Some breeds are better equipped with an ultra-keen sense of smell and trained to locate missing, trapped or deceased individuals, in situations such as disasters, wilderness, and urban environments. Police, search and rescue (SAR), medical, and assistant dogs all go through extensive training.
On a more personal side, some dogs are better suited to perform one-on-one services to individuals. Therapy dogs are specially trained to provide comfort, emotional support, and healing to people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and more. These dogs must pass rigorous testing programs and evaluations before they are officially certified and placed. Once certified, therapy dogs are eligible for work.
With the ever-increasing need for specialized therapy and service dogs, there has also been a wide range of diverse roles in which dogs can assist in medical, psychiatric, and neurodevelopmental disorder capacities.
Here are some examples:
- Medical alert
- Allergy detection
- Deaf or hearing-loss alert
- Mobility assistance
- Seeing eye for the blind/guide
- Diabetic alert
- Psychiatric
- Autism
- Seizure response
No matter what the title, today we celebrate all these incredible dogs, and their handlers, who work so hard every day providing services for people all over the world…YOU ARE AMAZING!
Animal Works Veterinary Surgery – Fort Collins, CO