Who let the Dogs out? By Tyrone Smith, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Madison County

We all wish to lead an active life, but for people with physical disabilities, each day holds a number of obstacles to overcome. The use of our limbs or senses is something many of us take for granted. Therefore, we may not fully understand the frustration of trying to complete a task in the dark or not being able to hear the phone when it rings. Animals can help to make life a little easier for individuals that are physically challenged.

Have you ever considered the idea of "employing" a dog as a helper? Service organizations across the country understand the need for individuals that are blind, deaf, or physically challenged to be more independent. The belief behind this concept is that instead of being taken care of, persons with disabilities should be given opportunities to take charge of their own lives.

Dogs have long been recognized as man's best friend because they are non-judgmental, loyal, and provide unconditional love and affection. After receiving assistance dogs, many individuals will tell you of the numerous benefits they have experienced in addition to the obvious physical ones. Some people gain the self-confidence to go back to work, school, or simply to involve themselves with social activities.

There are four main types of trained assistance dogs, each with its area of specialization. These types are service, hearing, seeing, and social dogs. A very attractive aspect is that these dogs are willing and specially trained to serve the needs of their masters, and can relieve the feeling of guilt or dependency that individuals with a disability may have if they continually have to ask another person to help them.

Service Dogs
Service dogs are trained to help people with a wide range of physical disabilities. Service dog candidates are carefully selected for their temperament and are matched with the personality of their future owner. Then they are carefully trained to meet the specific needs of the individual they will be working with. Tasks that a service dog can be trained to do are retrieving a dropped object, pulling a wheelchair, opening doors, turning on a light switch, pushing an elevator button, or carrying items like books, bags, and shopping baskets.

Hearing Dogs
Silence or peace and quiet is something we seek from the noisy world we live in. Yet you could feel lonely and isolated as a deaf or hearing impaired person who could not hear the telephone ring, a newborn's cry, or an alarm clock. Think how anxious you would be if you were unable to hear warning sounds alerting you to danger. Professionally trained dogs are now able to ease these burdens plus offer companionship. This kind of friendship comes without the concern of whether or not you will be able to communicate effectively with your new friend. Dogs speak the universal language of love and are trained to respond to an individual's own set of cues and commands.

Dogs can be trained to alert their owners to such important sounds that occur in their environment as a telephone call, a knock at the door, a buzzer, a smoke alarm, on-coming traffic, a baby's cry, an alarm clock, or other sounds that indicate emergency or danger.

There are many options available to the deaf, such as mechanical devices that flash or vibrate that may be ineffective. The other option is the reliance on family, friends, or home aides. These options are not always the best arrangements for a person who wishes to live an independent life because they do not allow either party much personal space or freedom.

Seeing Dogs
For someone who is blind or who has a severe visual impairment, the ability to get around freely is one of the most important factors contributing to independence. Leader dogs have allowed blind people to choose among a greater variety of job opportunities. They are helping many students move freely around campus and to travel between home, work, or school. In addition, leader dogs are chosen for their intelligence, gentleness, sound temperament, and compatibility with their owners. These are qualities we seek in someone we rely on and spend a great deal of time with.

Social Dogs
Social dogs are primarily trained to assist people with developmental disabilities and the elderly by providing the loving interaction known as animal-assistive therapy or pet-facilitated therapy. They play a therapeutic role by providing sensory stimulation to an individual who pets them. They also provide affection and physical contact to people who lack physical closeness with others. Many hospitals and nursing homes have integrated animal therapies into their schedules because they see the difference animals make in the lives of the people they nurture.

For more information about Dogs as Companion Animals, please make plans to attend Extension's next North Alabama Dog Expo. For more information, please contact Tyrone Smith at (256) 532-1578.

Boxhall, A. (2007, July 29). Dogs good for your health. Sunday Tasmanian (Hobart).

Huntington, S. J. (1997, December 16). Training dogs to be heroes. Christian Science Monitor, 90(15),16.

Tagliaferro, L., and Melville, W. (2005). Therapy dogs. CA: National Disaster Search Dog Foundation.

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