Mobility Support Service Dog from Errorless SDs
The world of Mobility Support dogs is changing rapidly. I love how the focus is changing from putting all the strain on the dog directly to training the dog to go and get things that can help. For example, training a "Brace," used to be common place for a Mobility Support dog. This is when a handler is sitting down and needs an aid to get up. The old method used to be to have the dog come sit beside the handler or stand. The handler would say "Brace," and place their hand between the shoulder blades of the dog and push down to give them leverage to get up. Over time that can get hard on your dogs joints. More creativity in Service Dog Training has prevailed and now we train dogs to go get a cane for their handler or even a forward momentum pull to aid in leverage to stand up. The same goes with getting off the floor in a fall. As trainers think around the problem of how things used to be done, they have done some really nice work setting a new standard that puts the dogs bodily wear and tear to a minimum. At Errorless Service Dogs we love to train Mobility Support Service Dogs and we do it with the longevity of the dog at heart.
Mobility Tasks Needed for a Variety of Disabilities
Mobility work can be needed in so many different disabilities. Basically, if your disability has any effect on you being able to move around efficiently then we can help! The most common disabilities we train for with Mobility Tasks are:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Inner Ear Issues
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Wheel Chair Users
- Parkinson's
- Cancer
- Cerebral Palsy
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Auto - Immune Based or Neurological Issues
What kinds of Tasks does Errorless Service Dogs Teach?
We always want to customize our training to the needs of our clients. We have some training that is more common and used for most clients. Retrieval tasks are a general need for mobility clients and we love to teach it to our dogs. We do not use a force fetch in our program to teach retrieval. Our task training is based in errorless learning and work. This way we have found our dogs will work longer and longer when we teach them they can love the work they are doing. Retrieval is such a big one for our clients in most of these situations when your body is not cooperating having a dog that will makes your every day life easier.
Our basic task list can include:
- Counter Balance (Working to offset unpredictable human gait that can lead to a fall)
- Item Retrieval (Useful for most clients with Mobility Needs)
- Forward Momentum Pull (The dog in Heel but slightly forward and slightly pulling handler forward)
- Shutting Doors and Cabinents
- Turning Lights on and Off
- Aiding in Balance on Stairs or in Elevators
- Button Pushing for Automatic Doors
- Help Button for Client Falls
Customization is Always Available
We know that every disability is different even if categorized the same. Two handlers with the same disability can need entirely different task work. If you have questions about what we can offer you please do reach out. Many times a client will tell about their disability and we talk about what is making life harder each day. We can glean tasks from that list and often suggest things that the client hadn't thought of. Reach out and let us know your needs. If you already know you are ready to look at dogs please go over to our Trained Service Dogs page. This is where you can find a match to fit your disability and needs.
Always remember we offer financing to our clients in three easy to follow options!