The Dream Companion Story
Gail & Phil share a Dream By breeding SPECIAL DOGS FOR SPECIAL PEOPLE AND FAMILIES.
With the Giant Help from their family's DREAM COMPANIONS is made a reality.
We are passionate about our Goals. We do not claim to be better than other Breeders or Trainers although given our many years of Dog Training / Life experiences plus what sets us apart from most Is the fact that We are DISABLED. Although our own ASSISTANCE DOGS have taken the Dis out of DisABLED but we face Challenges every day but those challenges are never faced alone we have our DOG.
We both have Brittle Diabetes including my daughter. We both have Mobility Issues, plus we have first hand knowledge of what a life full of challenges can cause emotionally.
Both Gail and Phil are a part of the AAAD Team who train and provide medical alert and assistance dogs throughout Australia.
We personally (Dream Companions) also collaborate with other programs in ascertaining and evaluating our puppies for their clients as well; in an effort to foster a mutually rewarding and beneficial partnership for the future Handler and Dog Team as well as the Organisation involved.
We can also personally help you in TRAINING a special puppy for that special love one in your life regardless of age or need. We can do this in one of 2 ways.
We can do early imprinting and training and help you join the AAAD family . OR if you prefer we can personally take on the training of the puppy where you play a key role. Your individual and uniquely designed program would be developed and agreed upon by all parties.
A brief outline of a training scenario could be.
1. We imprint puppy for required skills
2. Stage one training basic obedience commands, walking calmly, toileting on command.
Puppy then is placed in your home to bond and enjoy. Either we deliver or you pick up as a handover day or stay is important.
Plus you will be continuing, with our online training school which incorporates classroom notes, and videos on all training topics, care, and nutrition.
3. Puppy comes back to us or we can travel to you for next stages in training of Assistance Dog Tasks or Skills and to further puppy/dog’s Obedience Training. The level of training is determined by your wish list or goals. We can take you through to a fully certified Assistance Dog. Although with experience we have found many children / adults do not need or require this level.
4. We also offer support throughout your training.
If Mother Nature Agrees we will be keeping 2 Puppies from each litter to train to level of fully certified Assistance Dogs. These puppies will continue in our Dream Companions program; this will provide the consistency of their early training which produces a dog with deep-seated abilities, proficiencies and the enthusiasm to assist. So we can help others they will have a litter of puppies and then be donated to a deserving special needs family.
Being a small breeder having the benefit of two homes and resources our dogs are full family members no kennels or confinement areas. Our puppies are born in our bedrooms and are whelped inside our homes and enjoy inside / outside adventure land..
Gail and Phil will always be focusing on quality, not quantity this ensures our individualised attention. Our emphasis is on training every puppy based on their learning style. We use a combination of motivational, reward based training which includes clicker an in Gail's case marker training and lure/reward training. Although we do place an extraordinary amount of time and emphasis on building the puppy/human bond this relationship is enhanced through positive interaction using the medium of play and training, we use both verbal, signing, and body language, enabling clear and precise communication the keys to a successful relationship.
It is well researched and documented that positive training techniques encourage an active, trusting partnership. Each puppy is an individual so their goal is reach a level of proficiency and skill that will enable him/her to excel in their future life whether as an assistance dog or a well-loved family member.
Our puppies begin their training from the moment they're born, by the time they go to the forever family home at 8 weeks-plus depending on the level of training required. For Assistance Dog Puppy Programs we work to their guide lines.
By 12-16 weeks of age they have a solid understanding of the behaviors necessary for assistance work. As most assistance dog tasks can be shaped & moulded through simple fun puppy games. We spend the rest of the time refining behaviors, focusing on socialisation and customizing to individual needs of their future person.
Some of the tasks our puppies and dogs are Imprinted/Trained to do include:
Diabetic Alert Imprinting and Early Scent Recognition.
Basic understanding of Diabetic routines DAD ( Diabetic Alert Dogs) Obliviously Our Specialty.
Working with Autism, All puppies/ dogs learn to interact with a child as well as respond to a child's commands.
Gail's Daughter who Is an Early Childhood Teacher works with special needs children. Another member of our Team is Madelyn Gail's nearly 7 year old Granddaughter who is on the AAAD Training Team as well
Emotional Support/PTSD This is such a broad area of expertise. The training module for this type of assistance is so varied some peoples requirements call for a calm well trained dog that can offer comfort and support when feeling anxious, up-to a Specialised Trained PTSD Dog that can provide a sense of security, calming effects and physical exercise that can make a positive difference.
Specially Trained PTSD Dogs can provide a sense of security, calming effects, and physical exercise that can make a positive difference in the life of those that suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Like all assistance dogs, a psychiatric service dog is individually trained to do work or perform tasks that mitigate their handler's disability. Training may include providing environmental assessment (in such cases as paranoia or hallucinations), signaling behaviors (such as interrupting repetitive or injurious behavior reminding the handler to take medication, retrieving objects and guiding or blocking the handler from stressful situations BLOCK.
Mobility Assistance
- Retrieval of objects
- Turning lights on and off
- Opening and closing doors, drawers and cabinets
- Providing balance and support
- Alerting to sounds
- Summoning help in an emergency
- Helping with day-to-day activities such as laundry, grocery shopping, etc.
- Helping with dressing (taking shoes off, unzipping jackets, etc)
- Pushing buttons such as handicapped door openers, doorbells, etc.
Not all our puppies are destine to "graduate" as an assistance dog,” A number of puppies’ from each litter will have the same training but will go to the best of families.
This will KEEP OUR DREAM ALIVE Allowing us to DONATE assistance puppies/dogs to families that could never afford the price of a quality puppy let alone a Trained Assistance Dog.