 months old when they are placed as a working Community Dog. In accordance with ADI regulations, Community Dogs must retire by their tenth birthday, at the latest. Through our aftercare service, we begin discussing retirement around the dog’s eight birthday.

What happens to the dog after retirement?

Retirement means the Community Dog stops being used as a working dog in their facility. Depending on each handler’s circumstances, retired dogs either stay with the handler’s family as a pet dog or are rehomed by us to another loving family. It is important to think about the housing of the dog post-retirement, even at the application stage.

How to Apply

When can I apply?

Applications to join our Community Dog Programme waiting list are currently closed. We only open applications through our website. Please sign up to our mailing list to receive direct communications about our next reopening.

What is the cost to apply for a Community Dog?

It is free to apply for a Community Dog from Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Application Criteria

What are the application criteria?

The application criteria are:

1. Two potential handlers must be selected to apply. Both handlers must be employed in the facility.

2. One handler must commit to caring for the dog outside the facility in their home (the main handler).

3. The facility must have an outline of the dog’s expected workload.

4. A risk assessment must be completed by each applying facility.

5. A commitment to not leave the Community Dog on its own for more than 2-3 hours per day.

6. A fully enclosed garden at the handler's home that is safe for a dog to toilet and play in each day.

7. A fully enclosed area within the facility grounds for toileting the dog safely.

8. A safe place inside the home for the dog to sleep.

9. A rest space in the facility for the dog to take breaks.

How are applications chosen?

Assessment Process

I am now on the waiting list to be considered for a Community Dog. What happens next?

If you are successful with your application and placed on the waiting list, you will begin to move through the next steps of the Community Dog applicant process. These steps are explained below.

Please note: The steps below may happen in a different order than outlined below. For example, the home check may happen after the video call conversation. Also, at any stage of this process you may withdraw your application, or we may decide, based on solid reasoning, that a Community Dog is not right for your facility. Either way, we facilitate an open, transparent discussion around the decision.

Step 1: Complete a Short E-learning Course

• The purpose of the e-learning course is to give you and your facility an overview of what it is like to have a Community Dog. This is not an assessment but must be completed to proceed through the application process.

Step 2: Conversation (video call) with Proposed Handlers

The goal of this informal assessment is to get to know you and your facility. Through a series of questions and informal dialogue, we aim to learn if a Community Dog would benefit you and your facility and, if so, what kind of Community Dog temperament would be suitable.

Step 3: Home & Facility Check

A home and facility check is to ensure that your house, garden and facility is safe for a dog. This means having a fully enclosed garden at home with a secure gate and a quiet place inside for the dog to rest during the day and sleep at night. (We do not expect you to buy a dog bed at this time). A home check may be done through a mixture of recorded videos submitted by the applicant and/or an in-person visit by a staff member. It also gives us a chance to observe the behaviour of any family dogs or other pets to see how they would fit with a Community Dog.

A facility check will, amongst other things, ensure suitable rest and toileting spaces are available for the dog, or areas are proposed for consideration.

Step 4: Further Assessment Class

Both proposed handlers will be invited to our National Training Centre in Cork for a short residential class. The goal of this practical further assessment class is to observe both proposed handlers with a dog to assess their suitability and experience of dog handling. With your permission, we record a segment of the walk to review with the Community Dog team later. Observing the proposed handlers will help us determine what kind of dog may be most suitable for your facility if you proceed to the next stage.

The Community Dog team will review the recorded assessments and discuss whether your facility will continue to “Awaiting Match” status.

Please note: The dog on the assessment will not be the dog you are matched to should you proceed to the next stage.

Step 5: Transferred to ‘Awaiting Match’ status

The Awaiting Match stage is for applicants who have completed all steps above successfully. At this stage, the Community Dog team begin looking for the right dog for you and your facility.

How do you determine the right dog for my facility?

There are many aspects that we consider when looking for the right dog i.e. “a match.” These include:

• Individual needs/abilities of the proposed handlers.

• Individual needs of the dog (size, speed, temperament, suitability to facility type)

• Family circumstances (siblings, pets, etc.) of main handler

• Handler’s characteristics

• Dog’s characteristics

• Home environment (urban, rural, suburban)

• Facility expectations and environment

Types of dogs available

Why is it so important to get the right match?

Taking the time to get the right match will help bring the most benefits to your facility.

What happens once a potential match is found?

Once a potential match is selected for your facility, you will be called for a Matching Visit. The Matching Visit will be arranged between you and our team for a suitable time and will most likely take place at or close to your facility.

If the matching visit is not a success, then further options will be discussed between you and the Community Dog team.

If the match is successful, we will schedule a training course for you and the dog, which in the majority of cases takes place at your facility.

If I am placed on the waiting list to be considered for a Community Dog, how long will it take before I get a dog if I proceed through every step?

This will depend on a number of factors at the time of applying. There are many factors that can influence waiting times, including:

• Handler availability for training

• Temperament and suitability of dogs in training

• Staff availability

Although on average it takes about 18-24 months from the time of applying until getting matched with a Community Dog, this process can sometimes take longer. The timeframe between “Awaiting Match” status and being trained with a dog can vary greatly depending on the dogs in training and the individual handler. We always strive to get the best match possible. In some circumstances, this can take time.

Can my application be declined after I am put on the waiting list to be considered for a Community Dog?

At any stage during the process, your application can be declined if you or we believe a Community Dog is not a suitable support for your facility. Sometimes this can happen if circumstances change during the process. In accordance with ADI regulations, you have the right to appeal a decision made by Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind to decline your application.

Unsuccessful Applicants

If I'm unsuccessful at any stage of the process, what happens to my application information?

We delete your application information in accordance with GDPR. You are welcome to apply again as a new applicant at the next re-opening.