Aren’t Service Dogs the Ones I Can’t Pet?
Dogs are not just our beloved furry members of our family. Hard to believe, right?
Dogs used to hold jobs such as sheep herding, hunting, and modernly, they can be apart of the military, police force, and even the FBI. Dogs can have extremely important jobs, no matter how silly you may think your own is. Perhaps one of the greatest jobs a dog may have is to be a Service dog.
But, aren’t service dogs the ones I can’t pet? A lot of times, yes, it is probably best that you do not pet these dogs while they are on duty, but it is also up to whoever their owner is and what their specific job may be. ‘Service Dog’ is a very general term encompassing the actual Service Dog, Emotional Support Dog, or a Certified Therapy Dog. A better general term for these animals are Support dogs. If you are unsure how to tell the difference to determine whether you are able to pet them, the answer is almost always ‘no’. A lot of times, dogs will wear vests telling those around them what their specific job is, but you always want to be cautious and assume that you cannot pet them unless told otherwise. These dogs have important jobs to fulfill while on duty, and distractions can be very detrimental to everything they learned as well as their owners well-being.
So, what are the differences between these Support dogs? The Love on a Leash organization has so wonderfully created a page to deeply explain the different types of Support animals, which do not always need to be dogs! Refer to that page for any specific questions you may have, as I will most likely concise the information to create a basic understanding.
Typically, therapy dogs are the least trained of the various categories, only because their jobs are not as strenuous, though they still are important. These dogs will provide companionship to their specified owner as well as comfort knowing they are being looked after, as well as have training in order to be able to tolerate the different types of positions they may be put in in order to help their owner as best they can. Therapy dogs are wonderful companions to those suffering with anxiety, as an example.
Emotional support dogs have slightly more training and qualifications so that they are able to do more with their owner in order to help them. These things may include going on a commercial airline with their owner, living with them regardless of pet policy in their living situation, as well as be able to provide support to someone with a psychological disability. Emotional support dogs are largely used for those suffering from emotional disabilities diagnosed by a psychological licensed professional, such as bipolar disorder, substance-abuse disorders, or motor skills disorders. I will go into more specifics in a later post.
Finally, service dogs are considered to be the most trained type of support dog with the most qualifications. These dogs have the legal right to be in any public area with their owner or the person that they are assisting, are specifically trained to assist one specific person and their disability, and receive the benefits that every other support dog receives. Service dogs typically help those suffering with mobility issues, sensory disabilities, epilepsy, and several more which I will talk about more specifically later.
Dogs that are given such important jobs as these are incredibly important to the person that they are assisting, as well as the people in that person’s life. They improve the quality of life that one may have that was depressed by terminal illness, psychological disabilities, or even physical disabilities that one was born with. In this blog, I am excited to dive deeper into how each type of support dog truly does their job, and give specific examples of each type of dog in order to provide a better understanding of these types of dogs, as well as show the importance and necessity of these types of dogs.
http://modthesims.info/d/609151/service-dog-vests-for-large-dogs.html
Possible Topics for My Passion Blog
For this semester, possible topics for my passion blog may include:
Writing about different service dogs that stick out to me at the time. This would include writing about the special jobs that certain service dogs have, what they can do for their assigned human, and how they overall make the world a better place.
Another idea I have is writing about recent breakthroughs in the Psychology field. This would include talking about breakthroughs in different types of psychology such as forensic, behavioral, or clinical.