Ever wonder what the difference is between a hearing dog, guide dog, and service animal?
We all know that some dogs are trained to help people with disabilities but there are many different types of helper dogs.
This blog post will go through 9 different types of helper dogs and their specific duties.
Table of Contents
- Guide dog.
- Hearing ear dog.
- Service dog
- Therapy Dog.
- Animal Assisted Therapy Dog.
- Psychiatric service animal.
- Service Animals for the Disabled Act.
- Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) or Emotional Support Animal (ESA)
- Seizure Response Dog (SRD) or Epilepsy Alert Dog (EAD)
- Conclusion
Guide dog.
Helps people with visual impairments to navigate rough outdoor terrain.
These dogs can navigate busy streets with ease.
Hearing ear dog.
Alerts deaf or hard of hearing people to sounds that they might not otherwise hear, such as an alarm clock or a knock on the door.
Helps physically disabled people to maneuver through rough terrain such as curbs, uneven sidewalks and dirt paths.
Service dog
Provides assistance in carrying out daily tasks
For example retrieving dropped items and opening doors.
Therapy Dog.
Used in hospitals and nursing homes to calm patients and residents.
Assisted in providing emotional support for victims of natural disasters, terminal illnesses or traumatic events.
Animal Assisted Therapy Dog.
Works with children who have autism by encouraging them to interact more socially with their peers and in the process, boosting their confidence.
Psychiatric service animal.
Assists veterans suffering from PTSD by providing companionship at night when nightmares are most likely to occur.
Serve as a substitute for tranquilizer medications.
Service Animals for the Disabled Act.
Service animals must be permitted anywhere that the general public is allowed to go including restaurants, shops and on public transportation.
In order to qualify for the use of a service animal, the individual should have a disability as defined by law and be documented by a licensed physician.
The dog should be well behaved and “independently controlled” by the owner.
The handler is responsible for the dog and any damages incurred as a result of the dog being in a public area.
The establishment may ask if it is a service animal being used for support and what tasks the animal is trained to perform.
The handler may not be charged an extra fee for the animal to accompany them into a facility where pets are not permitted.
Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) or Emotional Support Animal (ESA)
PSD is a dog that has been specifically trained to assist people who have a psychiatric disability.
The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a PSD as any guide dog (a dog trained to guide the visually impaired), hearing animal (an animal trained to assist hearing-impaired or deaf persons), or service animal (defined by the ADA as dogs (and in some cases miniature horses) that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities).
ESA is a dog that provides a sense of well-being to an owner who suffers from various psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Emotional support animals are not trained and have no legal protection under the ADA.
Seizure Response Dog (SRD) or Epilepsy Alert Dog (EAD)
SRD is a dog that has been trained to recognize an impending seizure and assist the handler in taking appropriate action.
EAD is a type of service animal that has been specially trained to assist people who suffer from epileptic seizures.
EAD is the type of dog designated by ADA law as appropriate for use in public places.
Conclusion
Have you ever wondered why your dog seems to be so much smarter than other dogs?
It’s because they know how to use their brain in a way that maximizes its potential.
So, what can we humans learn from our canine companions?
We don’t want to step on any toes here, but it may not hurt for us to take some cues from these furry friends and try using the power of our brains as well!
Free book “How to be the alpha dog”