In the past, people with disability depended on other people to help them out with daily tasks and moving around as well as other traditional means but with the introduction of service dogs, this need has decreased.
The definition and work of a service dog is a canine companion that specifically trained to help people with disabilities in certain tasks. Disability can either be physical or mental. You can know the dog by the tag or special vest that is put on them with most having them while a few owners choose not to put them on the dog. Numerous dog breeds can be used to serve as service dogs which are trained according to the most prominent desirable characteristic of the dog.
Having a service dog is beneficial in that; it plays a role in helping those who are speech disabled overcome the speech disorder, for patients with anxiety conditions and issues, it helps to provide anxiety relief mostly done by therapy dogs, the service dogs also play a role in helping people experiencing dementia which is common among the elderly population, communication is also another way that the service dogs are of benefit in that they encourage communication for people experiencing such difficulties, they come in handy when it comes to children with autism, therapy dogs or service dogs have physiological benefits such as reduction of blood pressure, they provide help in the household with simple activities on behalf of the disabled such as answering the doorbell, socialization is promoted with these dogs, different dogs are meant for different needs, and they promote exercise.
Things that you need to consider before getting a service dog are such as; whether you like dogs, if you have or any other member of the household has allergies, if you are comfortable with people knowing that you have a disability, the type of training needed for the service dog, the maintenance that comes with the service dog and if you can handle it, do some research to find out more about the service dogs before getting one, if you are able to take care of the dog, whether you have any other pets and if they can get along, also consider your accommodations if they can handle another addition to it, and affordability of the dog in relation to your living situation and budget.
In choosing the right dog, tips that you can use in selection are; whether the dog has undergone service dog training, get advice from other people who are experienced in the area, consider the breeder of the dog and everything that includes it.
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