Service dogs, trained to help people with disabilities lead better lives, have many different functions, like assisting in crossing the road or providing psychological support to war veterans suffering from PTSD. A dog can be trained both by the person in need (of course, with the support of a professional), and prepare for service with a special program.
What kind of work can these animals do, and how do you recognize a good working dog?
Alerting medical services
These dogs are trained to be a reliable support for people suffering from various kinds of diseases, such as diabetes, apoplexy or narcolepsy. The dog warns the owner of a possible imminent attack, helps to get to a safe place, brings the necessary medications and attracts help, including dialing an ambulance number if necessary.
Guide dog
The dog helps people with vision problems to navigate in space. Most often, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and a cross between these two breeds are involved in training programs for this type of assistance. One of the advantages of such dogs is the undercoat, which makes them suitable for service in any climate. Their size is also great for work, as they are not too large and can easily accompany a person on public transport and airplanes, but at the same time they are large enough to effectively guide a person. “If a dog is too small, then it simply cannot successfully perform its duties,” explains Christine Lucas, one of the leaders of the guide dog training program.
In the organization of which Christine is a part, dog training begins at 16 months. Before that, from 8-10 weeks of age, they are raised by volunteers who instill in them elementary manners and help the puppies to socialize. The official guide dog training program lasts 12 weeks. The training is quite strict, the trainers work individually with the dogs. A dog’s readiness to work with a person is assessed in several stages. And when the guide meets the owner, they train together for another two weeks.
“Our clients are all completely different – each with his own life situation, character, his own special desires and needs,” says Christine. – When it works
combining a person with the right dog for him and then watching them become real partners is the best that can be. “
Helping people with hearing impairments
Dogs are highly valued for their ability to hear sounds. When people do not hear anything at all, they use a service dog for deafness to alert them to sounds around the home and in public, such as alarms or a phone call. Audrey Trishman, who runs one of these service dog training programs in the United States, says: “We take not only purebred Labrador retrievers into the program, but also shelter puppies. Good candidates are toddlers who actively respond to sounds and are interested in them. “
As for the training itself, in the organization where Audrey works, puppies begin to train as early as 2 months and do not leave school for several weeks. Employees use this time to socialize the dogs, familiarize them with different sounds, patterns and textures, and work on self-confidence. After this training, the puppies are assigned to institutions where they are taught obedience and specific tasks. There, for another 12-18 months, a trainer works with each puppy.
Help for people with disabilities
Such dogs help people who are not able to do it on their own to move around. They push wheelchairs or help the person balance upright and when walking. These service dogs know more than 40 teams that could be useful to their owners. They open and close doors, turn on and off lights, pick up fallen objects. The best dogs for this kind of work are a cross between a Labrador and a Golden Retriever. Their size, strength and ability to learn quickly are excellent for the tasks listed.
Helping people with mental disorders
Dogs also help people suffering from various psychological illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, which is common among people returning from war. Animals can be specially trained to work with people suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or panic attacks. Various breeds or crossbreeds of any size are suitable for this job.
Not only are these dogs emotionally supportive of the owner, they are trained to help patients with a certain type of disorder by reminding people to take medications, helping to stop panic attacks, and taking the confused owner to a quiet, safe place.