Join Our Programme

If you are interested in applying for a diabetic alert assistance dog from Paws for Diabetics Inc, the process is as follows:

Step 1 - Send in an application

An application kit can be downloaded from the Paws for Diabetics Inc. website or requested via telephone or email from the secretary. Return the completed application and medical history forms with a non-refundable application fee of $100, which includes one-year membership, to Paws for Diabetics Inc, on acceptance of your application. Once the application is received, you will be contacted by the Director of Training to discuss the programme and what we can do for you. This usually occurs within 28 days of receiving a completed application kit.

To download the application kit, click the link below. As the application kit is a pdf file you will need Acrobat Reader to open it. Most computers come with this programme or it is free to download.

If you are unable to open the file, please contact us at info@pfd.org.au

Important Changes Due to Covid-19

While this public health crisis continues to impact our community, changes have been introduced to address the regulations and requirements for public safety. These will be regularly re-evaluated and adjusted accordingly as the crisis progresses, so please contact us for the current practices.

As of July 2020 – interviews and programme commencements may be conducted via video link, as travel restrictions and social distancing prevent face to face visiting. Evaluations of your dog’s suitability for the programme and ongoing progression will also be done via a combination of live video link and video clips.

We acknowledge that these methods may not be as effective and accurate as face to face visits, so every effort will be made to address any shortfalls and issues that may result from this. Paws for Diabetics continues to support all members as we adjust to this world-wide pandemic and the changes to our normal practices that it has created.

Step 2 - Attend a telephone interview

If we haven’t already spoken to you, a telephone interview will be scheduled to help the applicant and Paws for Diabetics Inc. decide if receiving an assistance dog would be both beneficial and appropriate. The applicant will have the opportunity to review further information on the practicalities of training and handling an assistance dog to assist in your decision to complete your application. A personal reference for the primary handler and parents of a minor handler will be required.

Step 3 - Complete a Home Visit

A home visit will be carried out by the Paws for Diabetics Inc. Director of Training or nominated representative. This is also an opportunity to meet the entire family and view your living arrangements.  If you have a dog you wish to be trained as your diabetic alert dog, it will be assessed at this time as to its suitability. There may also be an opportunity to experience handling an assistance dog in public during a shopping centre/supermarket walk-through with our representative dog.

After the home visit, the Paws for Diabetics Inc. Management Committee will determine if the applicant meets all the criteria required and would benefit from an assistance dog. The applicant will be notified within 21 days of the Management Committee’s decision to accept them into the programme.

Step 4 – Purchasing a suitable puppy

If you do not already have a dog that has been approved by PFD to train, we strongly recommend that you wait until your application is approved before sourcing a puppy or dog to train. The stress placed on a dog learning to become an assistance dog life can be underestimated and demands specific temperament and health requirements. PFD is experienced in the selection of appropriate puppies and has several preferred breeders we can recommend, as well as being able to make an unemotional, professional appraisal of the most suitable candidate. The cutest, most appealing puppy is not always the most suited to this form of work and, given the gravity of such an undertaking, you are advised to heed our advice and direction. Not all breeds are suitable either and PFD reserves the right to reject dogs who display undesirable physical or temperamental traits, or breeds, who in PFD’s opinion, pose too great a challenge for the applicant to train and handle. When choosing a particular puppy or breeder, discuss the breed’s inherited risk factors and relevant health tests of the parents/family line. A demonstrated understanding of assistance dog selection criteria by the breeder is preferred, as well as their willingness to participate in early puppy education as per PFD’s requirements prior to weaning.

It is not recommended that you purchase, adopt or rescue a dog or puppy from a shelter to train as your assistance dog. Unfortunately, you will not know the background health or experiences of this dog or pup and that can impact greatly on your success with training. The investment of money, time and emotion that goes into the training of these dogs, it would be an enormous shame to have it develop a health or behavioural issue that removes it from the programme. Although these things cannot be totally avoided by purchasing a pup from a reputable breeder, they can be minimised due to the testing and care taken by these breeders during your puppy’s gestation and early development and growth. Every effort must be made to have the best, healthiest and more suitable pup to work with.

There is no particular preference for pure breeds or cross breeds, although poodle crosses have become increasingly popular due to the lower allergy risk. Your favourite breed may not be suitable as the first dog you train, so be open to discussing a different breed to what you’d expect. The working life of your dog will be around 10 years, which means that once you have trained your first dog, you will have the experience and knowledge to be able to train a more challenging breed the next time around. PFD’s only concern is your success, so our advice will reflect this during our discussions. Dangerous or inappropriate breeds or individuals will not be accepted.

Step 5 – Placement and commencement of your training programme

Families will be required to attend a “Dogs and Children” course, outlining appropriate dog and children interaction, recognising body language and age appropriate understanding. This course is conducted on-line with a trainer and commences once a fortnight for 8 weeks prior to the arrival of the pup and continues for once a week for 4 weeks after. This is compulsory for anyone with children under 15 in the house, for grandparents who may have regular contact with young grandchildren or who live with young grandchildren. This is relevant regardless if the dog is for a child or for a parent or adult in the household.

Teenage or adult applicants will attend a similar on-line course, “Puppy Introduction”, to either familiarise you with or refresh your knowledge of handling, raising, training and interacting with a puppy. This is particularly useful for those who haven’t had a dog before or haven’t had a puppy for some time. This will commence once a week for 4 weeks prior to your pup’s arrival and continue for 2 weeks after the pup’s arrival.

Both these classes are conducted via Facebook Messenger live video or via Skype and there is an added cost associated with these courses.

When your puppy is 8 to 10 weeks old and is sent from the breeder, or when it is appropriate to start training with your pet dog, the Director of Training or nominated representative, will come to your place to work with you for a few days to start you on your programme journey. During this time, you will be given training resources, advice, direction and support to establish alerting behaviours and to assist you to recognise your pup or dog’s body language and possible alerting behaviours. We will look at obedience training requirements and you will have to have your pup enrolled in a local Puppy Pre-school course and have an obedience instructor or school classes arranged once your pup is fully vaccinated. You are required to attend a minimum of 20 hours of formal training in a training class or private instructor, plus a further 100 hours minimum training done by yourself. This must be completed and documented prior to your dog having its initial Public Access Accreditation Test. You will also be required to report every week to the Director of Training, sending spreadsheets and training notes to help us support your training progress. PAAT’s will not be conducted until your pup is at least 12 months old and preferable by the time it is 2 years old.

You may have a pet dog who shows potential to be trained as your assistance dog. The dog will be assessed by our Director of Training or our nominated representative for suitability. Changes may need to be made within the family regarding strengthening the bond between the dog and the applicant as well as minimising the distraction that other family members can pose. This may not always be easy and requires a lot of discussion between the members of your household before training begins. If your dog is deemed not suitable, you may consider getting a pup to train and leaving your other dog to be the family pet.

There is a requirement that people training older dogs are actively training for a minimum of 3 months before a PAAT will be conducted. This includes dogs coming into PFD from other organisations, despite having PAAT status from their prior organisation, or if a dog trained through PFD is transferred to a new handler, there will also be a period of at least 3 months. This allows time for the new partnership to be established and the dog and handler demonstrate working well together. PAAT’s are not conducted until the dog is at least 12 months old.

You are encouraged to purchase health insurance for your puppy or dog. You are welcome to source insurance from whatever company you deem appropriate.

Please note: It is required that all dog owners/handlers remain a financial member of the association for the working life of their dog.