More
than just Mutts!
I
recently heard someone say 'How can you call that a service dog, the
person they're helping isn't blind?'
You
might be surprised to learn that assistance dogs assist more than
just people who are blind. In fact, there are assistance dogs who
assist people with a variety of disabilities, such as hearing, severe
diabetes, physical limitations, autism, psychiatric, or seizure
disorders.
You
may have heard stories of pets alerting their owners to health
dangers, stopping intruders, or alerting them to a fire. Assistance
dogs are specifically trained to assist with certain activities or
detect behavior and/or mood changes in their handlers. Training and
socialization for the dog is extensive and intense until they are
about two years old. Once the dog is matched with the handler, there
is more training for the newly formed team to build a strong bond.
How
can you identify an assistance dog? In most cases, assistance dogs
will be wearing a vest that clearly identifies them as an assistance
dog and a harness for the handler to easily control the dog. The
West Coast Assistance Teams website outlines some general and
specific assistance dog ettiquette:
Generally,
when you meet a
person with an assistance dog, please remember that the dog is
working. You don't want anything to interrupt the dog from performing
its tasks.
Specifically,
Speak to the person first
Do not make distracting noises aimed at the assistance dog.
Do not touch the assistance dog without asking permission.
Do not feed an assistance dog.
Do not ask personal questions about the handler's disability
Don't be offended if the handler declines to chat about the assistance dog.
For
more information about assistance dogs, some options include:
