Mental Health Assistance Dog Programme UK are a non profit organisation working in the UK to help owners with suitable dogs train them to become a MHADog.
MHA Dogs are trained to assist mental health sufferers to lead normal lives, provide support and continuity and perform tasks that mitigate the handlers condition. These dogs are trained to the high standard expected of all assistance dogs and can be recognised by their orange jackets and black logos.
How the programme works
Firstly you need to contact MHA Dogs to discuss your needs. They will send out paperwork that needs to be read and returned. Your dog will have an initial assessment and will be invited to join the programme if suitable. A fee of ￡350 is required to help with costs such as recourse packs, jacket leash slip and admin. You will be sent a recourse pack containing books and guides to help you train your dog and when the required standard is met, a second assessment will be conducted. Upon passing, you will receive a training leash slip and membership card. You will continue training for public access and specific tasks until your final assessment. If you pass this, you will receive your working dog jacket and full membership.
To contact MHA Dogs directly please visit http://mhadogstest.wordpress.com/ or email mentalhealthdogs@hotmail.co.uk
How we can help
Little Paws volunteers our training services to MHA Dogs covering Gloucester and it’s surrounding areas. Once your dog has been successfully invited to join the programme, we are available to help you through the training process. A 16 week training course designed to guide you through public access training is also available. Please register your interest early to secure your space.
If your dog failed it’s initial assessment for behavioural reasons but you still wish to persue MHA Dog membership, please contact us to discuss 1-2-1 sessions to overcome these issues for future assessments. Please note that not all dogs are suitable for assistance dog work and in cases of aggression or severe nervousness we may not be able to help you reach assistance dog standards.