ASSISTANCE DOGS RECOGNIZED

NATIONAL ASSISTANCE DOG WEEK ESTABLISHED IN 2008

Morgan is helping with the laundry.

The second week of August  has been officially designated as National Assistance Dog Week to honor the more than 20,000 dogs that assist people with disabilities. While most people are familiar with guide dogs, many are not aware that there are three other types of assistance dogs. There are also hearing dogs, service dogs, and seizure/medical alert/support dogs. Each type is specially trained to fulfill a need for the individual that the dog will be assisting once they are placed with a partner.

Guide dogs assist those with limited vision maneuver safely, while hearing dogs are trained to make physical contact with their partner and lead them to the sound if their partner has a loss of hearing. They can also be trained to alert their partner if someone is calling or speaking to them. Service dogs are trained to assist those with limited mobility or other disabilities other than vision or hearing. They provide support for their owner to physically lean on them, open doors and drawers, pick up and carry objects, turn on and off lights, pull wheelchairs, open elevators and other numerous tasks that are difficult for the partner to accomplish. Seizure and medical alert/support dogs are specifically trained to support their partner when they have a seizure by summoning help, providing emotional and physical support, and keeping them safe. Some dogs can sense and alert their partner when they are about to have a seizure or other medical problem, giving the partner time to plan their actions before the onset of the attack.

With assistance dogs by their side, those with disabilities are able to attend college, drive, work, and live on their own. As Marcie Davis states in her book Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook, “All of a sudden the impossible seems possible, and things you thought were out of your reach literally and figuratively are now obtainable. Virtually every area in your personal and professional life can be expanded and explored, including your vocation, travel opportunities, housing options, and transportation….Whatever you dreamed of accomplishing can be realized with the assistance of a service dog.” After bringing her first assistance dog into her life, she gained the confidence and ability to be more independent, obtained her own vehicle, and is now the president and owner of a business which specializes in public health and human service solutions.

To learn more about assistance dogs, visit the Delta Society website at http://www.deltasociety.org/. You may also visit the Assistance Dog International site at http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/, and the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners at http://www.iaadp.org/. Also, more information about these amazing canines—their work, training, laws governing their use, and where and how to apply for a service dog—can be found in Working Like Dogs: The Service Dog Guidebook by Marcie Davis and Melissa Bunnell, Published by Alpine Publications, with a Foreword by Betty White.