Assistance Dogs

There are several groups of assistance dogs. Those for the sight impaired, hearing impaired and mobility impaired.

Any dog can be an assistance/service dog provided they pass the training.

Dogs considered for these programs undergo extensive service dog training from puppies into adult for their role as helpmates to the disabled.

After the dogs complete their training, the new owners are trained with the dogs. They are learning together to be a team.

Mobility impaired people need help reaching, bending, getting through doors, etc. The dogs suited for this are large and strong animals who can pull wheelchairs or reach emergency buttons.

Golden Retrievers and Labs are good breeds for this type of work, as well as the herding, sporting and guard breeds. Any mixes of these dogs will also do well.

The first organization using dogs for the sight impaired was "The Seeing Eye" dogs or guide dogs in the 1920's.

Soldiers who were blinded in WWII relied on these dogs for their independence.

As with all service dogs, extensive training is started as puppies and continue on through adult.

Dogs are taught to respond to their handler's needs. Words are used for what that person requests, such as door, chair, car, etc. The animals take the handler to that specific item.

Hearing dogs are trained to recognize certain sounds and alert their person and show them where the sound is.

This can be from a phone ringing to the smoke alarm going off.

Any breed or mix of dog is a good candidate for this type of service.

These dogs help people with disabilities have more freedom and go about a normal life.

The ADA has included service dogs as part of the program and these animals are allowed everywhere their people can go.

Always remember when you see a service dog, he is working. DO NOT interfere with his job. Only if you have the owners permission to pet the dog should you do so.

And yes, when the collars, harnesses come off at night, these canines lay around the house and play and behave like other pets. But when their working gear comes out, they're all business.