Service Dogs
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Running Head: SERVICE DOGS
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Running Head: SERVICE DOGS Service dogs can be very useful, and life altering for a person who is blind, or who needs assistance with everyday life. For example: a person like you or me, turning on a light, picking up a dropped pencil, or walking down the street comes very easy to us, but when you are in a wheelchair or blind those small everyday tasks become very hard. With the assistance of a service dog they can give a disabled person the freedom they need to live a more independent life. In this paper I will talk about how service dogs are picked, how they are trained, and how the owners are trained with their new dog. The breed that is most commonly picked to be used as a service dog is the Labrador retriever. According to Moore (1995-1996) “Approximately 60-70% of all working guides in the U.S. are Labradors.” This breed of dog is used because of how smart they are, they want to work to please you, and they are large enough to fit in public places. Several occasions I have watched service dogs come in to a restaurant and not be bothered by all the commotion; they will just lie quietly under the table at the feet of their owner. This is the number one reason the Lab is most often picked to be a service dog. These Labs can be trained in a variety
Running Head: SERVICE DOGS
2
Running Head: SERVICE DOGS Service dogs can be very useful, and life altering for a person who is blind, or who needs assistance with everyday life. For example: a person like you or me, turning on a light, picking up a dropped pencil, or walking down the street comes very easy to us, but when you are in a wheelchair or blind those small everyday tasks become very hard. With the assistance of a service dog they can give a disabled person the freedom they need to live a more independent life. In this paper I will talk about how service dogs are picked, how they are trained, and how the owners are trained with their new dog. The breed that is most commonly picked to be used as a service dog is the Labrador retriever. According to Moore (1995-1996) “Approximately 60-70% of all working guides in the U.S. are Labradors.” This breed of dog is used because of how smart they are, they want to work to please you, and they are large enough to fit in public places. Several occasions I have watched service dogs come in to a restaurant and not be bothered by all the commotion; they will just lie quietly under the table at the feet of their owner. This is the number one reason the Lab is most often picked to be a service dog. These Labs can be trained in a variety
References: Gooldburg, B. (2006, July 27). Puppies with a purpose. career world, p. 1. McGinty, A. B. (1999). Guide dogs seeing for people who can 't. NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. Moore, C. (1995-1996). k9web.com. Retrieved July 27, 2010, from k9web.com.