A Service Animal Is An Animal Trained To Help People Perform Specific Tasks.
This animal can be cats, horses, pigs, monkeys, and others. However, the most popular service animal is the dog.
No doubt; you would see that dogs are truly a man’s best friend. They can be a lot of things to us and for some people, they are more than just a pet and companion. They become an essential part of life.
So, why are dogs the preferred service animal for many? There are a lot of reasons why and in this blog, let us show you some of them.
They Can Guide A Visually Impaired Person
People who have limited to no visual acuity are finding their help from dogs. The difficulty to see is eased by a service dog who can help in navigating through pathways, traffic, and vehicles.
Service or assistance dogs are highly trained to help visually impaired and blind people to walk around. Not only that, but their presence alone could help people be more confident in socialization.
An Ear For Hearing Impairments
Visually impaired people are not the only ones who are benefitting from service dogs, but also those who are hearing impaired.
For people who have difficulty in hearing, service hearing dogs assist by alerting them to different noises or sounds such as alarms, doorbells, whistling kettle, crying babies, and many other more. When the dog hears the sound, he will get the attention of his human and bring it towards the sound.
A Great Extra Hand
People with illnesses or deficiencies like spinal injuries, limited range of motion, paralysis, and arthritis may benefit from the service dogs.
A service dog can perform a wide range of tasks. Examples are bringing objects to people, pressing elevator buttons, helping people to get up from the bed or chair, picking up newspapers, getting the mails on the mailbox, and even pulling a wheelchair up on a ramp.
Since helping with activities of daily living can be challenging, a service dog for this purpose should be big and strong enough to provide support.
Serves As A Reliever Of Trauma
We often see veterans have service dogs. Why? Because dogs can help in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD is a serious disorder affecting a lot of people who have experienced traumatic events such as going through a war, being raised by abusive parents, surviving a car accident, and other life-threatening events.
According to research, people who suffer from PTSD feel safer and happier when they have a service dog by their side. With the help of furry pooch, a person makes himself more aware of his health and condition. Just the mere companionship that a service dog brings allows people to become more outgoing and appreciative of life’s beauty.
So, Why Dogs?
Dogs have already been with us ever since time immemorial. Humans and dogs have already formed a strong affinity for each other. So, when you need someone, it is not surprising to see that a dog is there for you.
Yes, any animal can serve as a service animal, but dogs are just different because of their genuine love, care, and loyalty to humans.
Dogs are not just pets. They give people more than just companionship. They are there to help people deal with emotional, social, physical, and mental problems.
If you believe you need a service dog, you may speak to your doctor. You can discuss this possibility with him and obtain more details about the process.
