ARTICLES / General /
Life With Dottie /
Other Articlesby
Suzanne Ponciroli
I always thought helper dogs were for blind
or hearing impaired people. As I began to learn
more about these dogs, I realized they also
offered a variety of assistance to people with
physical limitations.
Service dogs can be trained to retrieve objects
that are out of reach; pull manual wheelchairs;
open doors and turn on lights; retrieve help;
assist with dressing or undressing; and assist
in many other ways. Some service dogs are
specially trained seizure response dogs and
there are dogs trained to offer a person counter
balance when ambulating. One less tangible
benefit is that these dogs can actually expand
your world by giving you opportunities to get
out and meet people.
My service dog, Dottie, and I take walks around
the neighborhood every evening. Each evening,
between 5:00 and 6:00, she brings me her leash.
We never come home not having socialized with
people we encountered. Interactions are usually
prompted by Dottie and then switch to me.
How Do I Get a Service Dog?
There are various programs throughout the
country. Some programs serve only a
particular region and others do not have a
defined territory. Costs vary, as do
lengths of waiting lists. To help you assess if
a program meets your needs, here are some
questions to consider when choosing a service
dog program:
- Does the organization offer to train your dog or
does it train only their dogs?
- What kind of assistance is their service dog
trained to provide?
- Does the organization provide services only to a
certain territory? You want to make sure you are
in their service area.
- What are the costs to the recipient?
- Is there an age restriction? Some programs take
children and adults and others limit how young
the recipient can be.
- How long is the wait to get a dog?
- How long is the training camp for you with your
dog?
- What are the costs to you for the camp? Some
programs pay for training camp costs such as
room and board, and others leave these expenses
up to the recipient.
- Is there support after the training camp?
- Many organizations will allow you to apply
online; however, if the Web site does not answer
all your questions, there is usually a number to
call. The Web site referenced below lists
many of the service dog groups:
wolfpacks.com/products/servicedog/trainers.html
