Teaching New Tricks to Our Canine Pals

As you probably know, dogs can be a fun and loyal pets. But did you also know that they can be trained to help us? Maybe you’ve trained your dog to fetch a stick or bring you a newspaper. But dogs can also learn much more important jobs.

Some dogs are trained to help people with disabilities. A disability is a condition that makes someone unable to do some things. Examples of disabilities include being blind or unable to walk. Some people are born with disabilities, but disabilities can also occur from an illness or an accident.  On December 3, we observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This day recognizes the 600 million people in the world who have a disability. Many organizations help people with disabilities. Some of these organizations train dogs to help people with disabilities be more independent. These dogs are more than just pets—they can be life-savers.

In 1929 the group The Seeing Eye was founded. This was the first guide dog school in the United States. The school trains dogs to help people who are blind or who have poor vision. These seeing-eye dogs help their owners get around at home and in public. The dogs alert their owners when there is danger. For example, a dog will stop at a curb on a street or help its owner avoid obstacles that are in the way.

Dogs can help people in many ways!

Other organizations provide assistance dogs to people with other kinds of disabilities. Canine Companions for Independence (CCI) is one example. This group was founded in 1975. It is now the largest assistance dog organization in the world. CCI breeds, raises, and trains dogs to help people. Some dogs help disabled people with physical tasks. This includes bringing people items they need.. Other dogs work with people who have hearing disabilities. These dogs alert their owners to important sounds, such as doorbells or smoke alarms. The dogs are trained to make physical contact with their handlers when the dogs hear these important sounds. On top of the help they provide people with disabilities, assistance dogs are also good friends and loving companions!

The CCI only trains Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, or mixes of those two dogs. This is because these breeds of dogs are smart and easily trained.

Dogs can be trained to help people in ways that you might not have thought about. It’s amazing what our furry, four-legged friends can do!

TLX News Journal: History Activity

Use the Internet or other resources to find out different things dogs are trained for. For example, did you know that dogs can be trained to help the police find bombs? In your TLX News Journal, draw pictures or use photos to make a collage of different activities dogs are trained to do.