Types of Service Dogs
Did you know service dogs can help a lot more people than just the visually impaired and wheelchair users? While these do make up a large percentage of service dog handlers, there are hundreds of different conditions that could cause someone to use a service dog. These are just a few examples.
Mobility Assistance Dogs
Mobility assistance dogs are used by people who need wheelchairs, walkers, canes or have any medical issue that limits their mobility. Task may include:
Bracing (putting downward pressure on your dog to assist walking)
Counterbalance (when you start to fall, the dog will lean in the opposite direction to steady you)
Momentum Pulling (your dog will pull you forward to help you conserve energy)
Retrieval (your dog will retrieve dropped items, medication, or any thing else you might need)
Carrying (carry mail, a purse, or give a credit card to a cashier)
Depositing (put trash in the garbage, unload the washing machine, put silverware/non breakable dishes away)
Tug (open doors, the fridge, pull off jacket/socks)
Nose Nudge/Pawing (turn on/off light switch, close doors, push elevator button)
Psychiatric Assistance Dogs
Psychiatric assistance dogs are used by people with psychiatric disabilities, these may include anxiety, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, DID, or cluster B personality disorders. Some tasks they may use are:
Alert (anxiety, apathy, panic attaches, flashbacks, compulsive behavior)
Ground Handler
Deep Pressure Therapy (dog lies across their handlers torso or legs to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and calm their handler)
Guide (take handler to a safe place if they are confused or dissociating)
Wake (lie on top of their handler and lick their face to wake them from hypersomnia or nightmares)
Search (dog will go into the house before their handler and go into all the rooms, turn on the lights and alert their handler if their is anyone in the house)
Hearing Alert
Used by the hearing impaired to alert them to sounds.
Alert (notify handler of sounds such as door bell, oven beeping, sirens, cellphone, smoke alarm)
Security (notify handler of a person or car approaching)
Medical alert
Medical alert dogs can be used to detect blood sugar changes in those with diabetes, rising cortisol levels in people with anxiety, or an in coming migraine, allowing people to take abortive measures beforehand.
Alert (tell handler if they are going to have a medical episode, migraine, syncope, seizure, blood sugar)
Retrieval (get food, insulin tablets or water)