Mobility Support Service Dogs
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
- Visual support needs
What kinds of tasks can be needed for Mobility Support?
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)
- Obstacle Avoidance
- 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 Cabinets
- Turning Lights on and Off
- Aiding in Balance on Stairs or in Elevators
- Button Pushing for Automatic Doors
- Help Button for Client Falls