Beanie the dog goes from being a pet to a lifeline for Rhiannon
A WOMAN from Belper has received a qualification after training her own pet as an assistance dog.
Rhiannon Moore and her springer spaniel, Beanie, passed an extensive training programme after completing three tiers of exams.
The qualification was granted by Dog AID, a charity that supports physically disabled owners in training their pet dogs to complete everyday tasks.
The 34-year-old’s achievement makes her the first person in the country to gain the qualification since the original lockdown was lifted.
Rhiannon has ME, fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome. This leaves her with severe pain, extreme fatigue and problems with her joints. Beanie, has helped her live an independent life despite these issues.
Beanie has become a vital companion for his owner and can perform impressive tasks, such as taking off Rhiannon’s shoes and picking up dropped items.
Rhiannon said her life has completely changed since he was trained.
She said: “He’s become like my little shadow, I don’t know what I’d do without him. When my body lets me down, my boy is always there for me with unconditional love and support.
“He brightens up even the darkest of days with his wagging tail and reassuring paw. I feel like he knows me better than I know myself, he helps me that much.”
Rhiannon initially decided to adopt Beanie for emotional support, but quickly found he had special talents that could also help her physically.
She said: “I took Beanie to an agility class just for fun and the trainer noticed he had a special connection to me. Once they mentioned it I started to realise he could tell when I was struggling physically. He started to lick my neck when my blood sugar was dropping. That’s when I knew he was unique.”
Rhiannon believed
Beanie’s talents meant he could help out using more than just his cuteness.
She researched potential training programmes to send him on, but couldn’t bear the thought of parting with him for months at a time.
Eventually she discovered the Dog AID training scheme, which guides owners to train their dogs themselves.
She said: “I hadn’t bought Beanie with the intention of training him, but when I discovered Dog AID, I decided to take the chance.
“It was great because he could stay with me the entire time, I didn’t have to send him off anywhere. It was all done at home.”
After some initial checks by Dog AID, Beanie was approved for the training course and Rhiannon received her own volunteer guide.
Beanie had to pass three stages of training before he could become a qualified assistance dog.
The first stage included simple commands like “sit” and “stay”, and were assessed by Rhiannon’s own trainer.
In the later stages, Beanie had to learn more complex skills, like unloading the washing machine and helping Rhiannon take off her coat.
These were graded by an official assessor at the charity, and Rhiannon admitted she felt nervous for the tests.
She said: “I never felt like it was going to happen. There were so many frustrating moments.
“It was never the dog’s fault, it was always mine. But there are times when you’re close to giving up.
“I’m glad I didn’t, though. I cried and cried when I passed the test. It meant Beanie could come with me everywhere. It was a long time coming but I was very happy.”
Rhiannon has thanked Dog AID for giving her independence again. She said the charity could help so many more like herself across the country, but added it needed more support as a relatively small organisation.
She said: “If it doesn’t have the funding it can’t help more people. The guidance I received from my volunteer completely changed my life.
“I couldn’t have done this without them, and I can’t imagine my life without the training I had.”
He’s becom become like my little shado shadow, I don’t know what I’d do without him.
Rhiannon Moore