Benefits of Assistance Dogs Concept
Purpose: This cross-sectional study examined whether partnering with service dogs influenced psychosocial well-being and community participation of adult individuals using wheelchairs or scooters.
Method: One hundred and fifty-two people were recruited and group-matched, resulting in 76 participants with and 76 without service dogs. Standardized scale scores for affect, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, and loneliness were used to operationally define psychosocial well-being. Community participation was assessed with the ‘Social Integration’ domain of the Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique.
Results: Psychosocial characteristics did not differ significantly between those partnered with and without service dogs overall. However, of participants with progressive conditions, those with service dogs demonstrated significantly higher positive affect scores than comparison group participants. Among those with clinical depression, service dog partners scored significantly higher in positive affect. Finally, regardless of whether individuals had service dogs, fewer depressive symptoms and being female or married were predictors of greater community participation.
Conclusion: Select individuals may experience psychosocial benefits from partnering with service dogs. However, it is unclear if these benefits might also be derived from companion dogs. Further research is needed to substantiate the findings of this study.
Objective
To compare the mechanical and muscular efforts generated in the non-dominant upper limb (U/L) when ascending a ramp with and without the use of a mobility assistance dog (ADMob) in a manual wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury.
Method
The participant ascended a ramp at natural speed using his personal wheelchair with (three trials) and without (three trials) his ADMob. Movement parameters of the wheelchair, head, trunk, and non-dominant U/L (i.e. hand, forearm, and arm segments) were recorded with a motion analysis system. The orthogonal force components applied on the hand rims by the U/Ls were computed with instrumented wheels. Muscular activity data of the clavicular fibers of the pectoralis major, the anterior fibers of the deltoid, the long head of the biceps brachii, and the long head of the triceps brachii were collected at the non-dominant U/L.
Results
During uphill propulsion with the ADMob, the total and tangential forces applied at the non-dominant handrim, along with the rate of rise of force, were reduced while mechanical efficiency was improved compared to uphill propulsion without the ADMob. Similarly, the resultant net joint movements (wrist, elbow, and shoulder) and the relative muscular demands (biceps, triceps, anterior deltoid, pectoralis major) decreased during uphill propulsion with an ADMob versus without an ADMob.
Conclusion
Propelling uphill with the assistance of an ADMob reduces U/L efforts and improves efficiency compared to propelling uphill without its assistance in a manual wheelchair user with a spinal cord injury.
Purpose: Companion dogs can provide psychosocial benefits for their owners. Assistance dogs reportedly provide similar benefits, while also performing specific tasks. These psychosocial benefits may increase their handler’s quality of life and ability to thrive – defined as having the ability to grow and flourish, especially in the face of adversity. Currently, no studies compare assistance dogs’ effectiveness to companion dogs’ in assisting their handler/owner to thrive, an important comparison given that companion dogs are typically less expensive to acquire, and more readily available.
Methods: The Thriving Through Relationships (TTR) theory was used to inform the development of a human-dog relationship survey, which was distributed through assistance dog organizations and to the general public.
Results: Participants were divided into three groups: persons with a disability who had an assistance dog (n = 165), persons with a disability who had a companion dog (n = 249) and persons with no disability who had a companion dog (n = 198). Perceived overall support was statistically different between the three groups, F (2, 394) = 14.45, p < .001. Assistance dog handlers reported receiving significantly higher levels of support than companion dog owners with disabilities (p < .01) or without disabilities (p < .001). In fact, assistance dogs were reported to provide more support (p < .017) than companion dogs on nine out of ten separate indicators of thriving.
Conclusion: Overall, dogs are perceived to provide support that improves their handler/owner’s ability to thrive. Most importantly, however, assistance dogs may provide greater support than companion dogs for persons with a disability and, therefore, may be worth the additional time and financial cost.
Implications for Rehabilitation
Assistance dogs could assist rehabilitation by improving coping skills, especially during times of adversity, as demonstrated through the ten indicators of thriving.
Assistance dogs and companion dogs are not inter-changeable when it comes to providing support for individuals with a disability.
Background
Quality of life refers to a person’s experienced standard of health, comfort and happiness and is typically measured using subjective self-report scales. Despite increasing scientific interest in the value of dogs to human health and the growing demand for trained service dogs, to date no research has reported how service dogs may affect client perceptions of quality of life.
Method
We compared quality of life scores on the 16 item Flanagan quality of life scale from individuals who owned a trained service dog with those who were eligible to receive a dog, but did not yet have one (waiting list control). Data were analysed separately from two groups; those with a service dog trained for individuals with physical disabilities (with physical service dog: n = 72; waiting for a service dog: n = 24; recruited from Dogs for Good database) and those with a hearing service dog (with hearing service dog = 111; waiting for a service dog = 30; recruited from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People database).
Results
When controlling for age and gender individuals scored higher on total quality of life scores if they owned a service dog or a hearing service dog, but this was only statistically significant for those with a service dog. Both groups (physical service dog and hearing service dog) scored significantly higher on items relating to health, working, learning and independence if they owned a service dog, in comparison to those on the waiting list. Those with a physical service dog also scored significantly higher on items relating to recreational activities (including items relating to reading/listening to music, socialising, creative expression), and those involving social interactions (including items relating to participating in organisations, socialising, relationship with relatives). Additionally, those with a physical service dog scored higher on understanding yourself and material comforts than those on the waiting list control. In contrast, those with a hearing service dog appeared to receive fewer benefits on items relating to social activities.
Conclusions
Owning a service dog can bring significant specific and potentially general benefits to the quality of life of individuals with physical disabilities and hearing impairments. These benefits may have considerable implications for individuals with disabilities, society and the economy by promoting independence, learning and working abilities.
Scientific literature exploring the value of assistance dogs to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rapidly emerging. However, there is comparably less literature reporting the effects of pet (as opposed to assistance) dogs to these children. In particular, there are no known validated scales which assess how children may alter their behaviours in the presence of the dog, to evaluate the efficacy of pet dogs to these families. Additionally, given the highly individualised nature of ASD it is likely that some children and families gain more benefits from dog ownership than others, yet no research has reported the effect of individual differences. This pilot study reports the development of a 28-item scale based on the perceived impact of a pet dog on a child with autism by parents (Lincoln Autism Pet Dog Impact Scale — LAPDIS). The scale is comprised of three mathematically derived factors: Adaptability, Social Skills and Conflict Management. We assessed how individual differences (aspects) may be associated with scores on these three factors. Family Aspects and Dog Aspects were not significantly associated with ratings on the three factors, but Child Aspects (including: contact with horses, child age, disability level and language abilities) were related to impact of the dog on all factors. Training Aspects were related to scores on Social Skills (formal training with children with ASD and dogs and attendance at PAWS workshops run by Dogs for Good). These results suggest that individual differences associated with the child and the training approach may be important considerations for a positive impact from dog ownership on families with children with ASD. Differences in family features and the dog may not be so important, but may be worthy of further investigations given the early stage of development in this field.
Die Menge der wissenschaftlichen Literatur zur Erforschung des Nutzens von Assistenzhunden für Kinder mit Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen steigt rapide. Dennoch gibt es vergleichsweise wenig Literatur über die Auswirkungen von Haushunden (als Gegensatz zu Assistenzhunden) auf diese Kinder. Insbesondere gibt es keine überprüften Skalen, die beurteilen, wie sich das Verhalten von Kindern in der Anwesenheit eines Hundes verändert, um die Wirksamkeit von Haushunden in diesen Familien zu untersuchen. Zudem ist es aufgrund des stark individuellen Charakters von Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen wahrscheinlich, dass manche Kinder und Familien mehr Vorteile vom Hundebesitz erfahren als andere, bisher wurde aber in keiner Studie über individuelle Unterschiede berichtet. Diese Pilotstudie berichtet über die Entwicklung einer Skala mit 28 Punkten, die auf dem von den Eltern wahrgenommenen Einfluss eines Haustiers auf ein Kind mit Autismus basiert (Lincoln Autism Pet Dog Impact Scale — LAPDIS). Die Skala setzt sich aus drei mathematisch hergeleiteten Faktoren zusammen: Anpassungsfähigkeit, soziale Fähigkeiten und Konfliktmanagement. Es wurde beurteilt, wie die individuellen Unterschiede (Aspekte) mit den Werten dieser drei Faktoren zusammenhängen könnten. Familien-Aspekte und Hunde-Aspekte waren nicht signifikant mit den Bewertungen der drei Faktoren verbunden, aber Kinder-Aspekte (einschließlich: Kontakt mit Pferden, Alter, Grad der Behinderung und Sprachfähigkeiten) waren mit dem Einfluss des Hundes auf alle Faktoren verbunden. Ausbildungsaspekte waren mit Werten der sozialen Fähigkeiten verbunden (formales Training mit Kindern mit Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen und Hunden und Teilnahme an einem Workshop). Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass individuelle Unterschiede, die mit dem Kind und dem Ausbildungsansatz in Verbindung stehen, wichtige Berücksichtigungen für einen positiven Einfluss des Hunde-Besitzes auf Familien mit Kindern, die unter Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen leiden, sein könnten. Unterschiede bei Familien-Merkmalen oder Hunden könnten nicht so wichtig sein. Da sich die Entwicklung dieses Feldes allerdings noch in der Frühphase befindet, sind weitere Untersuchungen angemessen.
This chapter first reviews the research-based information about the benefits of pets, especially for the most vulnerable people, and then addresses the practical implementation of this expanding research. The positive psychosocial effects of human/animal relationships engage interest, arising from firsthand experiences with pet animals and scientific curiosity, as well as the practical questions concerning how best to include pets as an adjunct for treatment for an autistic child or a paraplegic veteran, or to enhance the quality of life of an elderly person in an assisted-living facility. Despite the ever-growing research literature on the psychosocial effects of animals, a significant gap remains between that knowledge base and implementing it into treatment or support services for psychosocially vulnerable people. This chapter suggests that to enjoy the positive effects, a relationship with an animal should be individually tailored to the psychosocial characteristics of the person. Epidemiological studies of entire communities identify subcultures where certain individual circumstances, neighborhoods, geographical features, or special situations are associated with beneficial or adverse health parameters. Employing epidemiological methods with statistical representation of the entire community offers a view of the context, including the community’s affluence, geography, age, gender, and ethnicity of pet-owning participants. The new development will spearhead the creation and availability of curricular resources and enhance the number of people prepared to provide leadership in the area of human/animal interaction, bringing research into practice.
This retrospective study of people in wheelchairs who have service dogs reports their experiences with strangers in public before and after obtaining their dogs. The specific hypothesis tested was that the acquisition of a service dog would increase the number of friendly approaches by strangers. Subjects reported a significantly higher number of social greetings from adults and children on typical shopping trips with the dog as compared with those received on trips before they had the dog or with recent trips when the dog was not present. Subjects with service dogs reported more approaches than a control group without dogs. After obtaining dogs, subjects also increased their evening outings.
Emotional aspects of owning hearing dogs were explored in 38 hearing-dog owners and a control group of 23 prospective owners. Both groups listed companionship and hearing assistance as pleasant reasons for owning such dogs. Having a dog and personal independence were reasons mentioned only by prospective owners. Both groups mentioned travel complications as unpleasant problems. Owners referred to dogs’ behavior problems significantly more often than did prospective owners who appeared to have unrealistic expectations that dog ownership would be problem-free.
This paper examines one approach to the ethics of companion animals, which emerges from the dominant historical tradition and is increasingly familiar in everyday life as well as in work on companion animals in the social sciences. I label it the “utilization with welfare-safeguards” model, or, more gently worded, “seeking benefits while ensuring welfare.” Some of the “benefits” considered are complex ones (like guiding the sight impaired) and others simpler (like reducing stress or providing affection). I explore several problems involved in this approach (including the sometimes jarring inappropriateness of “benefit” terminology). I then offer an alternative account where the primary moral obligation toward companion animals is to develop, nurture, respect, and protect the loving relationship between them and their human companions, since thriving in such a relationship, I claim, has become part of their evolved telos (to use Bernard Rollin’s term) or evolved nature. This priority naturally leads to ensuring welfare, but the highly pro-active approach involved takes the obligation beyond standard welfare provision and “TLC” (“tender loving care”). Some implications of this position are explored.
The aim was to assess glycemia regulation in a blind diabetic patient after getting a guide dog. Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) results of a blind patient before and after getting the guide dog were retrospectively collected. The paired t-test results yielded a two-tailed P value of 0.0925, a difference considered not statistically significant; the 95% confidence interval of this difference varied from -0.2494 to 1.889. An improvement of glycemia regulation was observed with the guide dog compared to previous glycemia regulation, however, the difference was not statistically significant. The moderate improvement could probably be attributed to the mobility of the blind person having a guide dog. Standard quality of life tests should be included in the evaluation of diabetic blind persons, especially the impact of a guide dog on glycemic control or other chronic complications of diabetes.
Dogs for the Disabled is an organisation recently established in the UK to provide trained assistance dogs to enhance the mobility and independence of people with physical disabilities. Fifty-seven recipients of a Dog for the Disabled (90% of all recipients) took part in a questionnaire survey to assess satisfaction with their dog, commitment to the dog’s welfare, and other changes in their life brought about by obtaining their dog. Subjects reported an increased sense of social integration, enhancement to self-perceived health, and an affectionate, often supportive, relationship with their dog. Levels of satisfaction with the dog’s work and the quality of the recipient–dog relationship were greater in subjects for whom the idea to have a dog was their own than in subjects who were influenced by other people to acquire a dog. These differences were small but statistically significant and may be a useful predictor in future applicants of the success of the working relationship.
Background
Having a service dog can help to increase independence and well-being among people with a disability or a chronic health condition. Although there has been an increasing use of service dogs among children and youth their impact has not yet been synthesized.
Objective
The purpose of this article was to conduct a systematic review assessing the impact of service dogs on children, youth and their families.
Methods
Systematic searches of seven international databases from 1985 to 2020 led to 29 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. Using a narrative synthesis review approach we analyzed these studies regarding their sample characteristics, methods, results and quality of evidence.
Results
There were 29 studies in our review that included 1121 children and youth (or parents representing them) that spanned across six countries over a 32-year period. Although the outcomes of the impact of service dogs varied across the studies, 23/29 of them reported an improvement in at least one of the following: physical health (i.e., diabetes management, seizure management, mobility), psychological health (i.e., quality of life, safety, behavior, stress, anxiety, self-confidence and independence), social well-being (i.e., social interactions, school and work) and dog-owner-bond. Children, youth and their parents also described several challenges in owning a service dog.
Conclusions
Our findings highlight that service dogs have potential to provide many benefits for children, youth and their families. Further research, including more rigorously designed studies, is needed to fully understand their impact.
When studying the roles and experiences of a service dog team, it is imperative that the animal-human bond be considered in this process. As the demand and acknowledgement of service dogs for mental health and veterans with PTSD continues to grow, it is important that academic research be conducted in order to not only maximize the benefits to the human and reduce the attitudinal and systemic barriers faced by the service dog team, but also to ensure the well-being of the service dog themselves. This major research paper will show that although individuals who share their lives with service dogs experience many mental health benefits as a result of their partnership, they have to face various attitudinal and systemic barriers in exchange for that benefit. The objectives of the study were to: engage with four persons who share their lives with service dogs in order to discuss and reflect upon the mental health impact of the animal-human bond, to engage significant others view of the mental health impact of service dogs, to explore systemic and attitudinal barriers faced by persons with service dogs, to generate and disseminate current knowledge regarding the mental health benefits of human-animal bonding in general and service dogs and human companions more specifically, and lastly to influence national service dog acceptance and policy. Through conducting a literature review as well as a qualitative phenomenological study, which interviewed human companions who share their lives with service dogs and their significant others, five themes regarding the animal-human bond and mental health were uncovered: that the journey to obtaining a service dog is a lengthy and sometimes complex process; that overall having a service dog for mental health difficulties or PTSD can be a positive experience; that the bond of the dog and human in the service dog Running head: AT BOTH ENDS OF THE LEASH 2 team is quite strong, that there are indeed mental health benefits to being partnered with a service dog; and lastly in order to receive the benefits of having a service dog the teams must face some attitudinal and systemic barriers in exchange. The paper ends with a discussion on the areas of recommendations regarding service dog research and policy in Canada.
The social and therapeutic benefits of pet ownership or simply interacting with a companion animal are well documented. In contrast, limited research exists on the effect of assistance animals on the quality of life for persons with disabilities. The specific aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the effect of partnering with an assistance dog on two sources of well-being: self-esteem and social connectedness. A multi-method design including pre-test/posttest surveys, interviews, and observations was used. The study consisted of 15 adults with cross-disabilities who were applicants to the assistance dog placement program at the National Education for Assistance Dogs Service in Princeton, MA.^ The findings of this study suggest that assistance dogs not only ameliorate functional limitations, but also enhance self-perceptions and relationships with others. An understanding of this effect enables human service workers and health care practitioners to engage more effectively with the disabled population.
Service dogs help persons with mobility impairments by retrieving items and performing other tasks. Hearing dogs alert persons with hearing impairments to environmental sounds. We conducted a pre-post, wait list-controlled pilot study to assess the impact of the dogs on the lives of recipients. Participants were recruited through two assistance dog training organizations and completed an initial questionnaire packet. The Experimental group completed another packet 6 months after receiving a dog. The Control group completed a second packet 6 months after the initial data collection. On average, dog recipients were very satisfied with their assistance dogs. Both service and hearing dog recipients reduced their dependence on other persons. Service dog recipients reduced hours of paid assistance. No other significant change occurred in various standardized outcome measures. Assistance dogs had a major positive impact on the lives of recipients. More appropriate measurement instruments are needed to capture the impact of these dogs.
Servicehunde helfen Menschen mit Mobilitätseinschränkungen, indem sie Gegenstände herbeibringen und andere Aufgaben ausführen. Signalhunde warnen Menschen mit Hörschäden vor Umweltgeräuschen. Eine Pilotstudie wurde zur Beurteilung der Auswirkungen von Hunden auf das Leben ihrer Besitzer durchgeführt. Die Teilnehmer wurden über zwei Ausbildungsorganisationen für Assistenzhunde rekrutiert und beantworteten ein ursprüngliches Fragebogen-Paket. Die Mitglieder der Versuchsgruppe beantworteten sechs Monate nach der Entgegennahme eines Hundes weitere Fragen. Die Kontrollgruppe beantwortete ein zweites Fragebogen-Paket sechs Monate nach der Erhebung mit dem ursprünglichen Paket. Durchschnittlich waren die Hunde-Empfänger sehr zufrieden mit ihren Assistenzhunden. Empfänger von sowohl Service- als auch Signalhunden reduzierten ihre Abhängigkeit von anderen Personen. Empfänger von Servicehunden reduzierten die Stunden bezahlter Assistenz. Es ergaben sich keine anderen Veränderungen in verschiedenen standardisierten Ergebnismessungen. Assistenzhunde hatten einen bedeutend positiven Einfluss auf das Leben der Empfänger. Es werden geeignetere Messinstrumente benötigt, um den Einfluss dieser Hunde zu erfassen.
This paper explores the effect of peoples’ association with guide dogs on how they understand and feel about themselves and how they are regarded by those with whom they interact. The concepts of personal, collective, and social identity are used to situate the discussion. Of central importance is the way working with a guide dog shapes public interaction and how owner’ self definitions and social identities are extended by being intimately involved in the owner—dog team.
Purpose: To qualitatively describe and compare the expectations and experiences of living with a mobility or medical service dog among those with a physical disability or chronic condition.
Materials and methods: A total of 64 participants living with a service dog and 27 on the waitlist to receive a service dog participated in a cross-sectional open-ended survey. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes.
Results: A total of 101 codes were summarized into themes of Physical Benefits, Psychosocial Benefits, and Drawbacks to having a service dog. Psychosocial benefits included the human–animal relationship as well as emotional, quality of life, and social benefits. Drawbacks included service dog care, public access and education, lifestyle adjustments, and dog behaviour. While participants on the waitlist were more likely to anticipate physical benefits of having a service dog, those with a service dog largely described psychosocial benefits. Findings also suggest that some drawbacks, such as public discrimination, may be unanticipated by the waitlist.
Conclusions: A comparison of expectations and experiences of service dog ownership highlights both the positive and negative aspects of the service dog–owner relationship and identifies potential aspects of having a service dog that may be unanticipated or overestimated by those on the waitlist.
Implications for Rehabilitation
When asked about helpful and important aspects of having a service dog, 98% of service dog owners described the psychosocial benefits of their dog’s assistance and companionship.
The human–animal relationship was the most discussed psychosocial benefit from both current owners as well as those on the waitlist, demonstrating the unique strength of the service dog–owner bond in this population.
Those on the waitlist to receive a service dog did not anticipate as many drawbacks as current owners described. In particular, difficulties with public access and education as well as dog behaviour were commonly experienced, but not expected, drawbacks to service dog ownership.
Findings identify aspects of having a service dog that may be unanticipated or overestimated by those on the waitlist, providing rehabilitation professionals with a basis for preparing those who may be considering incorporating a service dog into their lives.
To assess the effects of service dogs on health-related quality of life (HRQOL), we conducted a survey of 10 service dog owners using SF-36v2 (Medical Outcomes Study 36 Item Short-Form Health Survey Version 2.0) and compared it with a matched control group of people with physical disabilities who did not have service dogs but were eligible for one. The scores for mental health and role emotional of service dog owners were relatively high, and their mental component summary was higher than the general population norm. These results indicate that service dogs affect the mentality of their owners. The comparison with the control group indicated that service dogs alleviate the mental burden of daily activities, and subjectively improved the physical functioning of their owners. This study showed that service dogs have positive functional and mental effects on their disabled owners.
Um die Auswirkungen von Servicehunden auf die gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität zu beurteilen, wurde eine Untersuchung mit zehn Besitzers von Servicehunden durchgeführt und mit einer passenden Kontrollgruppe von Menschen mit körperlichen Behinderungen verglichen, die keinen Servicehund besaßen, dafür aber in Frage kamen. Die Wertungen für die psychische Gesundheit und die emotionale Rolle von Servicehund-Besitzern waren relativ hoch und die Zusammenfassung ihrer mentalen Komponenten waren höher als die generelle Norm der Bevölkerung. Diese Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Servicehunde die Mentalität ihrer Besitzer beeinflussen. Der Vergleich mit der Kontrollgruppe deutet darauf hin, dass Servicehunde die mentale Bürde alltäglicher Aktivitäten mildern und subjektiv die körperliche Funktionsfähigkeit ihrer Besitzer verbessern. Diese Studie zeigte, dass Servicehunde positive funktionale und mentale Auswirkungen auf ihre Besitzer haben.
People with disabilities and those working to train, provide and support assistance animals, along with their veterinary teams, would all benefit if they RETHINK their perspective and viewpoint, and roles when these very special relationships come to an end. The end of the relationship may be when the assistance animal must retire, must be redirected, or euthanized due to illness or cancer. The loss or separation at the end of an assistance animal’s service marks a heavy loss for the disabled person. Emotions emerge when the assistance animal is sick or has developed cancer or is approaching the difficult period known as “end of life.” Anticipatory grief and heartbreak may be very difficult to manage and support. We can help ease the burden of decision making when euthanasia is needed for the assistance animal. If the disabled person takes on the good shepherd role and if the veterinary team emulates the minister or Mother Nature’s role at the end of life or at the end of the working relationship, heartache may be lifted from both sides of the leash.
There is an apparent discrepancy between the actual number of guide dog owners and the proportion of visually impaired people who might benefit from a guide dog. This research aimed to provide an understanding of the reasons why many visually impaired people have not applied for a guide dog, the range of benefits offered by guide dogs, and how these might vary amongst different populations and under different circumstances. While previous research described a number of psychological and social benefits of assistant animal ownership, consistent with the companion animal literature, it also pointed to the importance of personal and social context on the impact and effectiveness of assistance animals. The study described here involved a telephone survey of over 800 visually impaired people and found that independence, confidence, companionship, increased and changed social interaction, as well as increased mobility, are commonly cited benefits of guide dog ownership. These psychological and social dimensions of owning a guide dog distinguish it from other mobility aids in its capacity to transform the lives of owners. However, as expected, demographic and contextual factors, such as gender, age, level of vision, and domestic circumstances, influence reasons for application and perceived benefits and drawbacks of guide dog ownership. The author argues that, while this research has emphasised the tremendous impact a guide dog can have, providing the most appropriate mobility aid for an individual’s circumstances is the hallmark of effective rehabilitation service provision. The article also suggests ways in which perceived barriers to applying for a guide dog might be reduced.
The use of a guide dog may facilitate the mobility of the visually impaired. Counseling Psychologist Warnath describes the mutual training of himself and his guide dog in the four-week residential program of Guide Dog School, San Raphael, California. Counselors working with the visually impaired are presented with the assets and liabilities of guide dog ownership.
Disadvantages of Assistance Dog Concept
The purpose of this study was to explore first time handlers’ experiences when working with an assistance dog (ADassistance dog). Interviewees included seven first time AD handlers and 14 other individuals close to these handlers, including family members, carers and AD instructors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted six months and one year after each handler received their AD. Interview questions were informed by the Thriving Through Relationships theory of social support and previous interviews with the participants. Inductive content analysis corroborated previous findings regarding the benefits that ADs provide. In addition, four factors were revealed to substantially influence the challenges handlers experienced when learning to utilize their dog. These included the handlers’ medical conditions, cognitive ability and social environment, and dog-related factors. Organizations would benefit from considering these factors in their operational processes.
Emotional aspects of owning hearing dogs were explored in 38 hearing-dog owners and a control group of 23 prospective owners. Both groups listed companionship and hearing assistance as pleasant reasons for owning such dogs. Having a dog and personal independence were reasons mentioned only by prospective owners. Both groups mentioned travel complications as unpleasant problems. Owners referred to dogs’ behavior problems significantly more often than did prospective owners who appeared to have unrealistic expectations that dog ownership would be problem-free.
Because of extensive media coverage, it is now widely believed that pets enhance their owners’ health, sense of psychological well-being, and longevity. But while some researchers have reported that positive effects accrue from interacting with animals, others have found that the health and happiness of pet owners is no better, and in some cases worse, than that of non–pet owners. I discuss some reasons why studies of the effects of pets on people have produced conflicting results, and I argue that the existence of a generalized “pet effect” on human mental and physical health is at present not a fact but an unsubstantiated hypothesis.
In this article the authors will investigate the relationship between dogs and their owners based on previous research done on attachment theory. This study will address the gap in research on separation anxiety in dog owners. An estimated 200 participants will complete a survey that was designed for the purpose of this study. This survey will ask questions regarding separation from their dog. Half of the participants will be pet dog owners and the other half will be service dog owners with a physical disability. It is expected that on average service dog owners will experience more separation anxiety than pet dog owners. These findings will suggest that the relationship between a service dog and its owner is more mutual than the relationship between a pet dog and its owner.
A young blind adult recounts his experiences in using a dog guide, describing psychological adjustment, trials and joys of being a student at a dog guide training center, bonding with the new dog, and adjusting to home life with a dog guide. Suggestions are offered for the improvement of orientation and mobility training. (JDD)
The term ‘service animals’ describes animals who render assistance of some sort to people with disabilities. This essay examines the boundaries of this concept of service animals, and also the blurriness around the edges, a blurriness which surfaces when we consider service animals in relation to companion animals, working animals, military animals, pack animals, harness animals, prison animals, and comfort animals. In some sense, all people have disabilities: none of us is perfect. There are a range of ‘animal powers’ that people do not have as keenly as other animals do. This sense of the animal strengths that humans lack combined with a sense of entitlement means that in our perennial disability we are inclined to harvest, or coopt, or borrow, or steal some aspect of those abilities, that able-ness, from other creatures.
The degree of acceptance of dog guides at public facilities, which is required by law in Japan, was investigated, and evidence of rejection was found. Japanese people with visual impairments who used dog guides reported higher daily stress levels than did those who did not use dog guides.
This article examines the social experiences of Service Dog handlers using survey data from adult US Service Dog handlers (N = 482). The main research question examined is how disability visibility impacts the experiences of Service Dog-related discrimination. Analysis reveals that half of all Service Dog handlers report experiencing discrimination but those with invisible disabilities report experiencing significantly more discrimination. For those with invisible disabilities, the decision to use a Service Dog prevents them from ‘passing’ while at the same time opening them up to increased skepticism about the legitimacy of their disability.
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA) wished to evaluate its service to Guide Dog Owners (GDOs) undergoing a transition between guide dog partners. Therefore, a survey was carried out that was designed to gain an understanding of the end of a guide dog partnership from the owner’s point of view.
Participants included 75 GDOs whose previous partnership had ended within the past year. Emotional distress was measured by the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and a specially constructed Grief Rating Scale (GRS). Among the 59 GDOs who had no other reason for being upset at the time the partnership ended, high distress levels were found in those whose dog had died, been withdrawn from the partnership, or rehomed through GDBA, and low levels in those whose dog retired and continued to live with the owner or was placed in a home of the owner’s choosing. Sixteen GDOs with other adverse events in their lives around the time the partnership ended recorded high levels of distress irrespective of why the dog stopped work or what happened to it thereafter.
Other evidence from the survey questionnaire suggested that the ending of a partnership is especially painful if the dog has had some special significance for the owner; if the partnership ends abruptly; if it is the end of the first partnership; or if there is a poor relationship with GDBA. Emotions experienced at the end of a partnership may be similar to those following the death of a pet, the loss of a close friend or relative, or the loss of sight.
Transitions between guide dog partners are a recurring consequence of guide dog mobility, and support as a partnership ends is beneficial in making a smooth transition. The issues raised in this study are relevant to assistance dog partnerships of all types. Methodological problems in designing a study for a vulnerable population are discussed.
Purpose: To qualitatively describe and compare the expectations and experiences of living with a mobility or medical service dog among those with a physical disability or chronic condition.
Materials and methods: A total of 64 participants living with a service dog and 27 on the waitlist to receive a service dog participated in a cross-sectional open-ended survey. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes.
Results: A total of 101 codes were summarized into themes of Physical Benefits, Psychosocial Benefits, and Drawbacks to having a service dog. Psychosocial benefits included the human–animal relationship as well as emotional, quality of life, and social benefits. Drawbacks included service dog care, public access and education, lifestyle adjustments, and dog behaviour. While participants on the waitlist were more likely to anticipate physical benefits of having a service dog, those with a service dog largely described psychosocial benefits. Findings also suggest that some drawbacks, such as public discrimination, may be unanticipated by the waitlist.
Conclusions: A comparison of expectations and experiences of service dog ownership highlights both the positive and negative aspects of the service dog–owner relationship and identifies potential aspects of having a service dog that may be unanticipated or overestimated by those on the waitlist.
Implications for Rehabilitation
When asked about helpful and important aspects of having a service dog, 98% of service dog owners described the psychosocial benefits of their dog’s assistance and companionship.
The human–animal relationship was the most discussed psychosocial benefit from both current owners as well as those on the waitlist, demonstrating the unique strength of the service dog–owner bond in this population.
Those on the waitlist to receive a service dog did not anticipate as many drawbacks as current owners described. In particular, difficulties with public access and education as well as dog behaviour were commonly experienced, but not expected, drawbacks to service dog ownership.
Findings identify aspects of having a service dog that may be unanticipated or overestimated by those on the waitlist, providing rehabilitation professionals with a basis for preparing those who may be considering incorporating a service dog into their lives.
This paper explores the effect of peoples’ association with guide dogs on how they understand and feel about themselves and how they are regarded by those with whom they interact. The concepts of personal, collective, and social identity are used to situate the discussion. Of central importance is the way working with a guide dog shapes public interaction and how owner’ self definitions and social identities are extended by being intimately involved in the owner—dog team.
No Abstract available.
In western countries, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, many people with disabilities benefit from the help their assistance dogs provide. In contrast, assistance dogs have not become widespread in Japan. This study explores the perspectives of Japanese people with disabilities, including the obstacles they have experienced when considering acquiring an assistance dog. A paper-based questionnaire was used to investigate the experiences of people with orthopedic, hearing, or visual disabilities. The results showed that a minority of participants with orthopedic (13.9%), hearing (31.6%), or visual (16.0%) disabilities hoped to live with an assistance dog. Younger people (18-59 years of age) hoped to have one more often than older people (over 60 years of age), which was related to their frequency of going out of the house. Younger people were more active in going outside regularly; older women were the least active. People with orthopedic disabilities were less active than those with other disabilities. Younger people were also more experienced in keeping dogs, and liked playing with them more. Younger women showed the greatest interest in living with an assistance dog, and older women the least interest; targeting information and encouragement to younger women may be most productive for placing dogs. Among people who did not hope to acquire an assistance dog, 6.1-11.6% of them felt sorry for dogs that are required to go through training, and 8.3-16.1% of them answered that they hated dogs. Our results indicated that Japanese are influenced by cultural, historical, and environmental contexts, and are not yet fully familiar with and accepting of the concepts of working dogs that are typical in the western countries. Most of the participants who hoped to live with an assistance dog had not actually applied for one. They gave the following reasons: there were inevitable negative aspects of living with dogs and sources of information, training systems, and policies by the governments and/or assistance dog organizations were cumbersome and inconvenient. The overall strategies to provide assistance dogs to people with disabilities need to be more accessible and accommodate the specific needs of the people who have disabilities.
