Service Dogs
What Service Dogs Do
Service Dogs
What Service Dogs Do
Is a Service Dog for You
How to Get a Service Dog
The Right Dog
The Right Source
The Right Trainer
The Right Training
Your Goals
Your Resources
Getting Ready for a Service Dog
Equipment
Health Care
When You Get a Service Dog
Working in Public

Types of Service Dogs
There are several basic types of service dogs, and many combinations more recently developed to do specific work for persons with various disbilities and combinations of disabilities.
 
Most commonly, these different types include:
Mobility dogs
Hearing dogs
Guide dogs
Seizure Alert dogs
Psychological service dogs
 
Depending on the work the dog will do for the human partner, sizes, temperaments, and training may vary.  Some organizations will put the same basic foundation training on all dogs in their program, and then specialize and modify the training when a dog shows a preference for one type of work, or gets matched with a person.  A consideration in the matching process is what tasks and exercises a person needs a service dog to do for her or him.

Tasks and Exercises
Examples of tasks and exercises performed by service dogs:
 
Resources
Information about organizations and resources involved with service dogs can be found at:
Information and Standards
Assistance Dogs International provides standards for many aspects of service dog training and organizations.  This organization was created from feedback through all the years that service dogs have been trained in this country.  When considering a provider organization or private trainer, you will want to know that they comply to ADI standards.  To see ADI information about service dogs, go to:

Homework:
Answer these questions for yourself about what tasks and exercises you want a service dog to do for you. 

If you are a person visiting this site who has information, comments, stories, opinions or other input on this topic that would be helpful and could be included on the Comments and Input page for this topic, please email:

Education and Support for People and Service Dogs