Dogs provide us with love and support, and there are over 500,000 service dogs in the US helping people. Service dogs can help with a multitude of needs and assistance. Continue with this guide to learn about the many different types of service dogs.
The Different Types of Service Dogs
Service dogs can people with different types of assistance. This can range from mental health services to mobility aid. Here are the most common service dogs and the many ways they help:
Therapy Dogs
People often turn their canine best friend into emotional support dogs. Many dogs are trained to offer companionship and comfort as their owner goes about their daily life.
Therapy dogs are able to accompany you to hospitals, schools, and other public places. The main requirement for a dog to be considered a therapy dog is for them to be calm in stressful situations, and have a docile temperament around all people.
Psychiatric Service Dogs
Dogs can help people suffering from mental health disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Psychiatric service dogs are trained to help people feel safer by detecting potential panic attacks and other mental health concerns.
These dogs offer significant emotional support and peace of mind for their owners. They can create a barrier in social situations, and provide protection in the home and public spaces. This article from 3DK9 also shares how these service dogs can help people with alcoholism.
Mobility Assistance Dogs
It’s an invaluable service when a dog can help individuals with mobility impairments. Mobility assistance dogs can open doors, press buttons, fetch items, and turn on lights. Larger dogs are perfect for providing strength to assist handlers with balance and support.
Guide Dogs
One of the most common types of service dogs are guide dogs. Guide dogs are specifically trained to assist visually impaired and blind people with navigating life.
Golden Retrievers and Labradors are often favored for this task because their very smart and lovable. They can also pick up items for their handlers with their soft mouths.
Hearing Dogs
Those who are hearing impaired can also benefit from a service dog. Hearing dogs are trained to alert their owners of doorbells, alarms, and other important sounds.
These dogs are specifically trained to lay their paw on their owner to signal a sound. Then the dog leads its owner towards or away from the sound depending on the situation.
Seizure Response Dogs
Dogs trained in seizure alert and response are trained to recognize the signs early. These dogs help those suffering from seizures by recognizing when their handler is about to experience a seizure. The dog then calls for help while positioning its owner safely.
Larger dogs are also great at helping their owner escape dangerous situations. They’re so in tune with their owner’s emotions that they can detect and respond according to the unique situation.
Allergy Detection Dogs
Allergy sufferers can benefit from an allergy detection dog by their side. These service dogs have a talent for detecting the smallest amounts of allergens. The dog lets their owner know of any allergies that can cause a reaction, and deter their owner from the smell.
Autism Service Dogs
People with autism can use a service dog to help with their daily life. Autism service dogs promote confidence and stress relief while helping their owners connect with people. They offer significant protection and can alert family members of potential dangers.
Diabetic Alert Dogs
If you suffer from diabetes, a diabetic alert dog can help with painting blood glucose levels. These dogs can pick up scent changes in your blood glucose levels and let you know when levels may be high or low. This allows diabetics to stay on top of their health, while also having a companion that can alert others if you need to seek medical attention.
A Helpful Companion
It’s incredible the things dogs can assist with, including helping the visually impaired and those with health issues. With many different types of service dogs, a multitude of individuals can find help and companionship. It’s a wonder what we would do without dogs.
If you’re interested in learning more about dogs and other animals, check out our other articles right here on our site.
