Assistance & medical alert dogs training
The Arthanis Foundation trains assistance dogs specifically trained to help children and adults facing severe health conditions. Our dogs are trained to meet complex medical and physical needs, such as anticipating epileptic seizures or providing assistance to individuals with reduced mobility, among other tasks.
The Arthanis Foundation does not train emotional or psychological support dogs.
Path
From their birth to their assignment, assistance dogs follow a thorough path.
- Acquisition of two-month-old puppies from dog breeding programmes, after careful selection of the breeds according to the required characteristics and abilities
- Placement in foster families for an initial education and socialisation period of 12 to 15 months
- Placement in specialised centres to undergo a 6 month- long training program designed around the beneficiary’s specific needs (duration depends on each dog’s maturity level)
- Training of the beneficiary person (approximately 2 weeks)
- Assignment of the trained dog to the beneficiary person
- Regular follow-up of the duo
We allocate our dogs at no cost to individuals whom we have determined will derive significant benefit and an improved quality of life from having a specialy trained assistance dog.
Raising awareness
Arthanis Foundation works hard to raise public awareness about the benefits of using Assistance Dogs. We want to alter the public’s perception of people with special needs and demonstrate how an Assistance Dog can enable them to live their lives more independently.
Fostering greater tolerance and community spirit
Advocacy
The Arthanis Foundation promotes the contribution and image of Assistance Dogs and is lobbying national and European authorities to get such dogs recognised as Auxiliary Caregiving aides.
We are campaigning for unlimited access for Assistance Dogs to all public places and means of transport, and for a better social insurance coverage.
For a greater recognition of Assistance Dogs
