I am quadriparetic, use a wheelchair with limited hand function. I have a service dog.
Most dogs can very easily learn to use buttons that are mounted at nose height. That solves most of the issues. The dog uses the button when they want to.
(You can put a cover over it when you don’t want the dog to be able to use it. Just make sure the cover is really noticeable or they get frustrated. It’s good to make it a different shape than the switch itself, so if the switch is a rectangle make the cover a big circle. Most dogs distinguish geometric shapes very well. )
WIth SmartThings, we use the battery powered smartenit 3 toggle switch. We just program each toggle to do exactly the same thing so it doesn’t make that much difference where the dog hits it. It’s hard for him to be precise about the individual toggles.
There’s a new panic button coming out from Iris, and it might be even easier form factor for a dog to use. But is not available yet.
The Easy Button–Really easy for dogs
Some people also take a Staples easy button and convert that. Those happen to be a really easy form factor for a dog, we’ve used those in training my dog to press the buttons on automatic doors. But you do have to convert them so they can work with smart things.
a new small button option?
I also have some of the new flic buttons on order, but I don’t know if my dog will be able to use them yet. These are about quarter size. They don’t work directly with smartthings, but they have an IFTTT channel so they should have indirect integration.
http://www.amazon.com/Flic-Wireless-Smart-Button-White/dp/B00ZAEOC5K
Anyway, I would you some kind of press button rather than something that the dog wears. Dogs are generally very hard on clipon equipment. It gets wet, they manage to get it off the collar, it breaks, or if you have two dogs, one of them chews on the one on the other dog’s collar. So my preference is to train the dog to use a switch or button instead.
FWIW. 