Dogs as we all know are a man’s best friend. A lifelong companion that will unconditionally love and cherish you so long as you feed them, pet them, and show them new tricks! But there is more to dogs than tossing a tennis ball and asking them to play fetch, dogs are very intelligent! We are sure you have seen them, service dogs are working dogs who help people with disabilities or chronic illnesses, using their keen senses to help them whenever it is needed. This allows their owners to gain more freedom and control in their lives, letting them partake in outings or tasks that may otherwise be a struggle, or impossible, to do alone. Here are the ways service dogs can transform lives, from companionship to lifesaving support!
Autism Service Dogs: Service dogs for autism are currently the third most common type of service dogs. Children who have autism encounter challenges such as social difficulties, restricted interests, and often have repetitive behaviors. Most people or other kids who meet children with autism may categorize them as hyperactive and not know that they have it. Service dogs make their lives easier by making the “invisible” visible, it serves as an indicator that the child has a disability and it allows the people they meet to adjust their behavior and expectations accordingly. A study showed that out of 202 individuals, most of them had reported that since obtaining a service dog their participation in social activities increased, they gained confidence and needed less assistance from others.
PTSD Service Dogs: Psychiatric service dogs are considered to be a popular treatment option for PTSD for veterans in particular. Having the training to detect their owner’s physical signs of anxiety and distress, they also alert and interrupt any incoming anxiety and panic attacks either during the day and night. Even doing as much as stopping nightmares from happening! Studies have shown that having a PTSD service dog is associated with lower symptoms of PTSD, increased quality of life, and overall improvements in depression and anxiety. Veterans who have a PTSD service dog are able to feel more at ease in public spaces.
Guide dogs for visually impaired: Service dogs who specialize in helping people with blindness are also a common type of service dog and have the longest history among the others. These dogs are considered to be guide dogs and are the key for their handlers to live a more independent life. These dogs are specifically trained to help provide mobility support to their blind owners. Studies have found that people who own a guide dog as opposed to a cane have reported to have lower stress levels when being mobile or walking out in public.
Guide dogs for hearing: There are such things as hearing dogs! Similar to guide dogs, these specific types of service dogs are trained to alert their owners of common sounds such as doorbells, oven timers, smoke alarms, phone rings or notifications, and more! Overall improving the ease of tasks for the owner. There was a study shown that compared those with service dogs for hearing and those who are on the waitlist for one. People with a service dog have reported that they have a significantly higher quality of life compared to those who don’t yet.
Therapy dogs: Emotional support dogs, or therapy dogs are popular among children as well! Enhancing a child’s wellbeing in a variety of settings that can range from schools, hospitals, airports, courtrooms and more. Research and studies have found that therapy dogs are able to reduce symptoms of stress through lowering cortisol levels, increasing positive emotions, promoting social interaction, and overall reducing negative emotions and behaviors.
Seizure alert dogs: Although these types of service dogs don’t completely allow full independence for individuals, medical service dogs or seizure alert dogs are just as important as they can prevent disasters from happening. Separated into two types, there are seizure response dogs and seizure alert dogs, and with their keen senses these service dogs are able to alert the owner before a seizure or even respond during one. They are trained to bark to alert family members or caretakers when a seizure is happening or is about to occur, activating a call system that connects to 911, and comfort and protect the person who is having a seizure, they may even let their owners know that there is an impending seizure by staring at their owner or licking them.
Cardiac alert dogs: Their main job is to monitor their owner’s physical state and determine when a heart problem is about to occur. Specializing in cardiac health, these medical service dogs are also able to use their keen senses, specifically their strong sense of smell to alert the other people or the owner if they are having a cardiac event. They are also able to detect changes in their handler’s heart rate and blood pressure. Similar to seizure specific service dogs, these dogs are also able to do other things such as fetch medication, dial 911, and provide physical support.
Diabetic alert dogs: Medical service dogs also include dogs who are trained to be diabetic alert dogs. Monitoring their owner and identifying when their owner is about to have a hypoglycemic episode, which is when a person’s blood sugar levels go below normal levels. A study has shown that people who have diabetes reported that they’ve had less hypoglycemic episodes since getting a service dog, reporting to be less worried and have a greater quality of life.
