We are lucky enough to have a little furry companion waiting for us at home every day. But how much more if they can help the human race with something more significant—overcoming the challenges posed by disabilities?
They are called service animals and are specially trained to aid in the specific daily life tasks of the disabled. Moreover, they can assist you with not just one but multiple tasks. It's quite hard to believe that animals can learn so much to help, but that makes them even more amazing!
Let's discuss more about service dogs and their different types. Then, if you need or know someone who could use their assistance, this article can help you determine which one you'll need!
The Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) refers to a service animal as any animal providing help to a disabled person. They are trained to perform a task in the owner's stead or to aid them in accomplishing it.
Examples of the task they perform include:
Dogs cover a huge part of the service animal population, often called guide dogs or helper animals.
You may have heard of terms like emotional support animals or companion pets and think they provide the same assistance as service animals. However, they are different.
If you encounter any of the following terms, note that they don't have the necessary skills of a service animal.
ADA's Title II and III laws don't consider them as service animals in training. A service animal has a particular job to accomplish. They are not simply there to accompany you or provide therapeutic help. Instead, they are trained to assist people with physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric, or intellectual disabilities.
Moreover, ADA only recognizes dogs and miniature horses. Even if other wild or domestic species are trained for a particular task, they are still not considered service animals. A recommendation from a health expert won't also make any animal into a service animal.
Now you understand what a service animal can do. Next, let's proceed with the seven common types of helper dogs and discuss what and how they perform tasks!
A guide service animal assists visually-impaired people. They help them navigate the road safely to get home or walk in public areas. Whether you need to cross the street or go up and down the stairs, a guide dog can lead you through these tasks.
Most breeds of guide dogs are Labradors, golden retrievers, and poodles. They're usually trained to start from 12 to 24 months of puppyhood and wear a special harness with a handle. You might see some guide dogs with a vest, but that's not a requirement.
Get yourself a DAD—a diabetic alert dog! This service animal alerts diabetic people when changes are detected in their blood sugar levels. They do this by sensing changes in scent during hyperglycemic events, which are detectable by dogs.
It allows the disabled person to get a blood test or inject insulin or glucose before the blood level gets dangerous. These service dogs are trained for this job for a minimum of two years. Trainers teach them to set off alarms or alert other people at home.
Animals, especially dogs, have exceptional hearing ability. As a result, they are an ideal service companion for those with hearing disabilities. They alert the owner (touch and lead them) to important sounds, such as doorbell rings, alarms, crying babies, or the microwave switch.
A service dog is individually trained for one or two years and can perform as many as 40 tasks. The most popular dog breeds for hearing services are Labradors, golden retrievers, miniature poodles, Cocker Spaniels, and other small to medium mixed dog breeds.
Two types of assistance dogs focus on people suffering from seizures: seizure alert and seizure response dogs. They help detect a seizure before it happens and help their handler during or after one. Surprisingly, no reliable source shows a dog's ability to predict seizures, but they seem to have an innate ability to detect and react to them.
Additionally, epilepsy organizations say it's impossible to train service dogs to detect seizures, but dog training companies argue they can at least train them to be alert. Seizure service dogs train for at least 2 years to learn how to aid people with epilepsy.
Medical service dogs help people with other medical issues and provide mobility aid (miniature horses also do this). Usually, they aren't trained for psychiatric or epileptic conditions, but there are exceptions where they can perform both tasks.
These animals remind their owner to take medications or alert health providers if medical attention or procedures are required. Medical service dogs are trained for two years to learn how to perform these tasks.
Food allergies are another common medical condition many people suffer from, which service dogs can help with! An allergy detection animal uses their exceptional sense of smell to detect allergic food. They identify certain odors like gluten or peanuts. When partnered with children, parents find relief in knowing their children are safe while they're away.
These service dogs take 18 to 24 months of dog training. This allows them to learn how to detect their owner's allergens and alert them in the face of harmful substances.
Lastly, there are helper animals for people with mental disabilities like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. They are called psychiatric service dogs. These animals make their human handlers feel safe and at ease by doing simple but significant things like:
Psychiatric dogs train for one to two years. A licensed mental health professional can also recommend you a psychiatric service animal when necessary.
It is not only the handler that needs to be taken care of. You also need to know how to accommodate a service animal properly. So here are some ground rules to keep everyone safe in your household.
You might have a disability, but that doesn't mean you can’t do anything for your service animal. It’s easy to establish a mutually-benefiting relationship with a loyal companion that will never leave your side. There is, in fact, a lot you can do for them! Here are some:
We understand that having a disability limits you from accomplishing most tasks. So if you cannot do the things above, seek help from someone and instruct them on what to do.
Meanwhile, a bystander can assist when the disabled handler of the service animal needs help. However, you must be careful when you're around the animal. Here are two things to remember:
A service animal is not your typical furry companion, but it can help you cope with the challenges of living with a disability. They undergo dog training to acquire certain abilities, from leading the way to dialing 911 for medical emergencies.
Working animals differ from your pets at home, But they share one incredible trait: they help you improve the quality of your life!
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