Google is a Golden Retriever who is being socialised to become an Assistance Dog for the 

Disabled; he is sponsored by Rosemary Avenue Veterinary Surgery.

 

It was decided that the surgery would like to sponsor an animal related cause, this way the 

clients are also able to donate to his charity, as well as having the opportunity to meet 

Google and interact with him. This provides Google with a huge opportunity of meeting with 

different types of people and their pets, so enabling him to become a well-adjusted 

socialised dog.

Chris Mancini, has Google  living at home with her, but brings him into work daily.

Everyone at the surgery welcomed Google and quickly became involved in different parts of 

his socialising and upbringing as well as helping with his training. Nurses and receptionists 

would be popping him in and out to meet different clients as well as taking him out at 

regular intervals for toilet breaks!

 

He is certainly accustomed to being handled and will happily perform tricks on the 

consulting room table. He is frequently used to demonstrate different products 

as he performs for the camera.  Being an assistance dog means Google has access to shops, 

pubs, and restaurants etc where most other dog's are not allowed. It's certainly interesting 

taking him to these places! 

 

Most astounding is the reaction of the General Public.  There are two reactions: One is to 

fuss all over him and the other is to scream, shout “Dog” and run away!  Google takes all 

reactions in his stride, he is extremely laid back, loves everyone and everything. His 

particular favourites are small children and ferrets! 

 

He has attended committee meetings, assessments weekends, agricultural shows, agility 

shows and has been busy most weekends with some function or other.  He has also attended 

a photo shoot and was the best behaved puppy there.

 

More recently, he performed during assembly at a local Primary School.  

He entertained the pupils with his basic obedience skills, plus retrieving several articles, 

emptying the washing machine, closing doors and, to their amusement, threw in a 

few tricks as well – including walking backwards, bow, cross paws and rollover. 

The whole school then filed past him to say hello and stroke him – even the 

children who had said they were scared of dogs at the beginning of the 

assembly – he definitely won them all over! Later that day he received a 

massive envelope of cards and drawings individually made from many of the children 

thanking him for showing them what dogs can do.  In the words of one of the children 

“Google rocks”! High praise indeed.

 

The best part of the whole process has been integrating him into the home and work and 

having a puppy to train. 

 

The strangest part is wondering where he will go if he passes. He has scurfy skin, and 

although this doesn’t affect him he does require bathing and conditioning.

 

Although not required as part of his socialisation, he is pretty much up to speed with all 

skills he may need to use when paired with a disabled person. This should mean 

his training time will be greatly reduced.

 

The worst part of the experience is people’s questions such as – “How can you give him up?”, 

“Won’t you miss him?”, “I don’t know how you can do it”.  My answer to all these comments 

is always that ‘he is not my dog. I signed up to perform this job and to hand him back at the 

end of the process’. I am hopeful he will go on to be a really special dog for someone and I 

can feel proud of the start I gave him. Without people performing this socialising role, there 

would not be the opportunity for disabled people to have the fantastic assistance of these 

dogs. I am sure I will miss him – he is a lovely dog and everyone loves him but that is why he 

will make such a good assistance dog.

Will I do it again?  Who knows………he hasn’t gone yet so I don’t know how I will feel and 

whether I could do it again.!

Google update - November 2008, Google's scurfy skin finally meant he was rejected as an 

assistance dog 7 weeks into his training. However all was not wasted, he is now a PAT dog 

and regularly visits schools, doing demo's at assembly and assisting in the local schools 

behaviour unit.