Service Dogs: Much More than a Helpers

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 obstacles. Because of their assistance to their owners, service dogs help their owners live independently.

It is not a simple task to get a service dog. Service dogs just don’t come straight out of a pet store. It takes years to train that cute little fluff ball and turn him into a human helper. Because there is so much work involved in training a dog to become a service dog, there are not enough of them. In fact, people needing a service dog may have to wait two to five years before they can get a service dog .

Service dogs are selected and trained by organizations such as Canine Companions for Independence. These organizations choose potential service dogs by looking at a dog’s ancestral history. The health history of the dog is reviewed along with the health history of the dog’s parents. Sometimes dogs are bred to be service dogs. They can even be bred to be smaller or bigger depending on the tasks that may need to be completed . The cost of selecting and training dogs to become a servi...

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.... They enrich their lives with their strength, love and the bond between each other.

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