Service dogs

[RickinNYC]

I just wanted to say that service dogs are the single most incredible animals God has ever created. Each and every time I see one, I smile in absolute and complete amazement. They go above and beyond the call of duty to be simply labelled "man's best friend."

 

[SueM in MN]

There wasn't really an appropriate smiley (a happy dog would be nice), but this one was pretty good.

 

[momof2inPA]

OK, I live in the middle of nowhere, so can you tell me what is a service dog? I have gleaned from this board that they are not the same as seeing eye dogs. What do they do?

Not too, too embarassed to admit ignorance.

 

[SueM in MN]

You are not the only one who has not heard of service dogs.
They are similar to seeing eye dogs, in that they assist people with disabilities. Service dogs are trained to do whatever tasks would be helpful.
My DD has a friend who uses a wheelchair and just got a service dog. Her dog has been trained to pick things up for her, to open doors, get things from other rooms, push her foot back on her wheelchair footrest.
There was a demonstration of service dogs in the hospital where I work. The dog they showed us had been trained to open the refrigerator door (it has a rope tied to the handle for the dog to grab), get out a can of juice and bring it to his master. That dog could also assist someone who had fallen to get back up - the dog basically stood very still in a perfect position to be used as a brace for the person to push against and get back into their wheelchair. That dog could also pick up coins as small as a dime from the floor.
My DH heard on the radio about someone who had been an avid golfer before an accident. He got a golf cart that was modified so he could still play golf. his dog was trained to set a tee in the ground, place his ball on the tee and pick up the ball from the cup. Very important stuff to his happiness.

Here's a link to one of the oldest service dog agencies and a link to an agency with a good explanation (and they happen to be close to my "neck of the woods").

 

[phillybeth]

So are seeing-eye dogs a type of service dog?
I know someone who has a 'hearing-ear' dog, trained to get his person's attention when the phone rings, doorbell, buzzer, etc... and also when the fire alarm goes off. It is jsut amazing what these dogs can be trained to do, even sense epileptic seizures!

 

[SueM in MN]

Originally posted by phillybeth
So are seeing-eye dogs a type of service dog?

Yep, you've got it. They were the first service dogs. People with other disabilities saw what they could do and started thinking about how dogs could help them.
I was surprized when I did some research for a work policy how long service dogs have been around (since the early 1970s). I knew that seeing eye dogs had been in use for a long time (I knew a guy who had one when I was in college), but I thought other service dogs began in about the mid-1980s.