We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Gravrok, PhD recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jennifer, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

There are a lot of questions I regularly get when educating people about assistance dogs (aka service dogs). A few times, I have had prospective assistance dog handlers question whether they were “disabled enough” to get an assistance dog. Typically, when I am talking with people who are thinking about getting an assistance dog and this topic comes up, it arises from a couple of beliefs:
1. Other people deserve or need an assistance dog more than me.
2. My disability can be variable, so I don’t always need an assistance dog’s help, and therefore, I don’t deserve one.

In my professional experience, I don’t believe either is a valid reason to NOT explore the possibility of getting an assistance dog to help with a disability. As these are common but inaccurate beliefs, I will clarify them next, just like I have for many clients.

First, it is important to recognize that no matter who you are or what your disability is, there will always be people whose disability is “more disabling” than yours. There will be people who “need” the skills an assistance dog can provide more than you. This may look like needing a greater number of skills, skills used more frequently, or skills that could save their life. This does not discount the valid benefits you could receive from working with an assistance dog. Your well-being is also important!

Second, disabilities are commonly variable. Some people regularly vary between good days and bad days with their condition or abilities. Assistance dogs are great for people with variable disabilities because they are flexible in when and how they assist. Assistance dogs will help when needed and be a dog when they aren’t needed. They can also provide more support on the days you need more and less support on the days you need less assistance. As they are dogs and not robots, it is important that they have time to rest and not feel like they are working all the time.

Even if you are a person who has more good days than bad days with your disability, it is important to think through the challenges you experience on your bad days. Then determine which of these challenges an assistance dog could potentially help with. Many clients who initially believe they are not disabled enough of the time find this exercise eye-opening and realize how many little things an assistance dog can do that will save them energy. Once working with a dog, these same clients are thrilled by how much benefit they receive every day (even on their good days) from working with an assistance dog and how much more they can do because of the energy the dog has saved them.

My best advice to people who are questioning whether an assistance dog is right for them is to learn more. Think through what an assistance dog could do for you and determine whether you can form a mutually beneficial relationship with an assistance dog. It was from experiences like these, dispelling common misconceptions and helping people think through all the considerations of getting an assistance dog, that I wrote the book “Understanding Assistance Dogs: Is an Assistance Dog the Right Tool for You?” Get your copy on Amazon.com to help you learn whether an assistance dog could be beneficial to you.

Jennifer, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an assistance dog educator. My journey in the assistance dog industry started when I was denied the opportunity to raise an assistance dog (also known as a service dog) puppy as an undergraduate on campus. Soon after, I became a PhD candidate at La Trobe University in Australia with the opportunity to study anthrozoology (human-animal interaction). Specifically, I was interested in human-dog relationships, especially involving assistance dogs.

During this time, I spent four years researching the benefits and challenges that first-time assistance dog handlers experience when working with an assistance dog. One of my main findings showed that handlers who set unrealistic expectations initially will have a harder time integrating an assistance dog into their life compared to handlers who set realistic expectations initially. Unfortunately, this is challenging to do independently as the media doesn’t typically portray an accurate picture of what it’s like to work with an assistance dog, exacerbating the problem. The benefits assistance dogs provide are much more well-known than the realities and specifically challenges assistance dog handlers experience. Therefore, many prospective handlers initially don rose-colored glasses and don’t fully understand how challenging it is to learn to work with an assistance dog and be successful.

Since completing my PhD, I have worked with numerous assistance dog handlers with a variety of disabilities at a few different assistance dog organizations around the world to teach them to work with their assistance dog, problem solve challenges and advocate for themselves. My goal is to use this background and knowledge to educate people about assistance dogs and I do this in a few ways.

For people who are thinking about getting an assistance dog, I aim to help them understand and consider all factors they need to account for before getting an assistance dog. To do this, I used my research and experience to write a book detailing all the considerations I wished handlers had considered before they started on their assistance dog journey. “Understanding Assistance Dogs: Is an Assistance Dog the Right Tool for You?” walks readers through the decision-making process to understand if they can form a mutually beneficial relationship with an assistance dog. I am also writing another book that will help prospective handlers set realistic expectations before working with an assistance dog to facilitate a smoother initial period. Stay tuned for this!

For current assistance dog handlers, I aim to help them work through challenges and learn to advocate for themselves. My primary method of doing this is through working with current clients and providing one-on-one consultations to handlers experiencing challenges with training, behavior, access and more. You can contact me about these opportunities at [email protected].

For the general public, I aim to educate everyone about assistance dogs and the experiences handlers have when working with one to create a better understanding for all people. I believe that educating the public will in turn, make life easier for assistance dog handlers as they go about their daily life with their dog. I primarily do this through posts on Instagram @understandingassistancedogs and through speaking engagements.

You can find out more about me and my work at www.understandingassistancedogs.com.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Irrespective of how much training or knowledge an assistance dog handler has, if they are not able to form a mutually beneficial relationship with their assistance dog, they will be less successful.

Forming a mutually beneficial relationship means that both the assistance dog handler and the assistance dog receive benefits in their partnership, enabling them to lead a good life. The relationship cannot be uneven, where one is giving or receiving more than the other.

It is well known that an assistance dog provides their handler with many benefits, including the skills that they perform to mitigate the handler’s specific disability, providing companionship, feelings of safety, and independence.

Less commonly considered are the amounts and types of benefits that the handler must also provide to their dog to meet their needs. This includes providing basic care, physical exercise, mental stimulation, health care, and financial needs. If a handler is not able to meet all their dog’s needs, their unmet needs will prevent them from assisting fully.

Meeting all of a dog’s needs while having a significant disability can be challenging. Commonly, people will rely on their support system to assist with the dog’s care when necessary. However, I have found that it is important for assistance dog handlers to primarily meet their dog’s needs independently, as it positively contributes to their relationship.

If a handler can’t meet their needs independently and must regularly rely on other individuals to help meet some or all of their needs, then the relationship can easily become unbalanced. For example, if you can’t physically provide the “fun” needs, like exercise, play, or enrichment, your dog can start to see you just as the person they work for. Alternatively, if you can’t provide the financial needs and must buy the cheapest dog food or skip necessary medical care, your dog is not being sufficiently cared for and will not work their best. These are unbalanced relationships to the detriment of the dog.

It is always good to remember that an assistance dog is first and foremost a dog. They are not robots that don’t have other needs, and they often don’t have other individuals advocating for their needs either. Therefore, I believe that even more important than the training or knowledge someone has as an assistance dog handler it is imperative that they can reliably form a mutually beneficial relationship with their assistance dog.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

If I could do it all over again, yes, I would go back and choose to study and work in the assistance dog industry. Although the work is challenging and often very emotionally driven, I want to help people and dogs. I am still curious about the benefits and challenges that people experience when working with an assistance dog. I feel there is still a lot to learn and a lot of ways that I can contribute to the industry, which motivates me to keep coming back.

In the light of my current experiences and knowledge, however, I would set up my initial PhD studies to be more long-term in design and more representative of a wider spread of assistance dog handlers. I know continued research is important to advancing the industry and proving to the general population and government agencies how important assistance dogs are and the benefits they provide to their handler.

Going forward, I aim to continue acquiring knowledge about disabilities, assistance dogs, and their handlers to develop educational materials that will make the process of getting and working with an assistance dog smoother. Check out www.understandingassistancedogs.com to see the latest resources on assistance dogs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.understandingassistancedogs.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/understandingassistancedogs/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-gravrok/
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CGKHC28K