Who are assistance dogs?
Assistance dogs are specifically trained to assist an individual living with one or multiple disabilities in their everyday life.
They undergo long and intensive training and then live permanently with their human partner. By providing such assistance, they enable a more mobile and self-determined life.
Many people are familiar with guide dogs for the blind, but there are many other types of assistance dog who are no less important and growing increasingly common.
Here are some of the common types of assistance dogs:
Visual impairment
guide around obstacles
Alert to both dangers and destinations
Hearing impairment
Display sounds
Warn of dangers
Retrieve lost items
Limited mobility
Retrieve objects
Operate doors/switches
Assist with undressing
Support balance
Epilepsy, narcolepsy, etc.
Alert to crises, get help
Retrieve medication
Protect and soothe
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Interrupt crises
Awaken from nightmares
Relieve sensory overload
Autism/FASD
Relieve sensory overload
Support routines
Diabetes, allergies
Detect allergens
Alert to crises at an early stage
How can I recognize assistance dogs?
Assistance dogs generally wear special equipment to identify them while working:
Correct behavior around assistance dog teams
Even if you have many questions and perhaps a dog treat in your pocket — please respect these rules to keep handler and dog safe:
- Do not distract an assistance dog by petting or interacting with them without their human’s permission.
- Do not stare at them: This is unpleasant for both dog and human!
- Do not speak to the dog and do not lure them.
- Do not feed the dog.
Make it easy for an assistance dog team to pass undisturbed and safely:
- Make sure you give them as much space as possible.
- Keep your distance with your dog when an assistance dog is working and/or on a lead.
- Keep your dog on a lead, please.
- It’s fine to talk to the person, but avoid personal questions like
“Why do you have an assistance dog?”
Access rights of assistance dog teams
An assistance dog is more than “just” a companion dog. They enable their human partner to participate in everyday life. That is why assistance dog teams have access rights wherever people in street clothes are allowed.
The right to “animal assistance” is enshrined in international law (UN Commission on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities/UN-CRPD).
In many countries, specific laws protect qualified teams from exclusion and discrimination.
Only healthy, well-balanced, and reliable dogs can cope with the demanding training, so no problems can be expected from assistance dogs. As assistance dogs, they have the right of access to public places worldwide.
Hygiene? No problem!
Assistance dog teams are welcome wherever people in street clothes are welcome. This means that assistance dogs are also allowed in grocery stores, restaurants, cultural institutions, and in the medical sector. A ban on dogs does not affect them because they are not “dogs” but also fall under the umbrella of medical aids.
DogMap: find and mark (assistance) dog-friendly places
Using the interactive DogMap, dog lovers worldwide can mark places with All dogs allowed, Only assistance dogs allowed or Access barrier.
In the location profile, Google Map’s information can be supplemented with your own comments on dog-friendliness.
DogMap makes it easy to book a vacation, plan a day out with your dog, and discover a new favorite place.
DogMap is forever free and growing rapidly. With nearly 500,000 entries, the DogMap app can be found on many dog owners’ cell phones, and is building an important community to promote assistance dog teams.
German campaign: Assistance dog-friendly communities
Pfotenpiloten, the German non-profit behind DogMap, has been improving access rights since 2018 through the “Assistance Dog Welcome” access campaign on behalf of the German government. Since then, we have been making over a hundred cities and counties assistance dog-friendly, thanks to funding from Aktion Mensch.
Take a look at who is already taking part and then ask your hometown whether they would like to join and become assistance dog friendly.
About Pfotenpiloten and the Assistance Dog Foundation
Since 2015, Pfotenpiloten’s goal is to support people with disabilities to start into new autonomy with a well-trained assistance dog.
We do not train assistance dog teams: Instead, as an independent non-profit organization, we create effective structures for education and public outreach. In addition to various access campaigns, our work also includes DogMap.info, an EU project for assistance dog professionals, participation in the EU standard “Assistance Dogs” and political lobby.
Assistance Dog Foundation creates reliable structures for quality assurance, acceptance, and support. Our independence is central to our work. We do not train assistance dogs, but focus on sustainable solutions that consider the interests of all parties involved — owners, dogs, trainers, the public, and sponsors. We are convinced that a sustainable concept can only develop if everyone’s needs are considered.
