Dogs that perform tasks that directly relate to a person’s disability qualify as service animals. These duties include guiding blind people, alerting deaf people, pulling wheelchairs, reminding a person to take their prescribed medications and calming a person with PTSD during an anxiety attack.

Researchers found that paired individuals who own physical service dogs report improved functioning and quality of life, including reduced PTSD symptoms, greater antidepressant adherence and decreased paid care hours. Read on Sierra Canine for more details.

If you have been struggling with mental health challenges, you may be considering getting an emotional support animal. These animals, typically cherished pets, offer companionship and stability to their owners. Although this is an excellent option for some individuals, it is not right for everyone. Those who want an ESA should work closely with their mental health professional to determine if an ESA is the best option for them.

Unlike service dogs, which receive specific training to assist individuals with physical disabilities like blindness or deafness, emotional support animals do not have formal training and are primarily prescribed by mental health professionals to alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric conditions. Emotional support animals are protected under the Fair Housing Act and may be allowed to accompany their owner in housing units that would otherwise have pet restrictions, if they have proper documentation from a mental health professional.

When people interact with their pets, their brains release happiness chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine. This interaction also reduces the stress hormone cortisol. Additionally, humans are naturally attracted to canines, and when they bond with a dog, their physiology responds positively by increasing the release of oxytocin. All of these factors combined can make for a positive and therapeutic experience.

In fact, the CDC states that people who live with pets have lower rates of depression and feelings of loneliness. They are also less likely to take antidepressants or other medications to manage their symptoms. As a result, many psychiatrists recommend that their patients consider getting an ESA to help with symptoms such as anxiety or depression.

While the decision to get an ESA should be made carefully, it can significantly improve the quality of life for those who suffer from mental health issues. The team at One Change Group can provide compassionate guidance for those who are interested in obtaining an emotional support animal. Schedule a consultation with us today to learn more about the benefits and responsibilities of ESAs. We look forward to helping you find a path to improved mental well-being.

Therapy Dogs

Animal assisted therapy dogs help people with mental or physical disabilities. The goal is to aid them in meeting goals that are important to their recovery, such as gaining motion in limbs or regaining pet care skills to care for their own pets at home. The therapy dog is trained to assist a physical or occupational therapist in accomplishing these goals. A person can’t have an emotional support or therapy dog if their condition doesn’t meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) definition of a disability. This means that the dog must have been trained to perform a task that is directly related to the person’s disability, such as guiding blind people, alerting the deaf, pulling a wheelchair, reminding someone with diabetes to take their prescribed medications or calming a patient with PTSD during an anxiety attack.

The benefits of a therapy dog are numerous. They provide a distraction for a client to focus on petting the dog and can also provide a positive mood lift. The animals are also known to reduce a person’s blood pressure and heart rate. In the case of cancer patients, a visit from a therapy dog can also ease fears by enabling them to talk about their disease and treatment with others who are experiencing similar situations.

Adding a therapy dog to your agency’s program may seem like a no-brainer, but there are several important factors that should be considered before starting the process. Creating a program is best done in partnership with an organization that can offer training and guidance for both the handler and the facility where the dog will be used to ensure safety, compliance with state laws and to establish a baseline of measures for tracking success.

In addition, agencies should only work with certified therapy animals. There are those who certify dogs carelessly and may pass a dog that is not ready for public interaction, which would be unethical. It’s also illegal to bring a dog into a clinical setting if it is not on a strict vaccination schedule and has been tested for diseases, including rabies.

Seizure Response Dogs

A seizure response dog (SRD) helps an individual who has epilepsy remain more independent by warning the caretaker of a possible seizure. The dogs are trained to respond to a specific trigger that indicates the onset of a seizure, such as smells or a change in heart rate. The dog may then activate a medical alert device, lead the person to safety or help break the person’s fall. The training process for a SRD starts with obedience training. The dog must be calm, obedient and non-aggressive. Dogs that are fearful, shy or overly aggressive are not suitable for this type of work. The animal must also pass a behavioral test to determine whether it can react appropriately to the onset of a seizure. This can include sniffing the air, following a specific scent trail or observing behavior such as circling or barking. The results of this test determine if the dog will undergo more specialized seizure-alerting training or if it will be a general service dog.

Anecdotal reports suggest that untrained pet dogs can sometimes sense a coming seizure and warn their owners through behavior such as licking or barking, or by moving close to the owner. If these reports are true, it would be very beneficial to create an olfactory stimulus that could trigger a similar conditioned reaction in a pet dog that has not received specific seizure alerting training.

Studies on the effectiveness of SRDs have been limited and have shown mixed results. Some have indicated a lower number of seizures and increased quality of life, while others have found no significant benefits. The level of methodological rigor in these studies has been low, so additional research with larger samples is needed to confirm the positive outcomes reported.

However, a recent study led by Dr. Maggie O’Haire and Kerri Rodriguez of Purdue University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, suggests that seizure-responding service dogs can offer both psychosocial and physiological benefits to their handlers. The researchers recruited 154 people from the databases of the national service dog provider Canine Assistants, including those who currently had an SRD and those on a waiting list to receive one. Adjusted models showed no significant group differences or time effects in VR-12 PCS scores between the groups, but within-participant analyses indicated that individuals with a service dog had less need for VA health care than those without a dog.

Hearing Dogs

Unlike the dogs trained for veterans returning from war or those who suffer from seizures, these service dogs are specially trained to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. This type of service dog is able to alert its handler to sounds that they may otherwise miss, such as the doorbell or their alarm clock. It can also alert their owner to the sound of a kettle boiling or someone calling their name.

Like many other service dogs, hearing assistance dogs go through extensive training to ensure that they can reliably perform their task for the duration of their life. They must be obedient, calm, and focused, as well as have the ability to respond to cues given by their trainer. During the training process, which usually takes anywhere from four to six months, the dog is exposed to everyday noises to get them used to their environment and the sounds they may encounter on their daily walks.

The dog is taught to look in a specific direction when it hears a sound that its owner needs to know about. It will then lead them to the source of that sound, such as a doorbell (in this case the dog nudges the handler’s leg) or a telephone ringing. Other sounds that a hearing assistance dog can be trained to recognize are the sound of appliances buzzing, smoke alarms, baby cries and their handler’s name being called.

These tasks can improve the quality of life for someone living with hearing loss, allowing them to be more independent and reduce feelings of isolation and depression. In one study, the University of Arkansas found that the majority of hearing dog owners reported an improvement in their daily lives, including a feeling of more security, reduced loneliness, and less anxiety.

If you’re interested in pursuing the opportunity to be paired with a hearing dog, Paragon’s application process opens on a periodic basis throughout the year and closes once all applications have been reviewed. During the application process, you will need to demonstrate that you meet all of the requirements for this type of service dog.