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Dogs for Better Lives places Assistance Dogs with qualified individuals who will benefit from the loyalty and companionship of a professionally trained dog. Applicants are screened carefully to ensure they will benefit from receiving one of our dogs and that they are willing and able to maintain the dog’s training and care for the dog after the dog is placed with them.

There is no application fee or deposit required. For information on our adoptable Career Change Dogs, click HERE.

Application

If you are considering applying for one of our professionally trained dogs, please go over this page carefully, along with Application Requirements and Points to Consider, prior to filling out an application. Fill out your application completely and submit it to Dogs for Better Lives.

Screening

All applicants for Hearing Dogs must send in a copy of their medically based audiogram reflecting the current level of hearing loss. This will be reviewed by the Placement Screening Committee. This panel is made up of Audiologists and professionals who work with people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Due to the fact that there are many different aspects to hearing loss, there is no exact degree of loss that can be given as the minimum for qualification.

In-Home Interview

In-home interviews provide us with additional information on the applicants’ needs and lifestyles. A Dogs for Better Lives associate, from the applicant’s area, conducts this interview. All members of the household must be present for this interview appointment.

Acceptance or Denial

After the interview is completed and returned to us, the entire application packet will be carefully reviewed and a final decision made as to whether or not one of our professionally trained dogs is suitable for the applicant.

Waiting Period

Dogs are matched with individuals based on the temperament of the dog and the lifestyle, personality, activity level, health, and environment of the person. We do not place dogs based on breed, size, hair length, or sex.

For a Hearing Dog, the waiting period is approximately 18 months from the time the person is accepted to receive a Hearing Dog. For a Facility Dog, the waiting period is currently 6 months to 1 year from the time the person is accepted to receive the dog.

Placement

Hearing Dogs, Autism Assistance Dogs, and Facility Dogs, accompanied by a trainer, go to the home of the client. The trainer teaches the client how to keep the dog working consistently and how to maintain the dog’s obedience training.

Follow-Up

Following the placement, regular communication is required. The client reports regularly on the progress of the dog. When problems arise or the client has any questions, the trainer offers help and answers questions. In-home follow up is also done.

Dogs for Better Lives provides follow-up support for the life of the team.

Before you begin the application process, it is important that you read this information and give it some serious thought. The following information is given to you so that you realize everything that is involved in applying for and having a Hearing Dog, Autism Assistance Dog, or Facility Dog.

Important:

• We typically require a fenced area attached to the home.
• Due to the difficulties of having a dog work around distractions, Hearing Dogs and Autism Assistance Dogs must be the only dog in the home. This is not applicable to Facility Dogs.
• Hearing Dogs are only placed with clients over the age of 18 years.
• You will be required to attend obedience training classes or hire a private obedience trainer as prescribed by your Dogs for Better Lives professional trainer.
• We select dogs from area shelters based on temperament and age, not size, sex, or appearance.

Please carefully consider the following points:

 Our professionally trained dogs require:

• Minimum of one full year as a training year for both of you
• Total commitment and willingness to work with your dog daily
• The ability to place practice sessions ahead of other pressing demands
• Stopping whatever you are doing to work with your dog when he/she is confused or does not work properly
• Being patient and positive with your dog
• Play time and rewards for a job well done each and every time they work for you
• Exercise and mental stimulation on a daily basis
• Taking sole responsibility for the care of the dog so that the dog will bond with you
• Family members to refrain from giving the dog attention until the dog has completely bonded with you

About our Dogs

All of our Dogs receive extensive program work and obedience training. Hearing Dogs are trained to alert to sounds by making physical contact then leading you to the sound. Additionally, our Hearing Dogs are also trained and certified for public access. Facility Dogs can provide a calming effect, allowing the professional to better serve or treat their clients. These dogs do not have public access except when accompanying the professionals and their clients in order to provide assistance to the clients.

Our standards and criteria for determining whether or not a dog is suitable for access to public places are very high. Only dogs that can ignore other dogs, handle being exposed to busy, noisy and crowded environments as well as comfortable with all types of people are appropriate to be in public.

When we match a Dog with a client, we look at a variety of factors:  the needs of the client both for work at home and in public, lifestyle and energy level and the confidence the dog has in new environments and situations.