Service Dogs: by Drew Burton

Service dog: a type of assistance dog specifically trained to help people who have disabilities including visual difficulties, hearing impairments, mental illness, seizures, diabetes, autism, and more. That's the technical definition of a service dog.They're dogs that help someone with whatever they may need. They can pick up something for its owner, sense when the owner is in distress, help the owner get up when they've fallen, but most of all, they will always be your best friend.

The dogs don't just learn these skills overnight. It takes patience from both the owner and the dog. It's not easy. Typically, the trainer will begin training the dog when it is about a month old. Usually, they'll start out with basic obedience skills such as "sit" and "stay." As the dog gets older, it will be trained to perform tasks like pick up a video game controller or turn lights on and off. The final stage of training is being matched with a permanent owner and being trained for his or her specific needs.

The dog will begin to travel with the new owner to get used to the day-to-day surroundings. Sometimes that can be difficult to do. A lot of people don't see the need for a service dog. I've had restaurant owners come up to me and tell me to leave because there are no pets allowed.

The truth is, a service dog is much more than a pet. They're a personal assistant, a companion, and a friend. Another important type of service dog is called a therapy dog. Basically, they help cheer people up and keep the owner happy. They commonly visits hospitals, nursing homes, basically any place where emotional support could be useful. It's a therapy dogs job to always be right there for the owner to provide affection and comfort. A great example of a therapy dog is a dog named Gizmo. He visits EPIC on a regular basis to provide emotional support for anyone around. The world needs more dogs like this. As for EPIC, service dogs of any kind are more than welcome.

Plain and simple, dogs are man's best friend. They live to please their owners in any way they can. A certified service dog can literally go anywhere its owner can go. Although I don't recommend the zoo, the lions get mad! So what is a service dog? They're certainly not just your average house pet. They are a personal assistant and a best friend. They're the most selfless animals on the planet that will help you with whatever they can. Whether you need physical or mental assistance, the dog will always be there, whenever PAWsible.