About the dogs

About the dogs | What they do | Meet the dogs

Mobility dogs are trained to aid and assist a human partner 24 hours a day, seven days a week, inside the home and out in the community. Mobility dog recipients enjoy increased access to education, places of work and recreational opportunities.

Puppies enter our programme from animal rescue centres, from breeders and by donation. Because of the nature of assistance dog tasks, medium to large breeds like Labrador and Golden Retrievers are favoured.

The puppies are placed with puppy-raisers to grow and mature. They are exposed to a wide variety of situations and environments in preparation for their future as mobility dogs. Puppy-raisers are guided by dog trainers and handlers in working on obedience and basic assistance dog tasks.

Wearing their fluorescent yellow service vests, and carrying ID cards, mobility dogs have legal public access rights under the Dog Control Amendment Act 2006.

Between 12 and 14 months of age, the dogs return to Mobility Dogs to undergo advanced training and further refinement once they are matched with a recipient.

A fully trained mobility dog will have learned in the vicinity of 90 commands. It is an investment of love and time, but also represents a significant financial investment of $25,000 per dog.