When Chloe Hammond was diagnosed with a rare autoinflammatory condition over 15 years ago, it didn’t impact her life too much at first. But over time her multiple chronic health conditions have impacted her mobility and she is now believed to be the only nurse in the UK who works in her wheelchair with the support of an assistance dog.
Having already trained as a nurse, Chloe was aware of assistance dogs and how getting one would enable her to continue with her career, despite her disability. She now takes her Labrador, Ocho, with her everywhere and he even works part time as a therapy dog in care homes.
Ocho is set to take his exams in May and hopes to become a fully trained assistance dog, but getting to that point is no easy task. Chole, now 31, became an ambulatory wheelchair user four years ago and contacted several charities in search of an assistance dog without any luck - either the waiting lists were too long or she didn’t meet the set criteria.
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Determined to continue working and living independently, she decided to buy her own puppy and train the dog herself. With the help of her mother, Jackie Hammond, she has been training Ocho for the last two years by using puzzle games and sticking to strict rules. They have completed training courses and got support from the online community of assistance dog trainers.
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Ocho now understands a range of specific commands. He can press buttons on lifts, open doors, fetch Chloe's phone, keys and medication and he even empties the washing machine. Chloe said she has been asked by a woman to train her husband to do the same after learning about how helpful Ocho is around the house.
Chloe admits that she has been lucky with Ocho, statistically assistance dogs only have a 30 per cent success rate and she has a friend who is currently training her third dog. In addition, not everyone has the right support, resources or information available to them to train a dog independently and unfortunately, while there are charities who can supply assistance dogs, their resources are limited and many disabled people are unaware that such help is available.
Chloe said: “I’d never had a dog before but I was already a volunteer with Guide Dogs so I already knew a bit about it. I would have bought a dog sooner but I lived in a flat without a secure garden.
“I don’t think a dog could replace a carer because there’s still things that you’ve got to do. The dog might be able to fetch your towel but if you can’t wash yourself it can’t hold the sponge and give you a rub.
“I think people are only starting to realise how clever dogs are and how useful they are. Everyone says how lucky I’ve been with this dog but you need a good network and everyone needs to be on the same page and understand the rules.
"I hope that by spreading awareness of our journey and the struggles we have faced I can make it easier for the nurses and doctors of the next generation. Thanks to the Equality Act, Ocho is able to accompany me everywhere including work and shopping.
"Ocho works so hard and is progressing through his training really well. He is completely owner trained, but we are now working with a charity called DogAID to get him the Assistance Dogs International recognition.
"Ocho is amazing, he is task trained to help mitigate my disability. Ocho can help with things like personal care (undressing and washing), household chores (putting rubbish in the bin, loading and unloading the washing machine, and tidying up) and day to day things most able bodied people take for granted (picking up things I drop, getting items from low shelves, finding my purse or phone in the back of my wheelchair and opening and closing doors).
"Mobility assistance dogs make a huge difference to people with disabilities but unfortunately there isn’t a lot of awareness about them. I hope people see Ocho and look into their own options about getting an assistance dog either from a charity or owner training."
Chloe is planning on taking Ocho abroad for the first time this summer after he passes his final assessment. She says that although she could have taken him on holiday sooner, she has been very careful with “setting him up to succeed” by making sure he doesn’t take on any new tasks which he may not be ready for.
While Ocho is a Labrador, there is no set breed for an assistance dog but each dog is trained to meet the owners specific requirements. Other assistance dogs can be trained to help detect gluten and other ingredients in food for owners with specific allergies or detect seizures for those with epilepsy.
However life can be tiring for assistance dogs as their lifestyle is far more regimented than your average pet dog who can be petted and given treats far more freely. According to Chloe its important to get the balance right as if the health and wellbeing of the dog is not taken into account, the dog’s ability to work can become impacted.
“When he does the therapy dog work and goes into care homes, he really enjoys it. He puts on a different jacket and gets lots of attention,” added Chloe.
Chloe Hammond lives in Weston-Super-Mare and works across various hospitals including the Bristol Royal Infirmary.
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