I have written about service dogs before but every time I see one I feel all mushy inside. I read an article by Ian Hollingshead (The Daily Telegraph: London (UK) December 31, 2010) about exploring the full potential of man’s best friend. After reading this particular article I am thoroughly convinced (of course I am a dog lover anyway) that we are only taping into a portion of their potential.
Northwest Prime Time (July/August 2011) also featured an article about service dogs. Northwest Prime Time is a publication for seniors so it focuses on problems and solutions for older people. A service dog can help older people remain independent. Not only do canine helpers provide companionship but they are capable of doing chores like emptying washing machines, calling lifts, opening doors, turning on lights, spotting epileptic seizures, and helping people dress and undress.
Peter Gorbing (Dogs for the Disabled) feels that we are only scratching the surface when it comes to human-canine interactions. Dogs of the future will be accompanying their best friends from the classroom to the courtroom and everywhere in-between. People who love and own dogs already know that this relationship is a good thing. The trouble is that we persist in treating our pets like recalcitrant children instead of training them do useful things. I recently read about dogs being trained to help Alzheimer caregivers. Looking after someone 24 hours a day can be very stressful, especially if they are inclined to wander. A dog can be trained to be alert to such behaviors, and can do things like blocking the door or finding the caregiver in time to thwart escapism. Another potential being studies is using dogs to help people with autism cope with the anxieties of everyday living. The idea of bringing your pet to work is not such a bad idea. Your pet can be taught to do many things and this potential is now being explored.
If you have trouble opening doors, picking up your keys or calling for help you might be able to adjust to your situation better with the help of a service dog. I love dogs and plan to train my next dog to be my own personal service dog. An article by Theresa Winslow (McClatchy-Tribune Business News: WA. May 31, 2009) featured a program called “Canine Solution for Seniors”. A trainer works with dogs to perform tasks to help the elderly. Her article had a little different focus because it was about training your own dog to help you. Your own dog can be trained to do little things to help you out.
Your dog is smart. Shaking hands and rolling over to play dead doesn’t have to be his only claim to fame. On a more professional level you probably already know that assistance dogs can be trained to help in many ways. They can open doors, pull wheelchairs, turn on lights, retrieve a phone, or summon help. There are hearing dogs, diabetic response dogs and psychiatric service dogs. Dogs can be trailed to help people with Parkinson’s with balance or to stay with a person and prevent wanders from taking off. Service dogs aren’t for everybody but if you are determined to have a pet in your life anyway, why not consider training Rover to do more than wag his tail?
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Posted by: Senior Planning Services | July 18, 2011 at 12:45 AM