Guardian Angels Service and Therapy Dogs, LLC
Service Dog Training
A service dog is defined as a dog individually trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. A disability is any physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity. Service dogs are working dogs.
If you have a disability your dog may be able to learn assist you. Some of the tasks a dog may do are:
- Alerting to sounds that you may not hear.
- Picking up objects and delivering them to you.
- Finding another person in the home when you need assistance.
- Locating an object such as the phone and bringing it to you.
- Assisting with limited mobility.
Many things need to be considered in training a dog to assist an individual with a disability as a service dog. An evaluation is needed to determine the strengths and weaknesses of any dog that will be expected to work in public.
Many dogs can work successfully in the home. When we add the pressures of working in public we need to be certain we are not asking too much. A service dog must be able to perform a needed task yet not draw attention to itself because of inappropriate behavior. An individual with a service dog must be able to control the dog at all times.
If you are interested in your dog learning to assist you only in the home, please contact me for more information. Many dogs enjoy learning these tasks and they may become very useful to you.
If you are interested in finding out if your dog could be trained as a service dog, an evaluation would be needed. Also, verification from a physician indicating that you would benefit from a service dog is necessary.
Please contact me for more information.
Therapy Dogs
Therapy dog teams are bringing smiles to people in many different settings. No longer are they limited to nursing homes. Hospitals, schools, correction facilities, and funeral homes are just some of the newest places that welcome these trained teams. Physical therapy is so much more fun when it involves tossing a ball for a dog. Emotional memories are easier to talk about when the listener has four paws and doesn't mind a few tears.
Therapy dogs train along with their partners; this gives them the skills they need to effectively interact with people of all ages in many different environments.
AAA (Animal Assisted Activities) include friendly visiting in facilities. AAT (Animal Assisted Therapy) includes working with a therapist.
Many opportunities exist for therapy dogs. Evaluations and information on training service dogs and therapy dogs is available.
Please contact me for more information regarding Guardian Angels Service and Therapy Dogs.
