Meet Odin

Breed: Hamilton

Barking from: Assistance Dog

Job Title: Labrador

What's up dog?

Most people get placed with a fully trained adult assistance dog, but with my organisation I was able to get Odin as a puppy and raise him myself. He’s been such a constant in my life the last two year while I’ve had a drop in health. We’ve had to have an 8 month break from training out in public after my epilepsy became less manageable and seizures left my language and balance messed up. During that break though Odin still consistently helped at home with being there when I had seizures, giving me deep pressure when my ptsd caused nightmares and anxiety, alerting to my fainting, and just being his silly self. I’m so lucky to have raised and trained him myself because we have such a close bond which I really do believe makes a difference in us working together and knowing how each other ticks. He’s such a happy dog and that has been such a helpful thing the last year as I’ve had family pass a way and my partner has also lost a friend, but it’s hard to be upset all the time when you have a big clumsy dog picking up toys and doing a happy dance with happy growls.

2025 NZ Top Dog with a Job Award

Judging and criteria

Purpose

This award recognises a working dog that goes above and beyond to make a positive impact in the lives of others. Whether supporting people or fellow animals, this dog’s daily efforts help improve wellbeing, provide support, or create meaningful change in their community.

Reach

Does your dog make a difference in the life of one individual, or do they support an entire group, workplace, or community? Tell us who they help and how far their support reaches.

Impact

What kind of impact does your dog have in their role? Share how they’ve enhanced wellbeing, supported mental health, or improved the lives of those around them