Office of Fair Trading Qld Incorporated Association AI60060 Blue Card Registered Organisation ID 1030694

ABN 90 746 958 129 ACNC Registered Charity ATO Endorsed Deductible Gift Recipient

ADMINSTRATOR IS A REGISTERED NDTF TRAINER ASSESSOR NO 06791

This list has been compiled from various Assistance Dog Organisations

both in Australian and Internationally.

For example:-

The requirements as identified under the –

Federal Register of Legislation – Disability Discrimination Act 1992

And recommendations made by IAADP

Tasks performed by Guide, Hearing and Service Dogs – The International

Association of Assistance Dog Partners (IAADP)

This is not a complete list of all potential tasks an individual assistance

dog may provide to a specific Handler, it is simply a guide to consider the

potential assistance tasks a dog may perform in relation to the individual

disability needs of the Handler.

Your health professional may have further advice, or specific

suggestions, in relation to the task training that would be most suited to

supporting the needs of your disability.

1 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE

• Navigate around stationary obstacles like a lamp posts,

parking meters, pillars

• Navigate around hazards like an open manhole and deep

potholes

• Navigate around low hanging obstacles like awnings or tree

branches to avoid a collision

• Avoid moving objects such as bicycles, people, strollers,

shopping carts, wheelchairs

• Leash guiding around obstacles indoors or outdoors for a

short distance

• Intelligent Disobedience as in refusing a command to go

forward into the road if there is oncoming traffic or

intersecting traffic in the team’s path. The dog is also

trained to halt, abruptly, rather than collide with a vehicle

that intersects the team’s path when it enters the

intersection during the team’s crossing

SIGNAL CHANGES IN ELEVATION

• Halt or Sit to indicate every curb

• Halt to indicate descending stairs at the top of a flight of stairs

• Halt to indicate steps up into a building or patio area

• Halt to warn of edge of subway or train platform

• Halt to warn of approach to edge of cliff, ditch, other outdoor

drop-offs

• Halt when confronted by a barrier such as at a construction site

• Cognitive Intelligence ( previously referred to as intelligent

disobedience) – refuse a command to go forward if there is a

danger

LOCATE OBJECTS ON COMMAND

• Find an exit from a room; indicate door knob

• Find the elevator at a business

• Find specific entrances and/or exits

• Find an empty seat, bench, or unoccupied area

• Find a customary seat in a particular classroom

• Follow a designated person, such as a waiter, to restaurant

table, clerk to elevator, etc.

2 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2• Locate specified destination such as a store in mall, hotel

room or home from a distance, once all other decision

points such as intersecting streets, hallways, etc. have been

passed

ALERT TO SPECIFIC SOUNDS AT HOME, SUCH AS:

• Doorbell ringing

• Knock on front door

• Rapping on patio door or window

• Smoke alarm

• Minute timer, oven timer, or microwave timer going off

• Baby crying

• Family member or child calling the name of the dog’s

partner

• Phone ringing

• Alarm clock

• Siren of police, ambulance, or fire truck

• Toaster popping up

• Popcorn popping on the stove

• Refrigerator door-open alarm

• Dishwasher completed cycle

• Cell phone sounds

• Smart watch sounds

ALERT TO SPECIFIC SOUNDS AWAY FROM HOME

• Siren of police car, fire truck or ambulance and indicate

direction

• Smoke alarm in workplace or hotel

• Distinguish phone ringing on partner’s desk at work from all

other phones in workplace

• Colleague calling the partner’s name

• Cell phone in workplace, hotel, etc.

• Fire drill in workplace or hotel

• Vehicle honking

• Beeping of construction vehicle backing up

• Elevator doors opening/dinging

3 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2• Phone ringing

• Name call in doctors’ office

• Alarms/bells in schools

• Timers

OTHER POSSIBLE TASKS

• Retrieve unheard dropped objects like keys, purse/wallet,

or other objects

• Carry a note or messages from the partner to another

household member or work colleague

• Bring the partner with hearing loss to a hearing person

calling him/her

• Alert partner to name call, or announcement sounds in an

airport

• Fire alarm in stores

•

RETRIEVE BASED TASKS

• Bring portable phone to any room in house

• Unload suitable grocery items from canvas sack

• Fetch a beverage from a refrigerator or cupboard

• Fetch food bowl(s)

• Pick up dropped items like coins, keys etc., in any location

• Bring clothes, shoes, or slippers laid out to assist with

dressing

• Unload towels, other items from dryer

• Retrieve purse from hall, desk, dresser or back of van

• Assist to tidy house or yard – pickup, carry, deposit

designated items

• Fetch basket with medication and/or beverage from

cupboard

• Use target stick to retrieve an indicated item off shelves in

stores retrieve one pair of shoes from a dozen in closet

• Use laser pointer to target an item to be retrieved

• Drag cane from its customary location to another room

• Pick up and return cane if falls off back of wheelchair

• Drag walker back to partner

• Fetch wheelchair when out of reach

4 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2CARRYING BASED TASKS (non retrieval)

• Move bucket from one location to another, indoors &

outdoors

• Lug a basket of items around the house

• Carry item(s) from the partner to a care-giver or family

member in another room

• Send the dog to obtain food or other item from a care-giver

and return with it.

• Dog carries a prearranged object to care-giver as a signal

help is needed

• Carry items following a partner using a walker, other

mobility aids

• Pay for purchases at high counters

• Transfer merchandise in bag from a clerk to a wheelchair

user’s lap

• Carry mail or newspaper into the house

DEPOSIT BASED TASKS

• Put trash, junk mail into a wastebasket or garbage can

• Deposit empty soda pop can or plastic bottle into recycling

bin

• Assist partner to load clothing into washing machine

• Put dirty food bowl [dog’s] into kitchen sink

• Put silverware, non breakable dishes, plastic glasses in sink

• Deliver items to “closet” [use a floor marker to indicate

drop location]

• Deposit dog toys into designated container

• Put prescription bag, mail, other items on counter top

TUG BASED TASKS

• Open cupboard doors with attached strap

• Open drawers via strap

• Open refrigerator door with a strap or suction cup device

• Open interior doors via a strap with device to turn knob

• Answer doorbell and open front door with strap attached to

lever handle

5 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2• Open or close sliding glass door with a strap or other tug

devices

• Shut restroom door that opens outward via a leash tied to

doorknob

• Close stall door that opens outward in restroom by

delivering end of the leash to partner

• Shut interior home, office doors that open outward

• Shut motel room exterior door that opens inward

• Assist to remove shoes, slippers, sandals

• Tug socks off without biting down on foot

• Remove slacks, sweater, coat

• Drag heavy coat, other items to closet

• Drag laundry basket through house with a strap

• Drag bedding to the washing machine

• Pull a drapery cord to open or close drapes

• Assist to close motel room drapes by tugging on edge near

bottom of drape, backing up

• Operate rope device that lifts blanket and sheet or re-

covers disabled person when he or she becomes too hot or

cold.

• Alternatively, take edge of a blanket and move backwards,

tugging to remove it or assist someone to

• pull the blanket up to their chin if cold

NOSE NUDGE BASED TASKS

• Cupboard door or drawers – nudge shut

• Dryer door – hard nudge

• Stove drawer – push it shut

• Dishwasher door – put muzzle under open door, flip to shut

• Refrigerator & freezer door – close with nudge

• Call 911 on K-9 rescue phone – push the button

• Operate button or push plate on electric commercial doors

• Turn on light switches

• Push floor pedal device to turn on lamp

• Turn on metal based lamps with touch-lamp device installed

– nudge base

• Assist wheelchair user to regain sitting position if slumped

over

• Help put paralysed arm back onto the armrest of wheelchair

6 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2• Return paralysed foot to the foot board of a wheelchair if it

is dislodged

PAWING BASED TASKS (some dogs prefer it to nose nudge)

• Cupboard door – shut it with one paw

• Dryer door – shut it with one paw

• Refrigerator & freezer door – shut with one forepaw or both

• Call 911 on K-9 rescue phone – hit button with one paw

• Operate light switch on wall – jump up, paw the switch

• Depress floor pedal device to turn on appliance(s) or lamp

• Jump up to paw elevator button [steady dog if he tries it on

slippery tile floor]

• Operate push plate on electric commercial doors

• Close heavy front door, other doors – jump up, use both

forepaws

BRACING BASED TASKS

(Only appropriate for large sturdy adult dogs with sound joints

and proper training)

• Assist transferring from wheelchair to bed, toilet, bathtub

or van seat hold Stand Stay position, then brace on

command, enabling partner keep their balance during

transfer

• Assist to walk step by step, brace between each step, from

wheelchair to nearby seat

• Position self and brace to help partner catch balance after

partner rises from a couch or other seats in a home or

public setting

• Prevent fall by bracing on command if the partner needs

help recovering balance.

• Steady partner getting in or out of the bathtub

• Assist partner to turn over in bed; have appropriate backup

plan

• Pull up partner with a strap [tug of war style] from floor to

feet on command, then brace till partner catches balance

7 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2HARNESS BASED TASKS – Mobility Assistance(Only appropriate for

large sturdy adult dogs with sound joints and proper training)

• Assist moving wheelchair on flat surface [partner holds onto

harness pull strap] avoiding obstacles

• Work cooperatively with partner to get the wheelchair up a

curb cut or mild incline; handler does as much of the work

as possible, never asking the dog to attempt an incline

unaided

• Haul open heavy door, holding it ajar using six foot lead

attached to back of harness, other end of lead attached to

door handle or to a suction cup device on a glass door

• Tow ambulatory partner up inclines [harness with rigid

handle or pull strap may be used]

• Brace on command to prevent ambulatory partner from

stumbling [rigid handle]

• Help ambulatory partner to climb stairs, pulling then

bracing on each step [rigid handle or harness with pull strap

may be used to assist partner to mount a step or catch

balance]

• Pull partner out of aisle seat on plane, then brace until

partner catches balance [harness with a rigid handle and a

pull strap, or pull strap only]

• Brace, counter balance work, assisting ambulatory partner

to walk; the partner pushes down on the rigid handle as if it

were a cane, after giving warning command, when needed

• Help ambulatory partner to walk short distance, brace

between each step [rigid handle]

• Transport textbooks, business supplies or other items up to

50 lbs in a wagon or collapsible cart, weight limit depends

on dog’s size, physical fitness, type of cart, kind of terrain

• Backpacking – customary weight limit is 15% of the dog’s

total body weight; 10% if a dog performing another task,

such as wheelchair pulling in addition to backpacking; total

weight includes harness (average 3 – 4 lbs.).

• Load must be evenly distributed to prevent chafing.

KINDS OF ASSISTANCE IN CRISIS

8 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2• Find the care-giver on command, lead back to location of

disabled partner

• Put forepaws in lap of wheelchair user, hold that upright

position so wheelchair user can access medication or cell

phone or other items in the backpack

• Wake up partner if smoke alarm goes off, assist to nearest

exit

MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TASKS

• Operate push button device to call 000, an ambulance

service or another person to help in a crisis; let emergency

personnel into home and lead to partner’s location

• Fetch insulin kit, respiratory assist device or medication

from customary place during a medical crisis

• Lie down on partner’s chest to produce a cough, enabling

patient to breath, when suction machine and/or care-giver

unavailable

9 TASK LIST JULY 2024 v2