Dogs perform many valuable tasks in our everyday lives. From the incredible companionship that a pet dog can offer a family, to the phenomenal capabilities of courageous working dogs who help law enforcement and military teams, there is seemingly no end to the ways in which man’s best friend can help us.
For individuals with disabilities, the work of fully-trained service dogs can make a significant improvement to their quality of life. Service dogs are becoming ever more necessary, given that one in four U.S. adults report living with a disability, according to data from the CDC.
What is a service dog?
Service dogs assist their handlers through tasks that they are trained to perform in specific situations or scenarios. In addition to being task-trained, a service dog must be obedient, trainable, and demonstrate a calm demeanor around unfamiliar people and animals. There are no breed restrictions for service dogs, but it is common to see Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Doodles deployed for this service dog work.
Due to their ability to assist their handlers, service dogs are able to access areas of society that would normally be off-limits to dogs. These provisions are enshrined in law – the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) outlines the specific protections afforded to service dogs. Handlers are not required to carry paperwork, nor do they need certification to prove their dog is a service dog.
While it is important to clarify what a service dog is, it is equally important to define what it is not. Emotional support animals (ESAs) provide support to their owners, but as they are not trained to perform specific tasks to assist with a disability, they are not service dogs and do not have the same protections. Similarly, an impeccably behaved pet dog – no matter how obedient or under control it may be – cannot imitate the work of a fully-trained and capable service dog.
Types of service dogs
There are several different types of service dogs that can be trained (once again, demonstrating the versatility and skill of dogs). Below are some of the most common types of service dogs.
Autism service dogs
An autism service dog is trained to help an individual who has been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These dogs can help to reduce meltdowns and improve social interactions. Common tasks for an autism service dog include deep pressure therapy (DPT), tethering, or interrupting to prevent repetitive or self-harming behaviors.
Mobility service dogs
A mobility service dog is trained to help a handler who struggles with movement. This could be an older person who is struggling to get around, or anyone who has sustained a leg or hip injury that resulted in a life-altering reduction of movement. Due to the nature of their work, these dogs are typically medium-to-large sized breeds. Mobility service dogs can be trained to turn on lightswitches, pick up dropped items, open and close drawers, and more.
Hearing service dogs
A hearing service dog helps individuals who have little or no hearing capability. They can help alert the handler to a specific sound (such as a doorbell or fire alarm), and help to lead them towards or away from the source of the sound.
Guide dogs
A guide dog assists a handler with limited or no vision. They help their handler navigate the world around them, ensuring they don’t step out onto busy roads, can avoid obstacles on walkways, and stop before stairs.
Seizure service dogs
Seizure service dogs can help in two different ways. The first way is proactively alerting their handler prior to the onset of a seizure. The other method is to react to the seizure by ringing an alarm, or fetching medication or help from another member of the family.
Psychiatric service dogs
A psychiatric service dog can help those who suffer with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These service dogs use tactile stimulation to reduce anxiety or panic attacks, provide deep pressure therapy, or can simply move their handler away from a stressful situation. They can also wake handlers who may be experiencing nightmares.
Other types of service dogs
While those listed above are some of the most common types of service dogs, the reality is that dogs can be trained to perform tasks that will help with many other types of disabilities or conditions. For example, a diabetic alert dog can alert their handler to changes in blood sugar, and allergy detection dogs can detect allergens like peanuts or gluten. The nature of the handler’s disability – and the tasks they need help with – will determine the length and complexity of the training program.
How are service dogs trained?
The work of service dogs is vital to their handlers, and in some cases, it can even be a matter of life-or-death. With this in mind, the training process for service dog candidates is often lengthy and rigorous. While it is possible for individuals with disabilities to train their own service dog, many opt for a professional training program, owing to the time and complexity involved.
Professional trainers will often look to pick from a trusted breeder to ensure their service dog candidate has the characteristics and personality to thrive in service dog work. While every puppy is different, looking at the lineage can give an indication to the behavior of the dog as they move through adolescence and into adulthood. Once the puppy has been selected, the trainer will then work on building their fundamental behaviors. This includes obedience (at home and in public), and also encompasses a huge element of socialization. It is essential that the eventual service dog is able to perform their tasks in virtually any environment and around a wide variety of distractions, so this socialization component is essential.
After months of building the solid foundation of behavior, the training process will then move to task training. The exact nature of the tasks will be dependent on the handler’s requirements. For example, a mobility service dog may be needed to turn on lightswitches, or a seizure alert dog may need to be trained to recognize the early signs of an impending episode. This section of the training involves ongoing work to improve the dog’s aptitude for performing these tasks, until they reach the point that they can perform them reliably in virtually any situation.
Professional service dog organizations and trainers continue to be in high-demand due to the valuable nature of their work. At the School for Dog Trainers, we offer an 18-week Service Dog Trainer program that provides our students with everything they need to become a professional service dog trainer – from those behavioral fundamentals to task training, and in-depth studies of the legal framework that protects service dogs and their handlers. Learn more about our Service Dog Trainer program.