Beyond the Basics – Unconventional Service Dogs Tasks

If you are familiar with service dogs, you may already know that they can be trained to perform everyday tasks such as guiding visually impaired individuals or assisting with mobility or hearing impairment, etc. But did you know that service dogs can perform various other lesser-known tasks?

From alerting to PTSD episodes to detecting changes in blood sugar levels, service dogs can be trained to do a wide range of amazing tasks.

 What Makes Service Dogs So Versatile?

Service dogs are extraordinary animals with a unique blend of innate abilities and rigorous training, making them incredibly versatile. Their heightened senses, particularly their keen sense of smell and acute hearing, allow them to detect subtle changes in their environment or the people they assist, such as shifts in blood chemistry.

At Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs, we further enhance and refine these abilities through extensive, specialized training that equips them to perform a wide range of tasks tailored to the specific needs of their recipient. These qualities make service dogs reliable assistants for daily tasks and irreplaceable partners in enhancing independence and quality of life. Many of these tasks cannot be performed by a caregiver, nor do we have any medical technology that can do what a dog can do.

 Unconventional Tasks Performed by Service Dogs

Service dogs are widely known for their ability to guide and assist, but their capabilities extend far beyond the basics. These exceptional animals are trained to perform various unconventional tasks that address unique medical and neurological needs.

Medical Alert Skills

Service dogs play a critical role in monitoring their recipient’s health by detecting subtle changes in the body. For individuals with diabetes, they can sense shifts in blood sugar levels and alert their recipient before a dangerous episode occurs, giving them time to take preventative action.

For individuals living with epilepsy, service dogs provide life-changing assistance. They have the remarkable ability to detect early signs of an impending seizure, even before the individual is aware of it. This gives the recipient time to get to a safe place or prepare for the episode.

Service dogs may fetch medication during or after a seizure, alert others to the situation, or position themselves to protect their recipient from injury.

 

Helping Individuals with Neurological Conditions

Service dogs offer invaluable assistance to people with neurological disorders. For those with conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, these dogs can provide stability, help with mobility, and retrieve dropped items, reducing the risk of falls.

 

PTSD Support and Beyond

Service dogs are also trained to smell the chemical changes linked to anxiety or PTSD episodes, allowing their recipient to manage escalating symptoms. For example, we teach our service dogs to recognize an event such as a nightmare so they can wake the recipient from the nightmare before it can escalate, allowing the recipient to then resume sleeping. 

Service dogs are also trained to use their physical presence to effectively deter anxiety-inducing triggers such as large crowds by performing tasks such as shielding, where they use their bodies to create a non-aggressive barrier between the recipient and other people.

These specialized skills demonstrate that service dogs are more than helpers; they are lifelines for people facing complex medical and neurological challenges. Their ability to perform such diverse tasks highlights their incredible training and the deep bond they share with their recipients.

 

Types of Advanced Training Service Dogs Complete

Guardian Angels Medical Service Dogs’ service dogs are trained in basic commands like sit, stay, heel, come, etc. These positions are helpful during their task training and when they begin working.

Through our advanced training, our service dogs are trained on various tasks, with specific training tailored to the needs of their recipient and the recipient’s disability. These tasks are designed to help the recipient lead an independent life. Service dogs are trained in a range of tasks, including:

Retrieving dropped items

Providing balance

Helping a fallen person back to a standing position

Turning lights on and off

Opening/closing doors

Retrieving the phone

Alerting before a seizure

Alerting diabetic recipients to low or high blood sugar levels

Shielding and grounding from anxiety/panic attacks and flashbacks

Waking the recipient from nightmares

Helping a fallen person back to a standing position

Help a person transition from sitting to standing

 

The Differences Between a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog

When learning about service dogs and their special skills, knowing how they differ from therapy dogs is essential.

Medical service dogs are specially trained to perform a variety of tasks that mitigate the challenges of individuals with disabilities.

A service dog is protected by federal law because it is much like medical equipment with a heartbeat. Service dogs are permitted to go anywhere the public is allowed to go, such as concert venues, restaurants, hotels, malls, and more.

Service dogs are highly trained and are not considered pets in any way, shape, or form, so they do not fall under any pet regulations. For example, a no pet policy in a hotel would not apply to a service dog.

On the other hand, therapy dogs are considered pets and are not granted the same access to the public as service dogs since they are not protected under any special laws. Therapy dogs are trained to provide comfort and affection to people in retirement homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, etc. They are wonderful animals who do a great job of bringing smiles and comfort to those in need.

Legitimate therapy dogs undergo extensive socialization exercises and obedience training to ensure they provide a friendly, positive experience. They are required to have a Therapy Dog Certification, but they do not have the same public access privileges that a medical service dog is granted by law.

 

Want to Learn More About Service Dogs?

If you want to learn more about service dogs, you can contact us with any questions or visit our What Are Service Dogs? Page.

Become part of our mission to pair medical service dogs with veterans, first responders, and others with permanent disabilities by donating today!