Service dogs play an essential and critical role in our society. They save human lives every day. Some prevent individuals from fatal allergic reactions, others alert their handlers when blood sugar levels are at dangerous levels, and some are capable of calling 911 if their owner is unresponsive. These are few examples of the extraordinary medical assistance we get from our canine friends. There are over a dozen different specializations for Service Dogs. In this post, we will highlight some of the fantastic work our service dogs provide to their humans.
🐾 Allergy Alert Dogs are trained to be ultrasensitive to the presence of life-threatening allergens (an allergen is a substance that causes an allergic reaction). For example, allergy alert dogs can warn the owner if in the vicinity there is a specific substance to which their owner is allergic (for instance: nuts, shellfish, mold, gluten among many). If a person is exposed to an allergen to which they are allergic, this event could result in an anaphylactic reaction (a life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you’re allergic to). These dogs wear a vest with a patch that clearly says “IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY CHECK POCKETS.” This is because in the pockets they carry emergency information, medical information, and medication to be safely used in the event of an emergency.
🐾 Diabetic Alert Dogs, also known as Blood Sugar Alert Dogs, help patients who have problems controlling blood sugar levels. If the blood sugar level is too high or too low, the person can become very sick and can result in a medical emergency. Diabetic alert dogs are trained to alert their handler when the handler’s blood sugar level is dangerously high or low. Often these dogs are trained to call 911 on a special K-9 Alert Phone if the handler is unconscious.
🐾 Brace/Mobility Support Dogs provide counterbalancing or bracing to a person who has balance issues due to a disability. Many of these service dogs retrieve, open/close doors, and perform other tasks to help in day-to-day life or in an emergency. These dogs are typically big enough to carry the weight of its owner, prevent slips and falls.
🐾 Wheelchair Assistance Dogs help their owner by opening doors, retrieving dropped objects, retrieving the phone. They also provide support if the partner needs to be transferred. These working dogs may use a special harness to assist in pulling a chair or opening a door.
🐾 Medical Alert Dogs jobs can vary widely. For instance, they alert their handler to dangerous physiological changes such as blood pressure, hormonal levels or any measurable symptom. Depending on the particular need, these dogs may have to wear specialized gear.
🐾 Seizure Response Dogs are trained to respond when their handler is suffering a seizure. These dogs may retrieve medication, may fetch a nearby person that can help, and may utilize deep pressure stimulation to end a seizure early.
🐾 Hearing Dogs alert their owner to environmental signs such as alarms, phones, cars, their name, doorbells, and anything their owner needs to know about.
🐾 Visual Assistance Dogs guide their visually impaired handler. They are commonly called Guide Dogs. They wear a guide dog harness. These dogs are strong, even-tempered, medium or large breeds like Labrador retrievers, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers.
🐾 Autism Assistance Dogs via tactile or deep pressure stimulation can assist in grounding and calming an individual with autism. They may help in teaching life skills and maintaining boundaries.
🐾 Psychiatric Service Dogs help their handler with a psychiatric disability such as anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) via specific, trained tasks. These dogs are not the same as Emotional Support Animals.
Service dogs are not pets. They are working dogs that have gone through very specialized training to perform helping tasks specific to the owners’ disability. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law, service dogs have pretty much access to any public space.
Service dogs perform amazing miracles on a daily basis. Thanks to them, many individuals with disabilities can reach new levels of independence.
No Comments