Types of service dog
Bringing a service dog into your life is a life changing decision and should be something you consider seriously before beginning the process. While service dogs can change lives in wonderful ways, they are also constant works in progress requiring time, patience, and many lifestyle adjustments. They are living, breathing beings. This is what makes them and the bond between a service dog and their working partner so special. We encourage you to ask any specific questions you may have.
To be eligible to work with a service dog in public places, you must have a disability as defined by the American Disabilities Act. The ADA protects people, not dogs.
Service Dog Training program from Dogs Training School is unleashing possibilities for those with visible and non-visible disabilities, by matching puppies and young dogs to be trained as service dogs to help people lead more independent lives.
This very special program is all about the right match being made between dog and handler. Once the match is made training of both dog and handler begins together right from the start. We train service dogs to assist with: Autism, Multipurpose, Mobility, Seizure, Psychiatric, Hearing, Medical, Diabetic and other disabilities.
Dogs Training School works with many breeders whose dogs have been evaluated and who have proven blood lines with ancestors who have been in service, therapy or working and show dogs. Animals Deserve Better will also evaluate and rescue puppies/dogs from local or out of State shelters. We can also evaluate a handlers own dog as a potential to become their service dog. Almost all the puppies/dogs live with us in our homes enabling us to learn all about their personalities to ensure the right match between puppy/dog and handler are made. We can also custom search for a specific breed based on what the handler is looking for. We do not have a wait list, the wait is as long as it takes to find the right match for all concerned, every one including the dog and other animals in the home have to be sure that this is the right match, otherwise we will not place. If you don’t like the people you work for you will not work well.
To start the process an application will need to be completed and one can be found through contacting us directly. Part A is all about the person needing the service dog, general fact finding and physical strengths and weakness’s are included in this form. Part B gets completed by the doctor and sent to us to be reviewed. Answers to our questions can be done in the video or written on a separate sheet of paper. Two letters of recommendation one from a friend and one from a professional informing us as to the reasons they believe that you would benefit from a service dog. We work with individuals and families across the world.
Training includes basic, intermediate and advanced obedience together with agility, fit-paws, core body strengthening, nose -works, educational games and scent work along with certifications of AKC Star Puppy if under a year, AKC Canine Good Citizen, Urban Canine, Community Canine and the Public Access Test. We work obedience and disability side by side, you live and breathe service dog. Where you go your dog will go, on the job training is socialization and habituation. We use positive reinforcement, tlc, love and affection in our training methods, we do not use a clicker and we do not use treats, unless scent work requires kibble to be used. One on one classes are offered for specific disability work along with group class on Saturday’s and elite groups during the week. Training starts out weekly. Every team will learn at a difference pace so you may not graduate with those you started out with. Basic time frame is about 6 to 24 months before you end up graduating as a trained team but this can vary. Life and training will go on for ever. We do require that you return to the school or we facetime or skype every 2 years to make sure that you are maintaining the best possible working relationship and to add additional tasks that may be required. We are available 24/7 for any questions that you may have. We are in constant contact with you even after graduation
To be eligible to work with a service dog in public places, you must have a disability as defined by the American Disabilities Act. The ADA protects people, not dogs.
Service Dog Training program from Dogs Training School is unleashing possibilities for those with visible and non-visible disabilities, by matching puppies and young dogs to be trained as service dogs to help people lead more independent lives.
This very special program is all about the right match being made between dog and handler. Once the match is made training of both dog and handler begins together right from the start. We train service dogs to assist with: Autism, Multipurpose, Mobility, Seizure, Psychiatric, Hearing, Medical, Diabetic and other disabilities.
Dogs Training School works with many breeders whose dogs have been evaluated and who have proven blood lines with ancestors who have been in service, therapy or working and show dogs. Animals Deserve Better will also evaluate and rescue puppies/dogs from local or out of State shelters. We can also evaluate a handlers own dog as a potential to become their service dog. Almost all the puppies/dogs live with us in our homes enabling us to learn all about their personalities to ensure the right match between puppy/dog and handler are made. We can also custom search for a specific breed based on what the handler is looking for. We do not have a wait list, the wait is as long as it takes to find the right match for all concerned, every one including the dog and other animals in the home have to be sure that this is the right match, otherwise we will not place. If you don’t like the people you work for you will not work well.
To start the process an application will need to be completed and one can be found through contacting us directly. Part A is all about the person needing the service dog, general fact finding and physical strengths and weakness’s are included in this form. Part B gets completed by the doctor and sent to us to be reviewed. Answers to our questions can be done in the video or written on a separate sheet of paper. Two letters of recommendation one from a friend and one from a professional informing us as to the reasons they believe that you would benefit from a service dog. We work with individuals and families across the world.
Training includes basic, intermediate and advanced obedience together with agility, fit-paws, core body strengthening, nose -works, educational games and scent work along with certifications of AKC Star Puppy if under a year, AKC Canine Good Citizen, Urban Canine, Community Canine and the Public Access Test. We work obedience and disability side by side, you live and breathe service dog. Where you go your dog will go, on the job training is socialization and habituation. We use positive reinforcement, tlc, love and affection in our training methods, we do not use a clicker and we do not use treats, unless scent work requires kibble to be used. One on one classes are offered for specific disability work along with group class on Saturday’s and elite groups during the week. Training starts out weekly. Every team will learn at a difference pace so you may not graduate with those you started out with. Basic time frame is about 6 to 24 months before you end up graduating as a trained team but this can vary. Life and training will go on for ever. We do require that you return to the school or we facetime or skype every 2 years to make sure that you are maintaining the best possible working relationship and to add additional tasks that may be required. We are available 24/7 for any questions that you may have. We are in constant contact with you even after graduation
Dogs for mobility
Neurological and Mobility Assistance Dogs
Service dogs are trained to be the strength and movement for people with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and congenital abnormalities. A service dog can perform many tasks for their companions such as picking up dropped articles, pulling wheelchairs, assisting walkers, turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors, carrying school books, and pulling their companions out of bed. Most service dogs are generally Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. We use German Shepherds and other breeds that show they have the aptitude for service work.
Service dogs are trained to be the strength and movement for people with muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and congenital abnormalities. A service dog can perform many tasks for their companions such as picking up dropped articles, pulling wheelchairs, assisting walkers, turning lights on and off, opening and closing doors, carrying school books, and pulling their companions out of bed. Most service dogs are generally Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. We use German Shepherds and other breeds that show they have the aptitude for service work.
Hearing Assistance Dogs
Hearing Dogs are custom-trained to assist people who are deaf or hard of hearing by physically alerting their human partner to common household sounds. A Hearing Dog can be trained to indicate a smoke alarm, door knock, doorbell, alarm clock, telephone/TDD ring, or even a baby cry by initiating physical contact (in the form of a nose nudge or a persistent ‘paw’), and leading their partner to the source of the sound. Hearing Dogs can also be taught to respond to signs (hand signals) for people who are non-verbal.
Partnering with a Dog Training School can increase feelings of security and self-confidence, increasing the independence and quality of life of their human partner. For children, they can ease the frustration, pain, and anger that often accompanies’ a hearing disability. They also feel safer when they are alone with their hearing dogs.
The dogs are able to alert their owners to the presence of intruders. This gives their owners a higher sense of security. The Signal/Hearing Ear Dog provides its owner with a constant companion and a special bond of friendship.
Partnering with a Dog Training School can increase feelings of security and self-confidence, increasing the independence and quality of life of their human partner. For children, they can ease the frustration, pain, and anger that often accompanies’ a hearing disability. They also feel safer when they are alone with their hearing dogs.
The dogs are able to alert their owners to the presence of intruders. This gives their owners a higher sense of security. The Signal/Hearing Ear Dog provides its owner with a constant companion and a special bond of friendship.
- Dogs learn to respond to verbal and hand signals and are taught to work for praise and affection.
- They are trained to make physical contact and lead their teammates to the source of the sound.
- For people with hearing impairment, the absence of sound can be life-threatening!
- The Signal/Hearing Ear Dog can become a bridge providing more opportunities to socialize while out and about in a “hearing” world. · People with hearing impairments and utilize a Signal/Hearing Ear Dog, report that they feel better equipped to function in a hearing world.
- Signal/Hearing Ear Dogs are trained to alert their owners to a variety of different sounds.
- When the dog hears any of the noises they are trained to recognize, they get their owners attention and lead them to the sound.
- Someone knocking at the door
- Doorbells
- Alarm clock
- · Telephone/TDD/TTY
- Smoke Detectors
- Someone calling their owner’s name
- Police and emergency vehicle sirens
- Car horns
Diabetic Alert Dogs
Diabetic Awareness or Alert Service Dogs (Type 1 and Type 2)
Diabetes – Type 1 (juvenile, brittle) diabetes and type 2 diabetes are different diseases with similar symptoms.
Type 1 is a disease in which the body no longer produces insulin; therefore, the type 1 diabetic requires an alternate source of insulin (shots or pumps). Type 1 is usually diagnosed before age 40. Meals, emotions, physical activity, growth spurts, hormone levels, weather . . .everything. . .effects blood sugar levels in a person with type 1.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body still produces insulin, but it is not as effective as it should be. This type of diabetes can usually be managed with diet, exercise, and maybe a pill.
Have you ever heard of a dog that could sense when blood sugars are dropping to an unsafe level? They are called Hypoglycemic Alert Dogs or Diabetic Alert Dogs (D.A.Ds), and they are enhancing lives every day. Diabetic medic alert dogs are trained to respond to a change in the way a person smells when their blood sugar is too low or too high. Normally, a person can feel the warning signals of LOW BLOOD SUGAR (sweating, shaking, nausea, and confusion); however, some are unable to feel these symptoms and are thus unaware that their blood sugar is dropping or is dangerously low. This can lead to seizures, brain damage, or passing out while driving – Diabetic Alert Service Dogs are trained to give a signal to alert their partner when they detect to low or to high blood sugar levels.
The Diabetic medic alert dogs are taught signals for high and low blood sugar, and how to alert other family members (barking?) in an emergency, and possibly how to push a special button on a phone to send a recorded message to the 911 dispatcher. (Specifically trained to identify and assist diabetics during hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic attacks). While the dogs are trained to perform specific alerts such as whining, yipping or barking, ultimately how the dog alerts depends on the partner’s needs, age, health and lifestyle. Hypoglycemia unawareness is a common — and dangerous — condition that can develop in those with type 1 diabetes. This condition means you don’t experience the symptoms most people do when their blood sugar gets too low. Normal symptoms of low blood sugar include sweating, shaking, or confusion. At very low levels, you may experience seizures or go into a coma if your blood sugar is too low for too long.
Dogs have a naturally heightened sense of smell that makes them excellent hunters. Professional trainers have learned to harness these skills by training dogs to recognize certain smells. These could include the fruity-smelling ketones a person’s body produces when they are experiencing a hyperglycemic episode when blood sugar is too high or the unique scent a person gives off during a hypoglycemic episode when blood sugar is too low. A diabetes service dog isn’t a replacement for checking blood sugar levels. However, it is a safeguard for those who experience episodes of low or high blood sugar, especially if they do not have warning symptoms.
Diabetes – Type 1 (juvenile, brittle) diabetes and type 2 diabetes are different diseases with similar symptoms.
Type 1 is a disease in which the body no longer produces insulin; therefore, the type 1 diabetic requires an alternate source of insulin (shots or pumps). Type 1 is usually diagnosed before age 40. Meals, emotions, physical activity, growth spurts, hormone levels, weather . . .everything. . .effects blood sugar levels in a person with type 1.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body still produces insulin, but it is not as effective as it should be. This type of diabetes can usually be managed with diet, exercise, and maybe a pill.
Have you ever heard of a dog that could sense when blood sugars are dropping to an unsafe level? They are called Hypoglycemic Alert Dogs or Diabetic Alert Dogs (D.A.Ds), and they are enhancing lives every day. Diabetic medic alert dogs are trained to respond to a change in the way a person smells when their blood sugar is too low or too high. Normally, a person can feel the warning signals of LOW BLOOD SUGAR (sweating, shaking, nausea, and confusion); however, some are unable to feel these symptoms and are thus unaware that their blood sugar is dropping or is dangerously low. This can lead to seizures, brain damage, or passing out while driving – Diabetic Alert Service Dogs are trained to give a signal to alert their partner when they detect to low or to high blood sugar levels.
The Diabetic medic alert dogs are taught signals for high and low blood sugar, and how to alert other family members (barking?) in an emergency, and possibly how to push a special button on a phone to send a recorded message to the 911 dispatcher. (Specifically trained to identify and assist diabetics during hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic attacks). While the dogs are trained to perform specific alerts such as whining, yipping or barking, ultimately how the dog alerts depends on the partner’s needs, age, health and lifestyle. Hypoglycemia unawareness is a common — and dangerous — condition that can develop in those with type 1 diabetes. This condition means you don’t experience the symptoms most people do when their blood sugar gets too low. Normal symptoms of low blood sugar include sweating, shaking, or confusion. At very low levels, you may experience seizures or go into a coma if your blood sugar is too low for too long.
Dogs have a naturally heightened sense of smell that makes them excellent hunters. Professional trainers have learned to harness these skills by training dogs to recognize certain smells. These could include the fruity-smelling ketones a person’s body produces when they are experiencing a hyperglycemic episode when blood sugar is too high or the unique scent a person gives off during a hypoglycemic episode when blood sugar is too low. A diabetes service dog isn’t a replacement for checking blood sugar levels. However, it is a safeguard for those who experience episodes of low or high blood sugar, especially if they do not have warning symptoms.
Episodic Disorder Service Dogs (Epilepsy, Meniere, Narcolepsy, Migraine)
Episodic diseases present with symptoms that affect all areas of life. One of the most debilitating of these symptoms are: the “episodes” associated with these diseases. For example:
• Seizures
• Migraines
• Fainting Spells
• Falling asleep
It is these experiences that often place enormous restrictions on the individual and produce much anxiety. The individual often does not know when the episode will occur, and consequently, their safety becomes jeopardized. If a fainting spell or seizure occurred while driving or crossing the street, the situation could be fatal. Work can become difficult as tasks or presentations become interrupted during these episodes, and the response of co-workers can cause embarrassment and isolation for the individual. Even something as simple as a staircase can become a complete restriction. Service dogs can re-open these activities and environments to the individual.
THE GOAL: Episodic disorders present a unique complication to the individual and the service dog trainer. The goal of episodic service dogs is that through training and exposure, the dog will be able to alert the individual to impending episodes, allowing the individual to seek safety or take rescue medication. Not all dogs can accomplish this. Trainers and scientists have yet to isolate the warning factors in episodic diseases. However, even if the dog never learns to “alert,” it provides many safety and comfort tasks during and after each episode.
1. The service dog can roll the person into the “left side recovery position” after a seizure.
2. They can go seek help for the person.
3. Service Dogs provide grounding and comfort as the person arouses from these episodes.
4. The service dog can also carry the rescue medication and medical information so that others will be able to understand what is happening and assist as necessary.
Seizures
All dogs seem to be able to predict seizures. Approximately fifteen percent of dogs are naturally able to predict seizures before they occur. On average, these predictions or alerts are made 10-20 minutes before the seizure, giving the person with the seizure disorder an opportunity to move to a safe place, take medication, call for help, or notify friends or family of the impending seizure so they can be checked later. Success may depend on the type of seizures the owner is having. Psychological seizures are induced by stress and epileptic seizures cause a change in the chemistry in the brain. For some seizure suffers, having an alert dog can lead to less frequent seizures. Further research still needs to be done in all these areas.
No one knows for certain how these dogs are able to detect when a seizure is about to occur. Two popular theories are (1) that the dog is able to smell minute changes in the person’s biochemistry; possibly in their blood chemistry or (2) that they are able to detect fine motor changes imperceptible to human eyes. Regardless of how precisely they do it, this behavior is a natural one that occurs in some dogs and not others. It may take a dog with this innate ability up to six months living with a person with a seizure disorder to begin displaying the ability. Programs that place seizure response dogs have reported that about half of the response dogs they place go on to alert as well within six months of placement.
Some trainers believe that you cannot train a dog to alert to a seizure but we believe differently. We teach our seizure dogs a game specifically to be played with their handlers to train them to alert to oncoming seizures. Yet, once a recipient and their dog develop a strong bond, many seizure response dogs (about 87%) do go on to PREDICT or react in ADVANCE of a seizure, usually with an unusual behavior, such as whining, pawing, pacing, jumping, barking, etc. This may happen a few to several minutes before a seizure, which can be quite helpful for individuals who do not experience an aura or feeling that the seizure is coming on. We train our dogs to respond with manners that are unique to them.
Seizure alert/response dogs
Other dogs, called seizure response dogs, are trained to perform tasks during or following a seizure to assist the owner. These tasks may include rolling the person to create an open airway, clearing vomitus from the mouth, getting help, operating a call button or k9 phone, blocking the person with postictal disorientation from stairs and intersections, helping the person to rise, helping with postictal balance issues, guiding the disoriented person to a preset location or person, et cetera. Because these response tasks are so useful, most seizure alert dogs are also trained in response work. These dual seizure dogs are called “seizure alert/response dogs” or simply seizure dogs.
Even if a service dog does not learn to alert to a seizures, their handler can still benefit from the dog as s/he can stay with the person and comfort them as they recover (by lying beside them), lick them as they re-orient or go get help as the seizure is happening (or the other tasks listed above). Of course, seizure response dogs offer constant emotional support as well.
Of course, training a seizure response dog is more complicated than simple behavior conditioning. In order to be a valid service dog, the dog also needs to have all the foundation behaviors, such as basic obedience, being calm in public, ignoring distractions like food, kids, other dogs, cats, and people plus we recommend to have at least 3 specially-trained behaviors such as responding to the seizure by providing comfort, getting help, pressing an emergency alarm, dragging harmful objects away from the person as they are having a seizure, carrying information about the handler’s medical condition, rolling them over to prevent airway blockages, blocking the person from falling down stairs, helping to re-orient the person as they come out of their seizure, helping the person to stand after a seizure (called bracing), guiding their disoriented person to a predetermined location for help, or reminding their person to take their medication regularly.
Types of Seizures
There are many different types of seizures. Some seizures, such as many temporal lobe seizures, build gradually, with seizure activity building slowly over time. This allows an advanced warning system for a dog to recognize a scent cue and alert in advance before the seizure ‘breaks through’ with the visible signs of a seizure. Some seizures, such as many frontal lobe seizures, strike quickly like lightening and many do not have a gradual increase of seizure activity. In some of these cases, with frontal lobe seizures, it is impossible for a dog to alert in advance because there is no seizure activity within the brain that the dog can detect – but dogs can still be taught to alert during the seizure which can assist in the form of the dog alerting another household member of their recipient’s seizure. Many detailed factors come into play which can determine if a dog is able to alert in advance of a seizure, or during a seizure. Every case is different based on the types of seizures the disabled party experiences, how often these seizures occur, and when these seizures occur. We will need to speak with you and your neurologist to have a full understanding of your seizures. This allows us to determine what is possible to make sure you have a realistic expectation of how a dog can assist.
Seizure Assistance
Our dogs are also trained to assist after a seizure. They are trained to locate and retrieve a phone for their handler to call for help if needed. They are also trained to help brace or balance their handler for stability after a seizure. In certain cases recipients will ask that the dog be trained to retrieve a family member in another room.
Seizure Assistance and Alert Dogs for Children and Infants
Because of our alert game we can train the dog to alert a parent that their child is going to have a seizure. No more worrying! It is such a relief for parents to know when their child will have a seizure. But please understand that no one or no dog is 100% there are a lot of factors that can be present at any time day or night to prevent a full alert.
• Seizures
• Migraines
• Fainting Spells
• Falling asleep
It is these experiences that often place enormous restrictions on the individual and produce much anxiety. The individual often does not know when the episode will occur, and consequently, their safety becomes jeopardized. If a fainting spell or seizure occurred while driving or crossing the street, the situation could be fatal. Work can become difficult as tasks or presentations become interrupted during these episodes, and the response of co-workers can cause embarrassment and isolation for the individual. Even something as simple as a staircase can become a complete restriction. Service dogs can re-open these activities and environments to the individual.
THE GOAL: Episodic disorders present a unique complication to the individual and the service dog trainer. The goal of episodic service dogs is that through training and exposure, the dog will be able to alert the individual to impending episodes, allowing the individual to seek safety or take rescue medication. Not all dogs can accomplish this. Trainers and scientists have yet to isolate the warning factors in episodic diseases. However, even if the dog never learns to “alert,” it provides many safety and comfort tasks during and after each episode.
1. The service dog can roll the person into the “left side recovery position” after a seizure.
2. They can go seek help for the person.
3. Service Dogs provide grounding and comfort as the person arouses from these episodes.
4. The service dog can also carry the rescue medication and medical information so that others will be able to understand what is happening and assist as necessary.
Seizures
All dogs seem to be able to predict seizures. Approximately fifteen percent of dogs are naturally able to predict seizures before they occur. On average, these predictions or alerts are made 10-20 minutes before the seizure, giving the person with the seizure disorder an opportunity to move to a safe place, take medication, call for help, or notify friends or family of the impending seizure so they can be checked later. Success may depend on the type of seizures the owner is having. Psychological seizures are induced by stress and epileptic seizures cause a change in the chemistry in the brain. For some seizure suffers, having an alert dog can lead to less frequent seizures. Further research still needs to be done in all these areas.
No one knows for certain how these dogs are able to detect when a seizure is about to occur. Two popular theories are (1) that the dog is able to smell minute changes in the person’s biochemistry; possibly in their blood chemistry or (2) that they are able to detect fine motor changes imperceptible to human eyes. Regardless of how precisely they do it, this behavior is a natural one that occurs in some dogs and not others. It may take a dog with this innate ability up to six months living with a person with a seizure disorder to begin displaying the ability. Programs that place seizure response dogs have reported that about half of the response dogs they place go on to alert as well within six months of placement.
Some trainers believe that you cannot train a dog to alert to a seizure but we believe differently. We teach our seizure dogs a game specifically to be played with their handlers to train them to alert to oncoming seizures. Yet, once a recipient and their dog develop a strong bond, many seizure response dogs (about 87%) do go on to PREDICT or react in ADVANCE of a seizure, usually with an unusual behavior, such as whining, pawing, pacing, jumping, barking, etc. This may happen a few to several minutes before a seizure, which can be quite helpful for individuals who do not experience an aura or feeling that the seizure is coming on. We train our dogs to respond with manners that are unique to them.
Seizure alert/response dogs
Other dogs, called seizure response dogs, are trained to perform tasks during or following a seizure to assist the owner. These tasks may include rolling the person to create an open airway, clearing vomitus from the mouth, getting help, operating a call button or k9 phone, blocking the person with postictal disorientation from stairs and intersections, helping the person to rise, helping with postictal balance issues, guiding the disoriented person to a preset location or person, et cetera. Because these response tasks are so useful, most seizure alert dogs are also trained in response work. These dual seizure dogs are called “seizure alert/response dogs” or simply seizure dogs.
Even if a service dog does not learn to alert to a seizures, their handler can still benefit from the dog as s/he can stay with the person and comfort them as they recover (by lying beside them), lick them as they re-orient or go get help as the seizure is happening (or the other tasks listed above). Of course, seizure response dogs offer constant emotional support as well.
Of course, training a seizure response dog is more complicated than simple behavior conditioning. In order to be a valid service dog, the dog also needs to have all the foundation behaviors, such as basic obedience, being calm in public, ignoring distractions like food, kids, other dogs, cats, and people plus we recommend to have at least 3 specially-trained behaviors such as responding to the seizure by providing comfort, getting help, pressing an emergency alarm, dragging harmful objects away from the person as they are having a seizure, carrying information about the handler’s medical condition, rolling them over to prevent airway blockages, blocking the person from falling down stairs, helping to re-orient the person as they come out of their seizure, helping the person to stand after a seizure (called bracing), guiding their disoriented person to a predetermined location for help, or reminding their person to take their medication regularly.
Types of Seizures
There are many different types of seizures. Some seizures, such as many temporal lobe seizures, build gradually, with seizure activity building slowly over time. This allows an advanced warning system for a dog to recognize a scent cue and alert in advance before the seizure ‘breaks through’ with the visible signs of a seizure. Some seizures, such as many frontal lobe seizures, strike quickly like lightening and many do not have a gradual increase of seizure activity. In some of these cases, with frontal lobe seizures, it is impossible for a dog to alert in advance because there is no seizure activity within the brain that the dog can detect – but dogs can still be taught to alert during the seizure which can assist in the form of the dog alerting another household member of their recipient’s seizure. Many detailed factors come into play which can determine if a dog is able to alert in advance of a seizure, or during a seizure. Every case is different based on the types of seizures the disabled party experiences, how often these seizures occur, and when these seizures occur. We will need to speak with you and your neurologist to have a full understanding of your seizures. This allows us to determine what is possible to make sure you have a realistic expectation of how a dog can assist.
Seizure Assistance
Our dogs are also trained to assist after a seizure. They are trained to locate and retrieve a phone for their handler to call for help if needed. They are also trained to help brace or balance their handler for stability after a seizure. In certain cases recipients will ask that the dog be trained to retrieve a family member in another room.
Seizure Assistance and Alert Dogs for Children and Infants
Because of our alert game we can train the dog to alert a parent that their child is going to have a seizure. No more worrying! It is such a relief for parents to know when their child will have a seizure. But please understand that no one or no dog is 100% there are a lot of factors that can be present at any time day or night to prevent a full alert.
Service Dogs for Psychiatric Disorder
Psychiatric Service Dogs are like any other service animal. They are individually trained in obedience, perform tasks, and work in distracting public environments to mitigate their partner’s psychiatric disability. Their function is not to provide emotional support but to perform tasks that enable their partner to function in ordinary ways the non-disabled take for granted.
What tasks should a person use?
To determine what a service dog might do to help you, make a list of those things you cannot do for yourself because of your disability. Consider what someone might do to help you overcome these barriers to basic functioning. Is it possible a dog might be trained to do those things for you?
Bonus training for psychiatric service dogs
In addition to tasks, psychiatric service dogs can be trained to perform emotionally comforting behaviours, such as licking or snuggling with their disabled handler on command. Some feelings of isolation or of being unloved can be relieved by unconditional positive interaction with another living being. While these bonus behaviours are not true tasks, in the sense that they alone would not justify the animal as a service dog, they can be very beneficial to the handler in times of stress. Handlers also report that the tactile stimulation of petting their dog or being nuzzled can help them to reorient during a dissociation episode or panic attack.
Guide a disoriented handler…
Example:
A person wanders away from familiar surroundings during a dissociation episode. When she becomes aware again, she realizes she is lost and still disoriented from the episode. She cannot think clearly about how to retrace her steps. Her dog is trained to backtrack, following their own scent trail back to where they were when the episode started. Alternatively, the dog might be trained to guide the handler to specific trained locations by command, such as “home.”
Find a person or place…
Example:
A person becomes separated from his family in a crowd. As the crowd closes in around him, he experiences a panic attack and difficulty breathing. He cannot call out to his family. He gives his dog a signal to locate his family who will help him, or to locate an exit where he can escape the crowd and get fresh air.
Room search…
Example:
A person with severe hyper-vigilance due to PTSD finds she is unable to enter her own home. Her symptom causes her to believe there is an intruder in her home who will attack her if she enters. Her dog is trained to perform a systematic search of any room or building and bark on finding someone. When her dog finishes the search pattern and returns, she knows it really is safe to enter and that the presumed intruder was just a symptom. The same task can be used at her office, at hotel rooms, at friends’ homes or any other area that is supposed to be vacant.
Signal for certain sounds…
Example:
A person heavily sedated, in a flashback, or in a psychotic episode fails to respond to a smoke alarm. His dog is trained to persistently and very firmly signal him until he responds. Alternately, the dog may be trained to take hold of his handler’s arm or sleeve in his mouth and lead him outside.
Interrupt and redirect…
Example:
A person with OCD subconsciously picks at the skin on her arm. She has done this with such persistence that she has scaring. Her dog is trained to recognize picking skin as a cue to bring her a dog brush. Because she is not picking intentionally, the interruption of the dog will stop her from picking. Handing her the brush is a reminder to her that grooming the dog is a non-harmful alternative behavior for her OCD symptom.
Balance assistance…
Example:
A person overwhelmed with anxiety has taken a strong prescribed tranquilizer. While the tranquilizer reduces his anxiety, allowing him to breathe more efficiently and to think a little more clearly, it has also impaired his ability to walk without assistance. His dog is trained to walk close at his side so he can rest his hand on the dog’s harness to help him keep his balance as he moves to a safe place to finish recovering from his attack.
Bring help…
Example:
A person with PTSD becomes stuck in a flashback that an intruder is searching for her. She managed to call 911 for assistance when she first perceived the problem but is now hiding in her closet to avoid detection by the perceived intruder. When EMS arrives, they call out for her, but she does not answer because she believes they are going to hurt her. The 911 operator informs the responders that there is a service dog present and what command to give him to lead them to his owner. With the dog’s assistance in locating her, EMS is able to reach her and assist her to the hospital.
Bring medication in an emergency…
Example:
A person with an anxiety disability experiences severe gastric distress when overstressed. The resulting nausea causes him to become disoriented and dizzy. He falls to the ground and cannot rise. His dog is trained to retrieve his anti-nausea medication and bring it to him.
Clearing the airway…
Example:
A person with nausea due to a change in medication has been vomiting uncontrollably and has become dehydrated. She has collapsed on the floor, unable to move or to think clearly. She is at risk of choking on her vomit or becoming even further dehydrated. Her dog is trained to clear the vomit from her airway and to bring her a bottle of water.
Identifying Hallucinations
Example:
A person who experiences hallucinations sees a person who should not be in the room with him. Is this a hallucination he can safely ignore, or is it an intruder? His dog is trained to go and greet any person his handler points at, on command. The man points at the intruder and instructs the dog to “go say hi.” The dog moves in the direction indicated but can find no person to greet, so he returns to his handler. The handler now knows the person he sees is a hallucination and calls his doctor for help instead of calling the police for an intruder.
What tasks should a person use?
To determine what a service dog might do to help you, make a list of those things you cannot do for yourself because of your disability. Consider what someone might do to help you overcome these barriers to basic functioning. Is it possible a dog might be trained to do those things for you?
Bonus training for psychiatric service dogs
In addition to tasks, psychiatric service dogs can be trained to perform emotionally comforting behaviours, such as licking or snuggling with their disabled handler on command. Some feelings of isolation or of being unloved can be relieved by unconditional positive interaction with another living being. While these bonus behaviours are not true tasks, in the sense that they alone would not justify the animal as a service dog, they can be very beneficial to the handler in times of stress. Handlers also report that the tactile stimulation of petting their dog or being nuzzled can help them to reorient during a dissociation episode or panic attack.
Guide a disoriented handler…
Example:
A person wanders away from familiar surroundings during a dissociation episode. When she becomes aware again, she realizes she is lost and still disoriented from the episode. She cannot think clearly about how to retrace her steps. Her dog is trained to backtrack, following their own scent trail back to where they were when the episode started. Alternatively, the dog might be trained to guide the handler to specific trained locations by command, such as “home.”
Find a person or place…
Example:
A person becomes separated from his family in a crowd. As the crowd closes in around him, he experiences a panic attack and difficulty breathing. He cannot call out to his family. He gives his dog a signal to locate his family who will help him, or to locate an exit where he can escape the crowd and get fresh air.
Room search…
Example:
A person with severe hyper-vigilance due to PTSD finds she is unable to enter her own home. Her symptom causes her to believe there is an intruder in her home who will attack her if she enters. Her dog is trained to perform a systematic search of any room or building and bark on finding someone. When her dog finishes the search pattern and returns, she knows it really is safe to enter and that the presumed intruder was just a symptom. The same task can be used at her office, at hotel rooms, at friends’ homes or any other area that is supposed to be vacant.
Signal for certain sounds…
Example:
A person heavily sedated, in a flashback, or in a psychotic episode fails to respond to a smoke alarm. His dog is trained to persistently and very firmly signal him until he responds. Alternately, the dog may be trained to take hold of his handler’s arm or sleeve in his mouth and lead him outside.
Interrupt and redirect…
Example:
A person with OCD subconsciously picks at the skin on her arm. She has done this with such persistence that she has scaring. Her dog is trained to recognize picking skin as a cue to bring her a dog brush. Because she is not picking intentionally, the interruption of the dog will stop her from picking. Handing her the brush is a reminder to her that grooming the dog is a non-harmful alternative behavior for her OCD symptom.
Balance assistance…
Example:
A person overwhelmed with anxiety has taken a strong prescribed tranquilizer. While the tranquilizer reduces his anxiety, allowing him to breathe more efficiently and to think a little more clearly, it has also impaired his ability to walk without assistance. His dog is trained to walk close at his side so he can rest his hand on the dog’s harness to help him keep his balance as he moves to a safe place to finish recovering from his attack.
Bring help…
Example:
A person with PTSD becomes stuck in a flashback that an intruder is searching for her. She managed to call 911 for assistance when she first perceived the problem but is now hiding in her closet to avoid detection by the perceived intruder. When EMS arrives, they call out for her, but she does not answer because she believes they are going to hurt her. The 911 operator informs the responders that there is a service dog present and what command to give him to lead them to his owner. With the dog’s assistance in locating her, EMS is able to reach her and assist her to the hospital.
Bring medication in an emergency…
Example:
A person with an anxiety disability experiences severe gastric distress when overstressed. The resulting nausea causes him to become disoriented and dizzy. He falls to the ground and cannot rise. His dog is trained to retrieve his anti-nausea medication and bring it to him.
Clearing the airway…
Example:
A person with nausea due to a change in medication has been vomiting uncontrollably and has become dehydrated. She has collapsed on the floor, unable to move or to think clearly. She is at risk of choking on her vomit or becoming even further dehydrated. Her dog is trained to clear the vomit from her airway and to bring her a bottle of water.
Identifying Hallucinations
Example:
A person who experiences hallucinations sees a person who should not be in the room with him. Is this a hallucination he can safely ignore, or is it an intruder? His dog is trained to go and greet any person his handler points at, on command. The man points at the intruder and instructs the dog to “go say hi.” The dog moves in the direction indicated but can find no person to greet, so he returns to his handler. The handler now knows the person he sees is a hallucination and calls his doctor for help instead of calling the police for an intruder.
Dog Training School fully trains dogs – meaning they are given full obedience and scent training, performing specific tasks and alerts while living with their partner and their family. Service dogs usually start young, as early as 8 to 12 weeks, and it can take up to two years of daily training to adequately train a service dog. This requires a large amount of hands-on training with the partner and constant communication with the Dog Training School. Our dogs become a balanced member of the family.