Those special dogs that are called for a higher service.
By: Tippy


Service Dogs are specially trained dogs that work for their
masters in special ways. For instance, a Service Dog may
work with a handicapped person in order to help them cope
with their handicap. Another use for a Service Dog is in law
enforcement, rescue or even the military.

Service Dogs require rigorous dog training and more often than
not they are selected and trained over a period of years to
fulfill a specific duty. In some cases there are waiting
lists for these special dogs so that they can help people
with their job or everyday life.

Service Dogs are required to have certain characteristics to
qualify to become a Service Dog. Here is a list of
characteristics that qualify a dog to become a Service Dog:

- Intelligence - The dog must be extremely smart to master
all of the behaviors that will be required of it.

- Obedience - A Service Dog must obey its owner as all
times.

- Observant - This ability is required for a Service Dog and
usually goes hand in hand with intelligence, but not always.

- Sharp Functional Senses - Dogs that are Service Dogs and
work for a living need to have sharp senses to help their
partners do specific duties. For instance: a drug sniffing
dog must have a sharp sense of smell that discriminates well
between odors.


Here is a list of different types of Service Dogs:

- Guide Dogs
- Hearing and Signal Dogs
- Assistance Dogs
- Canine Companions for Independence
- Therapy Dogs
- Professional Dogs
- And more

These dogs are most often trained to a specific person's
needs so that they will benefit the new owner. You can train
your own assistance dog but you will be required to register
the dog before it is allowed to go with its owner into
places that bar most dogs.

How much freedom a service dog is allowed in public places
depends on the locality. In the United States the Americans
with Disabilities Act of 1990 allows service dogs to
accompany their handlers to any place the general public is
allowed to access, like grocery stores, theaters, taxis,
aircraft, restaurants, and government buildings. It also
requires that handlers/owners and their dogs be allowed to
live in places that don't allow dogs as pets.


Belle is a Welsh Corgi pictured at top of page. Belle is a hearing
service dog. For more pictures of service dogs and service animals
and for more info about the marvelous work they do, please visit:
http://www.windchyme.com/Pages/ServiceDog/Servicepics/servicepics.htm




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