Sunday, January 20, 2013

Different Types Of Service Dog Equipment

By Claudine MacDonald


Service dogs refer to the guide or signal animals who have undergone training to be able to offer assistance to people with certain disabilities. These animals have been trained to provide help to the blind and the deaf suffering from conditions that cause them arthritis, seizures and autism. Training these animals should begin while they are still young and with the use of service dog equipment throughout the process.

Basic collars are what most owners use in trainings. Bell collars are the most effective options for dogs that guide blind owners around houses. Martingale collars, however, can provide more control over the animals, giving owners with disabilities ease in manipulating their dogs without choking them.

You will also need to get leads. Service dogs are mostly trained to accept whatever type of leads their handlers will decide to get. A patient suffering from seizures might want to get the wrap-around types as these can give him a better grip in cases when the condition acts up. Those with arthritis are recommended to get the double-handed types since these provide for better grip. Short leads are best for animals desired to walk closely together with their handlers.

You may also want to secure a vest for the dog. There are many reasons as to why a vest is necessary and one is for identifying purposes. Identification will be very important especially if you will be roaming in public areas. A vest can come with a registration patch which will make it easier for you retrieve the dog in case it gets lost. Know that sellers will only entertain people with registered animals though.

Vests can turn out useful in more ways. Many come with multiple pockets which handlers can use for putting in items which may come necessary during emergency situations. There are types that are very lightweight as well and these are great for daily routine work. Some have backpacks allowing animals to carry items 15 percent of their total weight so handlers need not carry anything anymore.

Harnesses are important for guide dogs of blind owners with limited mobility. Common harnesses come with handles which owners can grip so they can be supported or led by their dogs. Majority of harnesses come as soft and fleece-lined leather which animals often find comfortable. These also come with reflective striping which can used in areas of low visibility.

Many harnesses have been equipped with several loops where different leads may be attached to. These loops make the harnesses interchangeable. In situations where dogs are required to pull wheelchair, heavy duty pulling harnesses may be made use of. Relatively, situations where the animals are expected to provide assistance or stability will require mobility harnesses.

Pull trainers can be used for dogs tasked to open drawers. Training dogs to do this task can be really complex and owners might want to make use of reward treats for motivation. Toys or food treats may work best to get animals motivated to train.

If you are unsure as to what service dog equipment would be best to get, seek the help of professionals. You may also request help from people whose opinions you know you can trust. Only get the tools which you know you need and leave behind the unnecessary ones.




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