For The Love Of Dogs
September is National Service Dog month, and I think dogs are amazing! We had a Golden Retriever we called Lakota, some years back, for just over thirteen years. He was a gem. We now have a white German shepherd, Tatanka, who is also special, but with a totally different disposition. ‘Koda” was always loving and just wanted to be your best buddy! He hardly ever barked, but always let you know when someone was around, and in given circumstances would be a wonderful guard dog.
Once a neighbor’s dog was headed across our large lawn, headed straight for our daughter who was eight months pregnant. The lady next door was screaming, ‘He’s after her,” pointing to our daughter, while screaming at the dog to come back. Koda put himself between her and the oncoming dog. The dog plowed right into Koda, who was very sore for days, but it stopped the dog from plowing into our Beth.
’T’ (which he is often called) on the other hand, will bristle and bark when anyone comes in the driveway. Strangers are immediately fearful and sometimes stay in their car until one of us comes out to calm him. While he isn’t the ‘warm cuddly’ type, he absolutely knows his ‘charges’ and dares anyone to cross the line. Four of our 18 grandchildren live next door and T is especially mindful of ‘little ones’ and guards them like his life depends on it!
Dogs serve many purposes. Sometimes they are all about companionship, like our Koda was. Other times they are obtained for hunting or other specialized purpose like herd dogs on a farm, or even for a disability. All dogs need some amount of training for the basics, like lessons on house training, no shoes for snacking, etc!
Service dogs for the disabled, takes a special kind of dog, although any breed can qualify! It all depends on the dog’s temperament, These dogs need to consistently remain calm, regardless of the situation, be confident in their own skills, intelligent and motivated and social, yet not so social, they are unable to react to their owner’s voice or need, if distracted.
Trained service dogs are in high demand; so much so, there is a waiting list, in years, for some of the highly qualified ones. This has initiated the need for those who need a service dog to train one themselves, although there are guidelines.
It requires a lot of patience and often some insight from a professional trainer (perhaps even from a pet store or online classes), to be able to meet the need of someone who could benefit from having a service —work dog (one who has a specific job to do—retrieve a ringing telephone, or other specific detailed job, related to disabilities like autism and blindness, among others) — or a PTSD service dog, who works more as a companion to the person with PTSD for emotional support, so he never feels alone, or threatened, therein improving the quality of life for the individual.
I admit, I watch those with trained dogs, often in awe, of how well behaved and obedient they are. Our dogs were wonderful, but were never trained for such services. While I’d love to pet a service dog when I see it, I refrain, because in the environment I am observing, the dog is working.
Have you ever thought about the value of service dogs? Some people realize they improve the quality of life it gives others and will train them for you. But there are those, who will say the dog they are providing has all the qualifications necessary, but actually create ‘service dog fraud.’ I encourage you to ‘beware' when obtaining a service dog. A better option, if possible, might be to train your own dog with the help of professional trainers, for the best outcome! It’s a great way to demonstrate your love of dogs!