Like people, dogs come in all shapes, sizes and varieties. There’s a style of dog fit for people with different personalities, experiences and abilities. Perhaps that’s why there are many different types of service dogs.
Service dogs are individually trained and certified to do work or perform tasks to benefit individuals with disabilities, whether they’re physical, psychiatric, sensory, mental or intellectual.
And because dogs are human’s best friend, we can understand why they make the best helpers.
Here’s an overview of some of the different types of service dogs:
Guide Dogs
As the most commonly-known assistance dogs, they assist the blind and people with low-vision with maneuver past surrounding obstacles. Common guide dogs include Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Labradoodles. All guide dogs wear a special harness with a handle so they can easily help their owners navigate.
Hearing Dogs
Hearing dogs help people who are deaf or have poor hearing. They assist their owners by alerting them to important sounds like smoke signals, door bells and even oven timers. When dogs hear the sound, they’ll put a paw on their owners hand or leg or lead them towards the noise. They are known to increase awareness and independence in their owners.
Seizure Response Dogs
These dogs are trained to help people during and immediately following an epileptic seizure. These dogs can find another human to come help assist the owner to help “wake them up” from seizures. They may physically move their owner if their seizure occurs in an unsafe area like the middle of the street.
Autism Support Dogs
For kids who have autism and need assistance and emotional support, there’s a dog that can help with that! These dogs have been shown to boost confidence for children and help them connect with their peers. These service dogs can also help children from running away, but if they do, these dogs will be able to track them.
Psychiatric Service Dogs
These types of service dogs can cover a wide category of assistance procedures. They often assist people who suffer from anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They are often used by veterans who need both physical and emotional support. Psychiatric service dogs are trained to understand and sense when their owner is about to have panic and anxiety attacks, flashbacks.
Mobility Assistance Dogs
With the ability to perform a wide range of tasks, these assistance pups help people with different mobility issues. If humans have a spinal cord or brain injury, for example, they can help them open doors, get items and even help them pay cash at the register. How cute!
Pups to the Rescue!
Pups are not only there to give us great love and affection, they’re angels that can help us through the most challenging aspects of our lives. Thanks to all the service dogs out there!
