What are Service Dogs?
A service dog is a type of assistance dog, specifically trained to help people with physical mobility limitations to reach high or low places, or open doors and turn on the lights. Other duties may include moving wet laundry to the dryer, or they may help in public by pulling a wheelchair up a steep incline.
Other service dogs may also be trained to detect medical problems and to warn the authorities. Some does have been trained to warn their handlers of seizures before they happen and to contact the medical emergencies by pushing a button (already preset to contact).
Service dogs have a very varied range of jobs and duties. Some handlers rely on their dog to pick up dropped items or reach high countertops. Since the dog performs many physically demanding tasks, it is very important that the service dog be strong enough to keep up with his physical chores.
The majority of service dogs are Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers or a mix of these two breeds. However, there are also German shepherds, Rottweilers and other herding, gun and mixed breeds working as service dogs.
Not every dog is up to the task of being a service dog. Although some service dog organizations breed dogs especially to serve this role, others adopt young adult dogs from shelters. The service dog is always matched with a person after he has been working and trained.
Since the range of physical limitations is great and very different from people to people, it is important that the dog is able to learn new behaviors and commands once he is placed with his handler.
Service dog handlers often rely on their dog for emotional support as well as physical help. For many people with disabilities, leaving their homes and interacting with the public is difficult. But just by having a dog at their side, it can give them comfort, confidence and security.
I am the lucky owner of a seizure allert service dog. My dog Mace hasen't had any training except obeadience training. Mace is part Border Collie and part Lab. Mace can do all the normal tricks but his best trick came about 1 1/2 years ago. I noticed that Mace would start crying and nuzzeling my hand just before I had a seizure. At that time I had about 6 or 7 a month. I kept track of this for a few months, and found he is about 95% accurate. He has made my life livible again. Its a littel embarising to laydown in the isle of a store but its less embarrising than falling down and taking a row of can goods with me. Don't forget our friends that need a home at your animal shelter.
For granted Tippy's work isn't overly physical in nature, but it is just as important to me as any other type of service dog would be to their disabled handler. I recently started working again, it's a part time job, but it's a start to see what I need to work on, Tippy has been very wlecomed by my employer and goes to various sites with me while I work. It's something I don't think I could have successfully done if it weren't for the assistance I get from Tippy.
Jenca, would you mind sharing (or private message) which organization trained Tippy - or did you train her yourself? Also, what breed is she? I have a friend who is planning-out the formation of a Psychiatric Service Dog program in CA using Shiloh Shepherds
yoyopoodle: I don't know if Jenca got back to you but there are some links in the Service Dog forum that might help out with the information you're looking for, and if what you need isn't there then we do have many more links that might be helpful to you and your friend. We trained our SD ourself and then took her for certification to an agency that was licensed/certified by the ISSD (International Society for Service Dogs) The laws in the US and Canada tend to differ from state to state and province to province. We don't know of any law anywhere that specifies who must train a dog for service or therapy work. The only formal regulations seem to come into play when it comes to certification. We understand that in the US most states don't have a formal certification law and many SD owners only have letters from a doctor/psychologist or psychiatrist that ensures the animal accompanying a specific person is for service work and it is necessary that the animal be allowed to accompany the individual in all public places. The American's with Disabilities Act is the Federal/National Legislation that applies universally in the US.
Hi Jenca:
We have a SD as well ... Bailey -- 4 yr old Cocker Spaniel -- certified for special needs/hearing and PSD work. We have DID/Polyfragmented as well and C/C PTSD ( and the host of other panic/anxiety disorders that seem to go along with those dx, including agoraphobia). It sounds as though we and our dogs have a great deal in common. We hope you'll come and lend the benefit of your knowledge and experiences in the Service Dog forum as well ... any and all input is appreciated. We're definitely looking forward to hearing more from you and getting to know you and Tippy better ( that's funny, many years ago when we were younger we had a mixed spaniel named Tippy as well ... black and white and the very top tip of her tail was solid black, hence her name! Hadn't thought about her in a long time ).
Take care everyone: Hivin
Take care: Hivin
Be sure to keep the quotes and plus signs it will narrow it down better then if you didn't use them. I just tested it and the first result was a link directly to their site, the link said, "nhad-banner-3" and was the first result, but there are some other links that take you through other sites to get to it, so go with what you're comfortable with.
I think the other reason she got her name though was because she's a leaner and will lean into me and occassionally if I move she'll literally tip over, then look at me like I committed some horrendous crime by moving.