Service dogs are trained pets that help people with specific disabilities like hearing or seeing impairments. Whether they are seeing-eye or hearing-ear dogs, service dogs are specially trained to help these individuals cope better with their physical impairments. How much help do these dogs give their humans? These five instances will answer that question.
Helping teen monitor his diabetes
Nick was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes; this means his insulin levels can be extremely high or low. Well, his service dog, Qupid, has been helpful in promptly detecting Nick’s sugar levels, even before a meter detects it.
Although dogs are generally known to be highly sensitive to smell, this Labrador retriever is particularly skilled in noticing if Nick’s insulin levels are high or low. Qupid shakes his hand when Nick’s insulin level is high and bows when it’s low. Smart!
Playing the part of a medical caregiver
Colt is an English Labrador and Weimaraner mixed breed pup that was trained by his human mom. This adorable service dog alerts his human mom whenever a seizure is oncoming- and it doesn’t end there; he helps her during the seizure.
Whenever Colt detects the oncoming of a seizure, he lays his head on his human to warn her. As the seizure runs its course, Colt ensures she stays still by laying his whole body over hers. Isn’t that just iconic?
A service dog also runs errands
Aside from helping their humans see, hear, and manage different medical conditions, service dogs can also help their humans do the most random things, like running errands. Although they are specially trained, they are still obedient pups.
Harlow, a service dog, helps his human mom retrieve anything she needs from different parts of the house. A common trait in service dogs is their patience and calmness; this makes it easy to train and instruct them.
Seeing-eye dogs: Helping the visually impaired
As mentioned earlier, seeing-eye dogs are also service dogs- they are probably the most common. Cassandra, a young blind woman, had been having issues moving around as her walking cane didn’t prevent her from bumping into things.
This often caused accidents, some of which called for serious medical attention. However, Esme, a Golden Labrador Retriever, changed the narrative. Esme helps Cassandra move around without bumping into things- all she has to do is follow the service dog’s steps.
Helping a deaf boy forget his anxiety
A young boy who was born deaf, Zach, had issues sleeping at night due to his hearing impairment. It also made him anxious. Well, all that changed when his family adopted Echo, a service dog.
Echo notified Zach of the different sounds around him. Gradually, this helped Zach regain his confidence and bid anxiety farewell. He also started sleeping well through the night. You’ll agree with us that Echo’s help to Zach is invaluable. That’s what service dogs do.
