Working dogs are also known as service dogs. These dogs are used to help disabled people or used to transfer people or items from one place to another. These dogs are also used to perform some practical tasks. The Kennel Club also registers working dogs as a separate dog group and under this group, different dog breeds come, like Labrador Retriever, Pointer, and German Shepherd, etc.
1. WORKING DOGS HELP HANDICAPS
For people who are physically disabled or cannot move from one place to another, service dogs provide them support. Mobility assistance dogs can open doors for those in wheelchairs, manipulate light switches, and pick up objects off the ground or retrieve them from other spots. Individuals with limited mobility may need working dogs to help switch from their wheelchair to another position, like their bed or a toilet. These working Dogs can also unload laundry from the dryer. Some other capabilities of service dogs are paying cashiers, pressing handicapped accessible buttons, and pressing elevator buttons.
2. WORKING DOGS FOR EPILEPSY
People with epilepsy have service dogs who are trained to alert their human partners before a seizure occurs which helps prevent injury during a seizure. Seizure alert working dogs have an innate ability to detect the onset of a seizure. When they sense an imminent seizure, the working dogs give signals to their owners like pawing, pacing, intense staring, or rubbing their head or nose on their owner. During a seizure, service dogs will lie down close to the person having the seizure. If the alert is seen in time, individuals with epilepsy can prepare themselves and get to somewhere safe, such as on a soft surface or on the floor, before the seizure happens. After the seizure is over, the dog may go and seek additional help if it’s needed.
3. BENEFITS FOR PHYSICAL CHALLENGES OR FATIGUE ISSUES
For individuals with disabilities that cause fatigue, pain, trouble walking, service dogs can help them. Like the mobility tasks for wheelchair users, service dogs can also help people regain balance and prevent falling. The dog can carry items if the individual is too weak to move or hold them. Because service dogs are allowed by law in public places for the benefit of their owners, this means they can perform these assistive tasks in the grocery store, on the sidewalk, and in other public areas. Using a service dog for balance can help when unstable walking and stumbling occur. Service dogs are trained for various bracing maneuvers to prevent falls, provide secure footing after making a difficult move, and recover control.