What Conditions Warrant a Service Dog?

A service dog is a trained canine that is used to help a person with a physical or mental disability perform everyday tasks. The use of service animal is protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which does not limit the definition of a qualifying disability---a service dog can be used anywhere and for any condition, as long as it actually provides a service, related to that condition. However, there are several conditions for which dogs are most commonly employed as service animals.

Blindness

• Blindness is a common condition for which service dogs are utilized; both the fully blind and visually impaired can qualify for a service dog for the blind, or "guide dog." A guide dog basically acts as a set of eyes for its owner. They are thoroughly trained to recognize all kinds of obstacles and hazards, and lead their owners safely around them. Guide dogs can also help the blind at traffic lights and other pedestrian crossings, and will disobey a command if it is unsafe. The most common guide dogs are Labrador retrievers and German shepherds that are specifically bred for good behavioral traits.

Deafness

• Service dogs are sometimes used to help the deaf or hard of hearing; these types of dogs are commonly called "hearing dogs." Hearing dogs are most commonly used to alert the deaf or hard of hearing of various household sounds---alarms, phones, doorbells and even sounds of distress from family members; they nudge or paw at their owners, then lead them to the sound source. Most service dogs for the deaf are also trained to recognize their owners' names. Hearing dogs are much easier to train than guide dogs, and may come in a variety of breeds.

Epilepsy

• Another condition that is gaining recognition in the world of service animals is epilepsy. "Seizure-alert dogs" can actually alert their owners of an impending seizure, allowing the owner to get to a safe place, call for help or make any other needed preparations. Scientists don't yet understand what it is in the epileptic's behavior that alerts his dog, and the ability cannot be trained into a dog. Nevertheless, dogs that are born with this "sixth sense" can be turned into seizure-alert dogs. Not all seizure-alert dogs are used to detect seizures. Many epileptics use them to notify family members when they are experiencing a seizure, or even to keep them from bumping into things and injuring themselves.

Other Physical Disabilities

• There are number of physical conditions and disabilities that warrant the use of a service dog. The dogs that help people with physical disabilities, other than deafness and blindness, are typically called "service dogs." These dogs are usually trained to help with picking up objects, moving them around and bringing them to their owners, as well as helping out with a variety of everyday tasks, like opening doors and hitting light switches. Sometimes these dogs are also used as walking aids, or for pulling/pushing a wheelchair.