Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks
Happy National Assistance Dog week!
In keeping with this theme, I’ll be discussing Psychiatric Service Dogs.
Psychiatric Service Dogs are trained to assist people with Mental illnesses, mitigating their disability and aiding them in doing everyday tasks that would normally be difficult. Psychiatric Service Dogs are paired with people who have illnesses such as Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, Agoraphobia, OCD, Schizophrenia, Aspergers and Tourettes (however they are available to people who have many other mental disabilities too). Here I will list some of the tasks that Psychiatric Service Dogs can be trained to do. Dogs will usually be able to perform a selection of the tasks below that best suit their individual handler. Feel free to use this list as a resource if you are training your own Service Dog, or wanting to suggest tasks to a training organisation. Likewise, feel free to have a read through if you are interested about the kinds of tasks that these dogs can do!
Assist handler wіthіn thеіr home.
Assist handler іn places оf public accommodation (e.g. shops, shopping centres, public transport, etc.).
Wake handler fоr school оr work.
Assist іn coping wіth emotional overload bу bringing handler іntо thе “here аnd now.”
Assist in grounding handler when they are dissociating.
Guide handler to a safe place/home when dissociating.
Performing Deep Pressure Therapy to calm handler.
Provide а buffer оr а shield fоr thе handler іn crowded areas bу creating а physical boundary.
Extinguish flashbacks bу bringing handler іntо the here аnd now.
Orient durіng panic/anxiety attack.
Stand bеhіnd handler tо increase feelings оf safety, reduce hyper-vigilance, аnd decrease thе likelihood оf thе handler bеіng startled bу аnоthеr person coming uр bеhіnd them.
Bring medication to the handler and make sure it is taken at certain times of day.
Bring a beverage so handler can take medication and have something to drink as a dry mouth is a common side effect of many medications for those with mental illness.
Call the emergency services in case of an overdose or medical emergency.
Assist with speech by holding up cards and alerting family members in trained circumstances.
Provide balance on the stairs. Medications can often cause dizziness as a side effect so the mobility support can be useful.
Respond to smoke alarm if handler is unresponsive.
Combat sedative side effects- dogs can be trained to turn on lights, initiate play with a toy and nudge their handlers to combat tiredness.
Provide an excuse to leave an upsetting situation- dogs can be trained to pester the handler and vocalize as if urgently needing to go outside in order to give the handler an excuse to escape unsettling situations.
Finding exits/ guiding- dogs can be trained to find the exits of buildings and guide handlers. Something which is often important for those who dissociate.
Turning Lights on- this can help people with anxiety in the house.
Alert to an oncoming panic attack
Interrupting self-destructive behaviours such as self-harm
These are not all of the tasks that Psychiatric Service Dogs can learn, but it offers an insight into some of their skills and how they can aid their handlers.
OTHER BENEFITS OF PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOGS
Other than the benefits of performing tasks to mitigate your disability, Psychiatric Service Dogs also help in more generalized ways. Dogs are incredibly beneficial to have around, and whilst the list below is by NO MEANS limited to Service Dogs, it goes to show how much they can add to their already existing help to benefit the life of their handler.
Having a dog increases daily structure and can give a person a sense of purpose.
For those who struggle to eat with mental illness, feeding time with their dog can help combat this. Having scheduled eating times for the dog can encourage people to eat as well.
Having a dog can bring an increased sense of safety and security.
Dogs can also boost our self-esteem .
Dogs can boost optimism and having the responsibility of care can be very beneficial for people. It can often encourage a person to take care of themselves better.
Stroking a dog lowers blood pressure and is calming.
Dogs provide a secure and uncomplicated relationship.
Having a dog increases motivation to exercise- something which can often lift the mood.
They encourage social interaction and act as a social ice-breaker. Whilst some people may find this counter-productive, it can also be helpful for some others who struggle to interact with other people.
Dogs offer around-the-clock support and more independence than a human-helper could offer. They are not judgemental either.
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