Everyone knows that dogs are supremely helpful animals, but service dogs take that to another level.
They assist their owners in multiple ways, but did you know that there are different kinds of service dogs to help with specific problems?
In this post, we’ll be taking you through five types of assistance these animals provide and show how they are changing the lives of their owners every day. There are some incredible pups out there!
1. Psychiatric Service Dogs
It isn’t just physical disabilities and impairments that service dogs can help accommodate. Some service animals work with those who struggle with their mental health. Usually, emotional support animals are presumed to be the go-to for mental illness, but this isn’t always the case.
There are many differences between service dogs and emotional support animals. The main distinction is that service animals undergo training, whereas ESAs don’t require specific training. For someone with PTSD, a trained psychiatric service dog may know how to pick up on the person having an episode and respond by calming the person down.
These assistance animals give their owners reassurance and the support they need to live fully and independently. By registering through sites like servicedogregistration.org, their human companions can also help to ensure their assistance animal has full accommodations and rights.
2. Guide Dogs
The guide dog helps those with visual impairments to guide them through public spaces.
They are often Labrador Retrievers or Golden Retrievers due to how eager to please these breeds are. They are perfect for training and make ideal companions. Guide dogs have been around for decades, consistently proving their dedication and loyalty!
3. Hearing Dogs
In the same way that guide dogs can help the visually impaired, assistance animals can also help those with hearing difficulties.
They can alert their owners to noises that require their attention, including oven timers, sirens, doorbells, smoke alarms, and crying babies! They provide an invaluable task for their owners, ensuring they remain connected to their environment.
4. Seizure Alert Dogs
Seizures pose serious health risks. If not treated properly or too late, these risks significantly worsen.
Seizure alert dogs go through training to help their owners by drawing attention to imminent seizures or even repositioning their owners to maintain their safety. Their incredible ability to detect a seizure long before their owner makes their intuition invaluable and may even prove lifesaving.
5. Allergy Detection Dogs
When you have an allergy, you know to avoid it at all costs. However, this isn’t always that easy.
An allergy detection dog can use their powerful nose to let you know if what you’re about to eat contains one of your allergens, so you never need to worry again. One of the primary roles of service animals is to provide their owners with independence, and an allergy detection dog does just that.
They Truly are Man’s Best Friend
The five we’ve listed are just some of the many service dog categories. Millions of people rely on them to live their lives every day; their support doesn’t go unnoticed. There’s no doubt that dogs, of any kind, are man’s best friend!
Published by HOLR Magazine.