Freedom service dogs are individually trained to perform functions for people with physical or mental disability. The law in most states allows the freedom service dogs to accompany their owners to public places. The dogs are granted access rights in public facilities which are usually not the case with other types of dogs like therapy or companion dogs (Camp p.511).
Some organizations rescue dogs and train them as service dogs which then help people with different disabilities. The dogs for training, however, must be of about 1-2 years of age for it to be specially trained for specific roles. Different individuals have different disabilities hence require various types of assistance, and this informs the need to choose a particular breed of dog that has the abilities to learn and perform a certain task with ease.
Dogs like people behave the way they do because of the interaction with their environment. It is due to this interaction that the German Shephard and the different mixes have been able to give incomparable service to humanity for decades. The dogs will act towards things based on what their trainer want those things to mean to the dog (Camp p.515). The dog then after always interacting with the thing makes a desired interpretation which then determines how it will act.
The freedom service dogs are trained to perform different functions to meet the individual needs of the person with a disability. The first type of freedom service dogs is commonly known as Hearing Dogs also called signal dogs which are useful for deaf or hearing impaired people. These dogs are trained to relay or interpret important signals to their handlers. Shellie is a German Shephard mix that is alert and very suitable as a hearing dog to train as a freedom service dog. It can pick very faint sounds, and with specialized training, it can act as ears to the deaf and make meaning of those sounds. The hearing impaired will have to be trained on the behavior of this kind of dog as it will be acting as an interpreter (Burrows, Kriste, Adams, & Spiers 1643).
Psychiatric service dogs are trained to help people with mental disabilities like schizophrenia, agoraphobia, major depression, panic or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The conditions are delicate, and few dogs can be trained to help people with psychiatric conditions since some people become wild or withdrawn because of this disorder. The best dog breed should, therefore, be able to guard as well as restrain a psychic from extreme actions. Shepkita, being a stubborn and vigorous mix, with proper training can be an excellent restraint dog.
Guide dogs guide the blind or visually impaired people. Labradors can be useful guide dogs since they are eager to learn and can, therefore, acquire various routes with ease and their ability to get along with other pets ensure they conduct their handlers peacefully without having to confront other pets in the home. They help the blind maneuver their way to places like shops, churches, parks or just around obstacles. The dogs are regularly trained on routes and objects in homes as well as similar objects in public places to perfect its role as a guide. It gives warnings or even stops between the obstacle and its handler to make sure the handler is not injured.
Mobility dogs perform different tasks like picking of items, the opening of doors, drawers, refrigerators and other duties that cannot be done by people with difficulty in moving their limbs. They can also retrieve objects like keys, television remotes or items that might drop from their handlers. These type of dogs learn through observation, and when they have fully interacted with the given action, they can perform it when given a signal or by a simple movement of its handler. Golden Retrievers have high energy and are aggressive to learn making them a good breed to train as mobility dogs (Burrows, Kriste, Adams, & Spiers 1647). . The dog is capable of moving up and down with ease and will carry or handle objects much easily.
Medical alert dogs are trained on sensitivity to medical conditions like cardiac conditions, seizures, diabetes and other conditions that might attack their handlers. The dogs on special training can also identify and bring a specific drug from a centralized place. They also bark to alert of danger, therefore, calling for help in case of a medical condition. Golden Retrievers which are known for their energy and strength can make the good medical alert dog as it has been used previously for rescue. Being polite makes it friendly to the person with a medical condition like panic or anxiety (Camp p.516). The curiosity of the Chow breed also makes it suitable as a medical alert dog.
The different abilities of the dogs help in making their training accessible for a particular task. It is for this reason that any freedom service dog trainer must carefully consider the breed of dog before embarking on training. The German Mixes are however at the moment, the ideal breeds for use as freedom service dogs. The demand for the dogs and the high cost of training has however made it difficult for those with low income to afford this vital service.
Work Cited
Burrows, Kristen E., Cindy L. Adams, and Jude Spiers. "Sentinels of safety: Service dogs ensure safety and enhance freedom and well-being for families with autistic children." Qualitative Health Research 18.12 (2008): 1642-1649.
Camp, Mary Michelle. "The use of service dogs as an adaptive strategy: A qualitative study." American Journal of Occupational Therapy 55.5 (2001): 509-517.
Request Removal
If you are the original author of this essay and no longer wish to have it published on the customtermpaperwriting.org website, please click below to request its removal:
