Service dogs are dogs that have been trained to carry out a variety of tasks to make life easier for persons with a disability or persons who are suffering from a condition so that they are able to carry out their daily activities like everyone else.

Among other things, service dogs can be trained to:

• alert a person with hearing difficulties when there is a knock on the door or an important noise which requires human intervention such as a smoke alarm or a baby crying – these dogs are called Hearing Dogs;
• pick up objects from the floor or open drawers and doors for someone who is in a wheelchair – these dogs are called Wheelchair Assistance Dogs;
• give persons on the autistic spectrum support and provide them with confidence and a sense of independence   – these dogs are called Autism Assistance Dogs;
• alert a diabetic person when their blood sugar level is reaching dangerously high or low levels – these dogs are called Diabetic Alert Dogs;
• alert a person who is prone to seizures that an episode is imminent so that the person can lie down or take other precautions such as stop driving- these dogs are called Seizure Alert Dogs; and
• provide comfort and a sense of peace and security for people with mental health conditions – these dogs are called Therapy Dogs.

There are as many types of service dogs as there are conditions which can be eased by training a dog to perform a task!

No. Dogs that are to be trained as service dogs are chosen on the basis of their calm temperament, physical condition and willingness and ability to learn. As they progress through the training programme the trainer will ascertain where their talents lie and what kind of tasks they would be best at. Dogs have to undergo a great deal of training and pass a number of tests to qualify as service dogs. Not all dogs who enter the training programme qualify as service dogs.