Specialized Assistance Dog Training

Originally, seeing-eye (guide) dogs were the most common type of assistance dog. However, during the past few decades, the role of assistance dogs has grown significantly.

Assistance dogs now may aid the hearing impaired, the blind, the wheelchair bound and the bedridden. Other roles can include providing therapy for prisoners, burn victims, the clinically depressed or home bound.

For those selected, training begins before birth. There are good reasons behind the fact that certain breeds are preferred for this type of work. The physical characteristics, intelligence and temperament found in Retrievers, Shepherds lends itself to the role that an assistant dog has to undertake.

Even within breeds some individual dogs are more keen on training than others. They will display the confidence and eagerness essential to the job along with the ability to perform simple tasks on command.

A specially trained person carries out a year of in-house training and bonding after which the dog 'graduates' to the next level. Then, based on the intended role, they receive an additional two months to two years of intensive, specialized instruction.

Everything from simple barking to alert the deaf to a door knock or telephone ring to fetching containers of food or drink, opening doors, and providing vision-information to the sightless is learnt by the dogs in these programs.

A seeing-eye guide dog is taught to lead their blind companion around obstacles on the street or at the mall. The hearing-guide dog learns to alert their friend to an oncoming fire truck. The wheelchair assistant may even help the occupant off the floor or into bed.

Training is provided for these special animals so that they are able to stay focused in crowds and deal with different environments. Some are trained to see a curb as a boundary in urban areas, while others learn that in rural areas turning on a garden hose is more important than chasing a fox from the property. Teaching that to the average house dog is possible, but extremely difficult.

In addition to traditional basic commands, these working dogs must learn far more complex orders. They may be required to deliver a cup of water without spilling to a paraplegic, turn on or off lights, change the volume on the stereo, and bring bags containing medicines. Some are even trained to recognize and react to heart attacks and strokes and call 911!

Learning such complicated behaviors requires months of dedicated concentration by both trainer and dog. Even the most willing students require patience beyond what most individuals possess.

Dogs learn by cue and repetition. While they can be taught to recognize sounds and grasp simple meanings, they don't possess even the three-year old humans understanding of language. It is far more difficult to teach them to associate the sound 'water' with 'fetch me a cup' than the average toddler.

However, with the help of their dedicated and talented trainers, these astounding animals are taught complex behaviors far beyond their peers. Always respect the sign 'Working. Please don't distract' when you see one of these animals with their partner.

Instead of trying to pet them, give a well considered thought to the dedicated people who train them and the hard working dogs themselves.

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