Information and resources concerning service and therapy dogs, along with some thoughts and experiences in using a Great Dane as a service dog
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The excerpt below is quoted from Leashes For Living, Assistance Dog School Website Every individual deserves the right to live with dignity and freedom. For some people, otherwise simple tasks can become difficult barriers to overcome. For those in this situation, assistance dogs can provide the answer. Assistance dogs are the human helper dogs that perform many different tasks. Helping people with challenges live happier and healthier lives. Leashes for Living is committed to providing the best training and education, while guiding a person and their dog to the highest standards of performance and behavior. This is done by teaching you how to train and maintain the training of your dog. |
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I have been wanting to add a section to our website for several years, regarding the use of Great Danes as assistance or therapy dogs now finding the time to complete that.
In 1998, I joined several disablity forums in an online community asking questions and discussing their various problems in hope of discovering if a Great Dane might help them with their day-to-day routine. My question was initially met with discussions of their size and ability to learn specialized tasks, eventually followed by excitement in hope of being the first to use a Dane as their assistance dog.
As many people inquired through the various agencies about this possibility, they were told that a Great Dane would not be a proper dog and they would not acquire and train a Dane for them. The excitement of owning a Dane as an assistance dog dwindled to a quickly fading dream.
I promised to continue my research and if necessary would establish
a program which allowed assistance dog training of their chosen breed of dog - Unfortunately, life got in the way, (my wife spent several months in the hospital followed by rehabilitation at home),
(An 'oops' litter of danes - losing the bitch in the process), and a few more life things which prevented me from following through with my plan.
I never forgot that plan and continued to discuss
the possibility with several great dane breeders only to be met with most of them saying "Danes would not be good as assistance dogs". I maintained my stance and vowed to prove them wrong - Guess what?!
They were wrong, Check out "LASS" bred by Sixstar Danes. As you see,
Lass is being trained as a Service Dog by/for her adopted 'mom',Amanda
with assistance from LEASHES FOR LIVING
| Service dogs or assistance dogs; guide the blind or visually impaired, assist the physically challenged by pulling wheelchairs, retrieve dropped items, open doors and other assistive tasks. This also includes hearing dogs for the hearing impaired and medical response alert dogs for persons with seizure disorders and/or chronic breathing disorders. |
The Service Dog Project is an organization training only Great Danes as service dogs. You can read more about Carlene White and the organization at the links below:
The link to the main page of The Service Dog Project: http://servicedogproject.org/
More about the breeding program: http://servicedogproject.org/breeding-program.html
More information about the organization: http://servicedogproject.org/What-We-Do.html
Some great pics of some wonderful danes: http://servicedogproject.org/Our-Photo-Albums.html
The links below will give you more information on the Leashes For Life program along with links to other resources for obtaining an assistance/therapy dog. If you have further questions concerning the use of a Great Dane as an assistance dog or would just like more information on the breed, please stop by our Forum to read more about personal life with the dane and feel free to post a message requesting specific information.
