MikeLigalig.com

Service Dogs



A service dog is an assistance dog specifically trained to help people with disabilities. All dogs are trained in the specifics of the disability its receiver requires. Some of the impairments dogs are trained for include mental disabilities such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, (PTSD), visual or hearing impairment, medical conditions including seizures or diabetes and even autism. Dogs may also be trained to carry life support equipment like oxygen tanks.

The most popular breeds for service dogs are the Golden and Labrador Retrievers. Required personality traits for service animals include good temperaments, health, trainability and stamina.

Potential service dogs are, typically, fostered as puppies â€" raised in foster homes. When a dog reaches the age of 12-18 months, they will be evaluated and begin training. There are a number of groups and companies that train service dogs. Most of them specialize in a particular area so that the dog receives specialized training for a specific need. Occasionally, a dog will receive additional training for a secondary need if the patient requires it.

The typical working tenure of a service dog is eight to ten years. Because of the strict behavior expected from a working dog, many owners will not allow people to pet the animal. In fact, it’s important that they don’t because service dogs are often trained to anticipate danger and public interaction can sometimes compromise or confuse the dog’s ability to read the warning signs.

When a service dog retires, the owner has the option to keep the dog as a pet. Service dogs are highly sought after as pets because of their manners and obedience training. Should the owner decide not to keep the retired dog, the original foster family is given the opportunity to adopt.

more at http://www.myfavoritepetshop.com/blog/2013/01/17/service-dogs/

Therapy dogs visit people who are incapacitated or prevented in some way from having freedom of movement; these dogs provide cheer and entertainment for the elderly in retirement facilities, the ill and injured in hospitals, and so on. The very act of training dogs can also act as a therapy for human handlers, as in a prisoner rehabilitation project. (wikipedia)

Rescue dogs assist people who are in difficult situations, such as in the water after a boat disaster. (wikipedia)

Search dogs locate people who are missing; lost in the wilderness, escaped from nursing homes, covered in snow avalanches, buried under collapsed buildings, etc. (wikipedia)

Herding dogs are still invaluable to sheep and cattle handlers (stockmen) around the world for mustering; different breeds are used for the different jobs involved in stock work and for guarding the flocks and herds. Modern herding dogs help to control cattle and wild geese in parks or goats used for weed control. A well trained dog can adapt to control any sort of domestic and many wild animals. (wikipedia)

Sled dogs, although today primarily used in sporting events, still can assist in transporting people and supplies in rugged, snowy terrain. (wikipedia)

Performing dogs such as Circus dogs and dog actors are trained to perform acts that are not intrinsically useful, but instead provide entertainment to their audience or enable human artistic performances. (wikipedia)

Hunting dogs assist hunters in finding, tracking, and retrieving game, or in routing vermin. Less frequently a dog, or rather or a pack of them, actually fights a predator, such as a bear or feral pig. (wikipedia)

Guard dogs and watch dogs help to protect private or public property, either in living or used for patrols, as in the military and with security firms. (wikipedia)

Tracking dogs help find lost people and animals or track down possible criminals. (wikipedia)

Cadaver dog or Human Remains Detection Dogs use their scenting ability to discover bodies or human remains at the scenes of disasters, crimes, accidents, or suicides. (wikipedia)

Detection dogs of a wide variety help to detect termites and bedbugs in homes, illegal substances in luggage, bombs, chemicals, and many other substances. (wikipedia)

War Dogs or K9 Corps are used by armed forces in many of the same roles as civilian working dogs, but in a military context. In addition, specialized military tasks such as mine detection or wire laying have been assigned to dogs. Military Working Dog is the more formal, current term for dogs trained for use in military tasks. (wikipedia)

Police dogs, also sometimes called K9 Units, are usually trained to track or immobilize possible criminals while assisting officers in making arrests or investigating the scene of a crime. Some are even specially trained for anti-terrorist units, as in Austria. (wikipedia)

Dogs are sometimes used in programs to assist children in learning how to read. The Reading With Rover program in Washington pairs trained dogs with children who read aloud to the dog. This process builds confidence and reduces stress. (wikipedia)

Celebrity prop dogs...

Dogtor...