My father's girlfriend has a very well behaved dog that is her constant companion. I don’t want to use real names, so we’ll call the girlfriend Cindy and the dog Lassie. I thought it was odd when I first met Cindy that she literally took her dog everywhere. One night as we were sitting around the dining room table, Cindy mentioned that she usually takes her dog to restaurants. I asked her how, as this dog was too big to hide in a purse and smuggle in. Cindy mentioned that Lassie is trained as a service dog because she suffers from Type 1 diabetes. The dog is able to detect if she is going to go into diabetic shock and alert her in time to administer her medication.
An expert's blog on the Mayo Clinic website describes some of the tasks that diabetic service dogs are trained to do: Pick up and carry objects such as juice bottles, retrieve a phone, test breath for low blood sugar, and act as a brace to help a person get up after falling. These tasks can be invaluable to diabetic patients as they may not be aware that their blood sugar is low before it's too late. If a person is suffering from hypoglycemia, they may be shaking or trembling, feel dizzy or faint, or even have a seizure or go into a coma. If a diabetic person is in shock, the dog can get some juice or a phone for the person to call for help. These tools prove invaluable to a person, especially if they live alone, as Cindy does.
You may wonder if a service dog is allowed to accompany a person into a restaurant or other type of establishment. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), privately owned businesses that serve the public, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls, and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. This means that businesses must allow service animals to accompany people where customers are typically allowed.
Nonetheless, Cindy has told me of plenty of times where restaurants have tried to turn her down from entry. People are hesitant to believe her because she has no visible handicap, and most people think that service dog means they guide the person. This is far from the truth. There are many different service dogs in use, and they are usually trained to detect disorders including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, diabetes, depression, autism, and the list goes on. Guide dogs are different in that they service the visual or hearing impaired. I think it is important to educate people on the use of guide dogs and service dogs so that those who use them don't fact public discrimination, even if it is against the law.
My dad, like your father’s girlfriend, has diabetes so I found this blog to be extremely appealing. First off, it amazes me what dogs are capable of being trained to do. Having the ability to alert someone of a life threatening condition is incredible! I never knew there were two distinctive types of dogs that assist people; even though I’ve heard both terms “service dog” and “guide dog” being used I just never put the two together.
ReplyDeleteI feel that more people are comfortable allowing guide gods to come in to establishments, because it is a norm we have become accustom to. So you are absolutely right when you say that it is important to educate people so discrimination doesn’t occur.
After reading through your blog and learning everything that service dogs are trained to do (via the Mayo Clinic) I feel that people who live alone and suffer from medical conditions (whatever they may be) should have a service dog. Not only do dogs provide great companionship, they can alert you in a crucial time of need.
Do you know if your dad’s girlfriend bought “Lassie” pre-trained, or if not what measures did she have to take to have “Lassie” learn to tools she now knows?