We choose to have dogs in our lives for many reasons. However, some people with disabilities or certain medical conditions actually need the assistance of intelligent and loving animals to get through their daily routines. Of course, these special dogs with very important jobs are what we call “service dogs.”
On the occasion of International day of persons with disabilities of this Saturday 3 December, we want to introduce you to the four-legged animals that play a crucial role for those with disabilities: the disabled dogs.
Who are disabled dogs?
A service dog or assistance dog is defined as a specially trained dog to perform tasks for a disabled individual who would otherwise have difficulty completing those tasks.
This means that such specimens are much more than pets, helping their human counterparts with their specific needs. Disability dogs are not to be confused with therapy dogs and emotional support dogs.
Although disabled dogs can come in many shapes and sizes, they all have to share some common traitssuch as intelligence, calmness and friendliness, and must be willing and easy to train.
The types of assistance dogs according to disability
As we have seen, there is not just one form of assistance dog, but several. Once used to accompany people with physical and motor disabilities, today dogs for the disabled are also called upon to help people with psychiatric disorders.
Assistance dogs are much more than pets: they are faithful and inseparable companions who make everyday life easier for their owners and often also help them overcome their fears and physical and psychological problems.
The different activities of assistance dogs are:
Dogs for people with motor disabilities
Dogs for people with physical disabilities have the role of reducing the mobility limitations of their beneficiary and increasing their autonomy.
Specifically, they are prepared to help the subject in his daily life where the disability prevents him: retrieve objects, turn on switches, open and close doors and drawers, etc.
Dogs for the hearing impaired
Hearing-impaired assistance dogs are trained to alert people to certain sounds and noises (telephone ringing, alarms, voices, alarm clocks, a crying baby) and take them to the location where the sound is coming from.
Guide dogs for the blind
Perhaps the best known, dogs for people with visual impairments, also known as guide dogs, replace the master’s eyes for different movements.
Dogs for autistic people
Assistance dogs for autistic people are intended for children with autism or Down syndrome.
These specimens help the development of young patients and provide moral and emotional support, promoting their social integration. They are also able to avoid or reduce destructive and autistic behaviors.
Dogs for dependent people
Called “social support dogs”, they are entrusted to referents in structures that welcome disabled adults, non self-sufficient elderly people or those suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Alert dogs for people with diabetes
Alert and assistance dogs for people with type 1 diabetes are trained to recognize the smell they have learned to detect in these cases: before the onset of a hypo or hyperglycemia epileptic seizure, they know how to warn their beneficiary by tapping a body part with snout.
Beyond their alert function, they assist the subject night and day, reassuring him, reassuring him and restoring self-confidence.
Dogs for people with intellectual or psychic disabilities
These animals are used to help people with intellectual or psychic disabilities, psychological disorders, as well as people staying in nursing homes, social centers and drug addiction centres.
Characteristics of dogs for the disabled
Se race is not essential in training an assistance dog for the disabled, it is essential that the animal has certain behavioral qualities.
Here are some characteristics of assistance animals:
- Great learning ability
- Good reaction to sounds and signals
- Kindness
- Calm
- Affectionate
- Sociability
Dogs for the disabled: the 5 most common breeds
After getting to know these special animals better, let’s find out five of the most frequent breeds of dogs used for the disabled.
1. Labrador Retriever
Being one of the breeds of most popular and intelligent dogs that exist in the world, it is no surprise that Labrador Retrievers make excellent dogs for the disabled.
Originally bred as hunting dogs, these four-legged friends are a lot insightful e patients, essential qualities for a good service dog. They are also quite robust to help, for example, carry simple objects independently and are particularly useful for those with mobility problems.
These animals can be trained for awide variety of tasksmaking them ideal for helping people with any disability.
2. Golden Retriever
Since there are similarities between Labradors and Golden Retrievers, it’s no surprise that Goldens are also on this list. These four-legged friends are very intelligent and gentle just like their “cousins”.
Goldens are also hard workers who love to please their humans, with excellent retrieval skills for disabled people. Versatile, Goldens are also excellent therapy and emotional support dogs.
3. German Shepherd
While we often associate German Shepherds as guard dogs or police dogs, they can also make excellent service dogs.
Smart, balanced and quite easy to trainthey are also a large breed and fortewhich makes them excellent as guide dogs for the blind.
4. Large Poodle (standard)
As surprising as it may be to some, Standard Poodles can make great disabled dogs. Behind their eccentric hairstyles, specimens are hidden very intelligent and easy to train!
Are also friendly and they have a keen sense of smell, thanks to which they are able to detect food allergens and saving people with life-threatening allergies.
Additionally, the Standard Poodle is the largest of its breed and is capable of carrying and retrieving items for people with physical disabilities.
5. Pomeranian
Well yes, Volpinis are also included in the list of dogs for the disabled! These adorable little dogs may not seem like the ideal service dogs, but theirs is intelligence it’s theirs enthusiasm make them great helpers.
In fact, they are as good as medical alert dogs:
- People affected by diabetes they can rely on German Spitz to sense and alert their humans if their blood sugar is too high or too low.
- These specimens know how to detect medical conditions such as an impending one asthma attack o heart attack.
- Pomeranians can also alert deaf people if there is anything they need to be careful of.
How is disabled dog training done?
The training of assistance dogs and therapy dogs is usually lengthy and dogs are usually trained from puppies.
Fours can go through training that can go from 8 to 24 months based on the type of disability they will be dealing with.
How can I apply for an assistance dog?
The request for an assistance dog must be well thought out and the person concerned must evaluate the impact that the presence of the animal will have on his lifestyle.
Most of the disabled who have requested a service dog have not regretted it: in addition to having daily help, they have found a real friend!
The process for applying for an assistance dog is usually long due to high demand. The associations that deal with the education of dogs for the disabled evaluate each request individually, looking for the right animal for each person.
Sometimes, after the animal has been assigned, they are carried out joint training courses to check if both are suitable for each other.
In the case of children, a minimum age so that the four-legged recognizes the child as its owner. It is also important that the child can take some responsibility with his special little dog, like taking him for a walk or brushing him.
The Italian associations of dogs for the disabled
In Italy there are many associations dedicated to the education of assistance dogs and dogs for dog therapy. Here are some: