Service Dog Research Paper

They allow help to a deaf person and they also provide a loving friend they get to be with all the time. Many people say that having their hearing dog in public makes them feel more secure and more confident with their deafness. Having a hearing dog by your side can also allow people to notice that person is deaf and could be able to help them in the future in case of any emergencies that could happen. These dogs have a very good impact to the Deaf community and the only thing negative about them is that there is almost a year wait just to get one of these dogs. The lasting effect these dogs have on a person is life changing because it shows the deaf person they are not alone and will always have someone by their side to stick with

There are between 45 to 55 million dogs per household in America (American Humane Association 2012). Furthermore, according to a national survey, the majority of dog owners chose to get a dog for the companionship as the major reason for having a dog (American Animal Hospital Association, 2004). After all, dogs are nonjudgmental, give unconditional love, can be trusted with our most intimate feelings and emotions, and are highly intelligent. These dog characteristics can significantly enhance the lives of thousands of youth and adults, especially those with disabilities and/or those who live in continuing care facilities. There are approximately 20,000 service dogs in the U.S., which includes 10,000 guide dogs (American Humane Association 2012)

Not any dog can just be a service dog. The dogs take almost up to a year to train! A service dog has to learn behaviors to help whoever the dog is supposed to help. Some examples of what they need to do is call 911, answer a doorbell, bring water for medications or provide a

At first sight, service dogs look like any other dog. They are furry. They walk on all fours. They have a tail. But they have many differences from other dogs. Service dogs are well behaved and are obedient. They wear clothing that no other dog wears such as a vest to make people aware that they are service dogs. Service dogs perform tasks that no other dogs can do, like paying for meals and carrying objects for their owners, sometimes in a vest compartment like a backpack. Service dogs are unlike other dogs because they are trained to do tasks that human beings normally do, but can’t because of some disability. Service dogs help their owners navigate the world they live in by assisting their owners in overcoming day to day

Some of the more common types of service dogs are dogs that help with allergy detection, usually peanuts, seizure alert dogs, usually for epilepsy, guide dogs, who help assist the blind in everyday activities, and hearing dogs, who assist the deaf in warning them of auditory signals like an approaching car or a neighbor ringing the

The well-trained, educated staff have a vital role in coordinating and providing the necessary information to the individuals and families regarding the four types of assistance dogs. Service dogs, Facility dogs, Hearing dogs, and Skilled companion dogs. Having a knowledgeable staff who are able to deliver services, advocate when necessary, provide referrals as well as brokering for the client. These aspects in addition to, it’s structure, funding, collaboration and delivery of services, cultural competence, systems thinking, worker and leadership effectiveness are used in order to enhance or change the lives of individuals. Empowering the consumer is crucial to creating independence, thus meeting the goal of this organization.

Dogs are not just cute and fuzzy friends. Since it has been thousands of years that dogs have been trained to do things for humans, we can now count on dogs to do very specific jobs. For example, the article from the U.S. Department of Justice says, “Service animals are defined as dogs that are

“Veterans report that service dogs help break their isolation. People will often avert their eyes when they see a wounded veteran. But when the veteran has a dog, the same people will come up and say, 'Hi' to pet the dog and then strike up a conversation.” This quote from United States Senator Al Franken is a shining example of the power that a service animal can have to improve the quality of life for those with special needs who have a service animal. Imagine!

Service dogs assist people that have physical and mental impairments. It was not until after World War I, a modern guide dogs school was founded. However, the United States did not have a guide dog until 1928. Now there are service dog schools across the United States like the Guide Dogs of America and Occupaws. There is act that has passed to allow services dogs to assist their owners in restaurants,

Service and Therapy Dogs According to the Americans with Disabilities Act, “A service dog is any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal, individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability,” (Levingson). This means that a service dog can help people with a variety of disabilities once trained. There are two main classifications for a therapy dog: service dogs, who help those with physical disabilities, and psychdogs, who help those with mental disabilities.

They need to be able to follow the commands at least 90% of the time. When dogs don’t successfully do this then they are not qualified to be a service dog. Service dogs are not used or pets, they are used to help people complete their daily life challenges. Because they are not pets, they are allowed anywhere because they are helping a human with their challenges. The dogs need to be calm but have to be extremely friendly.

For many years, people have used dogs as service animals. Today, there are many different animals used to help people with different needs. Whether someone has a disability or someone needs a guide, there is a service animal for almost anyone in need. Wouldn’t it be incredible if someone walked into school or work with a potbelly pig? From miniature horses to monkeys to potbelly pigs, service animals can help people in many ways.

All around us we see dogs, little dogs and big dogs. Sometimes people can have animals, most times dogs to help them with generally easy life actions for people without life altering disabilities. Service dogs are a big help to disabled people, they act as necessity to someone who cannot do everything that a person without those disabilities can do. Service dogs help people who are visually impaired, who have no mobility, who cannot hear fully, people who have some types of mental disabilities such as autism, PTSD, and some major phobias. Sometimes even other animals are used such as rabbits and miniature horses.

Service dogs help some see, some with their balance, such in the case with Marjalissa's husband, some with their blood sugars, seizures, etc. Optimally, helping to keep their handlers safe and away from harm. I found it interesting that service dogs can be trained and with those who have various types of disabilities. I understood that there were alert dogs for those who have diabetes and who were blind or were unable to see properly. I was unaware of how many disabilities that service dogs can be trained for.

Finally, in 1990 the Americans with Disabilities Act defined a service dog as “any guide dog, signal dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability.” Prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act, the service dog had a poorly defined job description, except that of a Seeing Eye dog. Although the guide dog for the blind had become accepted and established in 1929, the use and training of a service dog for most other roles only began to emerge in the 1960’s. Even though other service dogs began training in the 1900s’ the first diabetic alert dog did not begin training until 2003