Behind-the-Scenes Peek at a Service Dog's Alert Proves How Amazing Working Animals Are
Whether you live in a big city or out in the country, there's a good chance you've seen a service dog out and about with their owner at some point. These working dogs can go anywhere their humans go--from the grocery store to Disneyland--and they're starting to become more accessible to those who need them. Best of all, service dogs can learn a number of important tasks that help their owners with anything from medical alerts to mobility or even medication retrieval!
In order to shed some light on what it's like to navigate the world with a service dog, dog mom and 'chronic illness warrior' Haylee posted a behind-the-scenes peek of her dog's training in action. Jake is a medical and cardiac alert service dog, and he didn't waste a single second when he knew it was time to alert. Check out the fascinating and informative February 7 TikTok video.
Good boy, Jake! When he caught a whiff of the chemical changes in Haylee's body that were responsible for her changing heart rate, he let her know with a few boops and a gentle jump. Then, she was able to prepare herself in case of dizziness while she found a place for them to sit down.
Related: Day in the Life of Labrador Puppy Training To Be a Service Dog Is Too Cute to Miss
Finally, the yellow Labrador Retriever performed deep pressure therapy to help lower her heart rate. This can be as simple as him laying across her lap like he was in this video, and many other dogs inadvertently perform DPT for their owners without even knowing it! As relaxing as it is to have a weighted blanket, or weighted dog, on top of you for a while, actually training a service dog to do this on command is a slightly different story. This can have major medical benefits when someone like Haylee needs it the most--which is just one reason why service dogs are so important!
Service Dogs Versus Emotional Support Dogs
If you've ever seen a service animal out and about with their owner, you may have seen an emotional support dog, too. These dogs provide comfort and support for owners who may be suffering from mental health concerns, but they don't share the same rights or responsibilities as service dogs.
Any licensed mental health professional can write a letter stating that a patient needs the presence of an animal for emotional wellbeing, but service dogs require rigorous training, testing, and licensing to become official. Service dogs are allowed in spaces where ESAs are not--such as grocery stores--but both types of working dogs are incredibly important for the people they help every day. Just ask Haylee--Jake helps her in so many ways!
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