Do moderate spinal deformities or disorders qualify a person for a service dog? My MC has a spinal disease that limits her mobility and makes it hard for her to get up or down, climb stairs, or reach for things she's dropped or set down. How would a service dog assist her with these problems if she were to have one? And could you direct me to a post, if you have one, on the process of getting a service dog that the handler doesn't actually train for themselves?
My instinct is to say yes. The legal definition of âdisabilityâ under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 is (paraphrased) âa physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities⌠include but not limited to caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and workingâ and the requirement for a service dog is that the dog is trained in one or more tasks that directly relate to the disability.
In this case, the major tasks I see as being relevant are:
Brace & balance / brace & mobility work: The dog is trained to brace against a hard push or pressure so their handler can stand up, get into a wheelchair, or maintain their balance. The dog might also be trained to do things like drag a wheelchair, cane, or walker to their handler.
Keep in mind, for mobility work like this, both the dog and handler need to be trained. The dog needs to know how to brace in preparation for a hard push and the handler needs to learn where NOT to apply pressure on the dogâs body to prevent injury.
Picking stuff up: This oneâs pretty self-evident, so Iâll include a rather adorable picture of Chance the diabetes alert chihuahua picking up a little bag with his humanâs blood sugar testing gear.
Iâm including this pic in part because itâs adorable (Chance is VERY proud he can pick stuff up and he enthusiastically will find this bag, keys, his leash â whatever) but in part because it demonstrates that even tiny dogs can do retrieves. When his handler isnât sitting on a collapsed Goodwill couch thatâs barely a foot off the ground, heâll leap up into her lap to give her whatever heâs retrieving.
The obvious problem, though, is that Chance is like eight inches tall and his handler wonât always be sitting. But even when he picks stuff up off the floor and stands on his hind legs, he makes it easier for his handler to take it from him, rather than her having to bend all the way over or possibly drop to her knees to get something thatâs fallen under a couch or table.
Bring stuff to their handler: Some service dogs will carry medication or medical devices (asthma inhaler, blood sugar testing kits, etc.) in their vests so their handlers have it whenever they leave the house. Other service dogs will be trained to open cupboards or even the fridge and retrieve medication or drinks (water bottles, please, and not beer!) so their handler can swallow pills.
Pushing buttons & flipping switches: Service dogs, especially tall ones, can be trained to turn lights on and off, ring doorbells, or even use emergency phones like this one.
As for organizations that provide training, Iâm going to refer you to Canine Companions for Independence and Guide Dogs for the Blind as examples of reputable organizations that provide service dogs to handlers in need. (I know your character isnât blind, but you can use GDBâs processes as another example of placement.)
Generally this requires an application, a home visit (so the organization can verify the dog will live in a safe environment), time spent on a waiting list, and time spent with trainers so the handler learns how to care for the dog, the laws and how to handle access challenges, and how to work with the dog in the real world.
(Tagging @fundaypuppy2k15 who may have more insight on this process.)
Keep in mind, there are incredibly disreputable âorganizationsâ that are selling half-trained or even untrained so-called service dogs to people for tens of thousands of dollars. Iâm not saying that every organization that charges a fee is disreputable â training a service dog can be VERY expensive â butâŚ
And one more thing to consider: a service miniature horse might be a good candidate for this sort of work.