Like people, dogs come in all shapes, sizes and varieties. There’s a style of dog fit for people with different personalities, experiences and abilities. Perhaps that’s why there are many different types of service dogs.

1. 6 DIFFERENT
TYPES OF
SERVICE DOGS
Ryan Croman

2. Service dogs are individually trained
and certified to do work or perform
tasks to benefit individuals with
disabilities, whether they’re physical,
psychiatric, sensory, mental or
intellectual.
Here’s an overview of some of the
different types of service dogs:

3. A s t h e m o s t c o m m o n l y - k n o w n a s s i s t a n c e d o g s ,
t h e y a s s i s t t h e b l i n d a n d p e o p l e w i t h l o w - v i s i o n
w i t h m a n e u v e r p a s t s u r r o u n d i n g o b s t a c l e s .
C o m m o n g u i d e d o g s i n c l u d e G o l d e n R e t r i e v e r s ,
L a b r a d o r s a n d L a b r a d o o d l e s . A l l g u i d e d o g s
w e a r a s p e c i a l h a r n e s s w i t h a h a n d l e s o t h e y
c a n e a s i l y h e l p t h e i r o w n e r s n a v i g a t e .
GUIDE DOGS

4. H e a r i n g d o g s h e l p p e o p l e w h o a r e d e a f o r h a v e
p o o r h e a r i n g . T h e y a s s i s t t h e i r o w n e r s b y
a l e r t i n g t h e m t o i m p o r t a n t s o u n d s l i k e s m o k e
s i g n a l s , d o o r b e l l s a n d e v e n o v e n t i m e r s . W h e n
d o g s h e a r t h e s o u n d , t h e y ’ l l p u t a p a w o n t h e i r
o w n e r s h a n d o r l e g o r l e a d t h e m t o w a r d s t h e
n o i s e . T h e y a r e k n o w n t o i n c r e a s e a w a r e n e s s
a n d i n d e p e n d e n c e i n t h e i r o w n e r s .
HEARING DOGS

5. T h e s e d o g s a r e t r a i n e d t o h e l p p e o p l e d u r i n g
a n d i m m e d i a t e l y f o l l o w i n g a n e p i l e p t i c s e i z u r e .
T h e s e d o g s c a n f i n d a n o t h e r h u m a n t o c o m e
h e l p a s s i s t t h e o w n e r t o h e l p “ w a k e t h e m u p ”
f r o m s e i z u r e s . T h e y m a y p h y s i c a l l y m o v e t h e i r
o w n e r i f t h e i r s e i z u r e o c c u r s i n a n u n s a f e a r e a
l i k e t h e m i d d l e o f t h e s t r e e t .
SEIZURE RESPONSE
DOGS

6. F o r k i d s w h o h a v e a u t i s m a n d n e e d a s s i s t a n c e
a n d e m o t i o n a l s u p p o r t , t h e r e ’ s a d o g t h a t c a n
h e l p w i t h t h a t ! T h e s e d o g s h a v e b e e n s h o w n t o
b o o s t c o n f i d e n c e f o r c h i l d r e n a n d h e l p t h e m
c o n n e c t w i t h t h e i r p e e r s . T h e s e s e r v i c e d o g s c a n
a l s o h e l p c h i l d r e n f r o m r u n n i n g a w a y , b u t i f t h e y
d o , t h e s e d o g s w i l l b e a b l e t o t r a c k t h e m .
AUTISM SUPPORT
DOGS

7. T h e s e t y p e s o f s e r v i c e d o g s c a n c o v e r a w i d e c a t e g o r y
o f a s s i s t a n c e p r o c e d u r e s . T h e y o f t e n a s s i s t p e o p l e
w h o s u f f e r f r o m a n x i e t y , d e p r e s s i o n a n d p o s t -
t r a u m a t i c s t r e s s d i s o r d e r ( P T S D ) . T h e y a r e o f t e n u s e d
b y v e t e r a n s w h o n e e d b o t h p h y s i c a l a n d e m o t i o n a l
s u p p o r t . P s y c h i a t r i c s e r v i c e d o g s a r e t r a i n e d t o
u n d e r s t a n d a n d s e n s e w h e n t h e i r o w n e r i s a b o u t t o
h a v e p a n i c a n d a n x i e t y a t t a c k s , f l a s h b a c k s .
PSYCHIATRIC
SERVICE DOGS

8. W i t h t h e a b i l i t y t o p e r f o r m a w i d e r a n g e o f
t a s k s , t h e s e a s s i s t a n c e p u p s h e l p p e o p l e w i t h
d i f f e r e n t m o b i l i t y i s s u e s . I f h u m a n s h a v e a s p i n a l
c o r d o r b r a i n i n j u r y , f o r e x a m p l e , t h e y c a n h e l p
t h e m o p e n d o o r s , g e t i t e m s a n d e v e n h e l p t h e m
p a y c a s h a t t h e r e g i s t e r . H o w c u t e !
MOBILITY
ASSISTANCE DOGS

9. P u p s a r e n o t o n l y t h e r e t o g i v e u s g r e a t l o v e a n d
a f f e c t i o n , t h e y ’ r e a n g e l s t h a t c a n h e l p u s
t h r o u g h t h e m o s t c h a l l e n g i n g a s p e c t s o f o u r
l i v e s . T h a n k s t o a l l t h e s e r v i c e d o g s o u t t h e r e !
PUPS TO THE
RESCUE!

10. W W W . R Y A N C R O M A N . C O M
THANKYOU!