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The first assistance dogs
in Lithuania

We are the first in the Baltic States and Poland to be awarded Assistance Dogs International (ADI) candidate status!

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Dog assistants

Assistance dogs are loyal helpers who help people with various physical or mental disabilities to live full and independent lives. These specially trained four-legged friends carry out a wide range of important tasks, from assisting with mobility to providing emotional support.

Asistentė Mulan

Assistant Mulan

Asistentas Naras

Assistant Naras

Asistentas Sora

Assistant Sora

Asistentas Lokis

Assistant Lokis

Asistentė Upė

Assistant Upė

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Key facts

We invite you to read the answers to the most frequently asked questions to better understand this remarkable communion between four-legged animals and humans!

How can Assistance dogs help people?

Assistance dogs can help in a variety of ways, depending on a person's disability or specific needs:

Physical assistance

  • Helping to lift and fetch objects
  • Opens/closes doors
  • Turns lights on/off
  • Helps with mobility and balance
  • Helps to stand up after a fall

Medical assistance

  • Warns of impending epileptic seizures
  • Alerts you to critical blood sugar levels
  • Recognises allergic reactions
  • Detects impending panic attacks

Emotional and social support:

  • Provides emotional support to people with autism
  • Reduces anxiety and stress
  • Helps overcome social phobia
  • Improves communication skills

Sensory support:

  • Helps deaf people to recognise important sounds (doorbell, smoke detector, phone calls)
  • Guides visually impaired people in the street and at home
  • Warns of potential dangers in the environment

Dogs are trained according to the individual needs of the person and can learn the necessary tasks to make everyday life easier.

Who trains Dog Assistants?

Our Assistance Dogs are trained by trainers from the Assistance Dog Centre, who have a wealth of knowledge and experience.

Gabrielė Aleknaitė

Deimantė Dargytė – Pranckevičė

Vladas Babicevas

Why is Assistance dog so expensive?

These are individually trained dogs that require a long training period and very complex training process that takes 2-3 years. Dressage carried out by professional trainers always with the assistance of the dog to the special needs of the owner. Throughout the training period individual training sessions with the dog's owner in his/her home and in the city.

What are the tasks of Assistance dog?
  • Mobility/movement assistance. These dogs are adapted to the person's everyday environment and are trained to call for help in case of emergency, to fetch crutches, medicines or other items, to open/close doors and gates, etc.
  • Hearing aids. For people with hearing problems, a dog helps them feel safer in their environment. These dogs announce fire alarms, respond to family members/children's calls or shouting, and tell the owner if someone is calling on the street or knocking at the door. These dogs are trained to react to situations that are dangerous to a person and to inform them immediately or call for help.
  • Epilepsy, diabetes, etc. The main job of these dogs is to inform the person of an impending seizure. The tasks are complex and adapt to each diagnosis differently. The dog warns the person before a seizure, gives medication and water, calls for help and can protect the owner from more serious injuries with its body. 
  • Speech disorders/autism etc. These dogs are trained to calm people in various ways (e.g. intense pressure therapy), to call for help, to protect people from danger (from railings, windows or slopes), and to prevent them from escaping in stressful situations. These dogs are often trained to help children with social skills, motor and sensory training and emotional balance 
How long does it take to train a Dog Assistant?

Training an assistance dog usually takes between 2 and 3 years, depending on the dog's abilities and the complexity of the tasks involved.

How are dogs selected for the training programme?

Dogs are selected on the basis of certain criteria: breed, temperament, ability to concentrate and willingness to work. Puppies are tested extensively when they are 2-3 months old and only the highest scoring puppies are selected for training. Labradors or retrievers are usually chosen.

Does the dog live with trainers during the programme?

In many cases, the dog lives the first year of its life with trainers, where the puppies are given the basic training for further assistant work.

Why is your support so important?

Our Foundation operates solely on the support of private donors - we do not receive any state or European funding, nor do we receive any funding from municipalities or other institutions.

The preparation and full support of assistance dogs for their future owners depends entirely on your goodwill and generosity. Every donation, big or small, is vital to our mission of helping people with disabilities live independent lives.

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