Psychiatric Service Dogs untitled

Psychiatric service dogs are specially trained to perform tasks for individuals with disabilities, such as guiding the blind, alerting the deaf, assisting people in wheelchairs, and helping those with mental illnesses. They can also help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and interrupt impulsive or destructive behaviors. These dogs wear capes and have access to places where other dogs are not allowed. They are selected for their mild temperament and form a special bond with their owners. These dogs provide invaluable services and can even be used in therapy settings. Welcome to DocTalk, Explorations in Psychotherapy. This is your host, Dr. Alan Schwartz. Today's podcast is on a very special type of service dog called a psychiatric service dog. What is a psychiatric service dog? It is any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. A disability can include a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or any other type of mental disability. Service dogs are specially trained, and they're trained to perform one or many very specific tasks. For example, there are the guiding dogs for the blind. There are dogs who alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing. There are dogs who pull a wheelchair or assist people in a wheelchair. There are dogs who alert and protect a person who is having or about to have a seizure. They are trained to assist those with balance and stability issues. They remind a person with a mental illness to take their medications. They will actually bring the medications to the person. They will interrupt impulsive or destructive behaviors of those with neurological problems and other psychiatric issues. They've been trained to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. They are trained to turn lights on and off in the house or apartment. They are trained to create a space between the public and their owner. They help people interrupt their anxiety attacks and even their nightmares. They're fascinating dogs, and I've seen this work up close and in person. And so, these dogs are not pets, and they wear capes that say, working dog, do not pet. Now usually, people will ask permission, but it's up to the owner to say yes or no. These dogs are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as other individual and state statutes. And what that means is that these dogs have access to places where dogs normally would not be allowed. So they can go on all forms of public transportation. They can go on airplanes, places of worship, restaurants, stores, shopping malls, hospitals, and doctor or dentist offices. They wear a special cape, and the person usually carries paperwork from their doctor to back up the fact that this dog is certified and is medically needed. Now, how can these dogs possibly help so much? Well, they are hand selected for their very mild temperament. As puppies, if they're not able to be cooperative, then they are screened out of the program and they're put up for sale or adoption elsewhere. It's only those dogs with very mild temperaments who are then open to all of the training that they undergo and learn who are, I'm sorry, who are selected. So these dogs provide multi-services to people, and they discourage people from just staying at home. That's one thing I like about dogs anyway. When you have a dog, you have to go out of the house. Well, this kind of dog especially demands that they be taken out. There is a special bond that develops between the owner and his or her dog. And so these dogs stay with the person or patient for a very, well, for their entire lives, either the entire life of the person or the entire life of the dog. These dogs are absolutely incredible, and they provide invaluable services. And we had the privilege of adopting a fully certified service dog who was so incredibly mild-mannered and super well-trained that she was used for breeding purposes. Her name was Mingo, and she was retired, and we had a very good fortune of purchasing her. And in my psychotherapy practice, if a patient became panicky or if a patient was depressed, she would jump up on a couch and lie across their lap. Of course, only those patients who were not allergic to dogs and who were not phobic about dogs. My wife also got permission from hospitals and nursing homes to bring Mingo in and calm patients lying in bed who were facing surgery or who had completed surgery and were recovering. She provided invaluable services. This is Dr. Schwartz bringing this episode to a close. I will see you the next time for a dog talk, Explorations in Psychotherapy. Thank you.