Assistance Dogs Provide Wonderful Help for Those with Limited Mobility

By Editor, on November 23rd, 2011

Assistance Dogs (sometimes called “Service Dogs”) provide remarkable help for those with limited mobility.

In addition to the salutary love, bond, and companionship that the dogs provide, Assistance Dogs are trained to help with many tasks that make life easier and provide greater independence to people with disabilities or limited mobility.

Service or Assistance Dogs are specially bred and trained. According to this video produced by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, the dogs can:

Fetch and pick up things that have been dropped;
Turn lights on or off;
Open and close doors;
Guide a wheelchair around curves or corners;
Open or close the refrigerator door, or fetch things from the refrigerator;
Provide assistance with other tasks of daily living.

And, importantly, the dogs provide companionship, and help the person with limited mobility both feel more capable and also meet other people, who are attracted to and admire and comment upon the dog and the special bond displayed between dog and master. Many people with limited mobility say they have experienced that the dogs help make them feel more approachable to others. In addition, people they encounter are more likely to focus on admiring the dog rather than expressing pity, which can be so dreaded and debilitating for the person with limited mobility.

View this enlightening video produced by the Christopher Reeve Foundation about the wonderful support provided by Assistance or Service Dogs »

More Information

For further information, the video producers invite you to visit the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation at www.paralysis.org, or call the Paralysis Resource Center at: 800-539-7309.

For additional videos, by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, see the Christopher Reeve Foundation YouTube Channel.

See also the HelpingYouCare™ resource pages on Falls/ Fractures/ Mobility Loss, including: