Everyone needs help sometimes. You may have an older loved one who’s struggling with ageing or a friend who could use a little help living independently. A trained canine companion can make their life much easier. These are eight great reasons to have a service dog and how they help people get more from their everyday lives.

1. They Provide Balance

Mobility can be an issue for numerous reasons. Someone may have been born with a disability or struggle with their balance due to old age. A service dog trained in mobility assistance will make someone safer even if they use a wheelchair or walker.

These dogs may pick up objects on the floor and return them to their owners. They could open and close doors or support someone while ascending stairs. In 2019, over eight million people injured themselves by falling, but service dogs can prevent these accidents and hospitalisations through their training.

2. They Can Hear For You

Hearing loss doesn’t have to prevent someone from staying safe at home or in public. A trained canine companion will alert their owner to smoke alarms, oncoming traffic and children crying in the next room, along with other emergency sounds. They even assist in everyday activities like answering the phone, making it easier for people to stay on top of their work schedule or social lives.

3. They Catch Seizures

People with epilepsy may feel like they can’t enjoy normal activities because they may have seizures and endanger themselves. Service dogs know how to catch seizures before they happen, preventing injuries and even seeking help during the episodes. Although they can’t stop the attack, the advanced notice gives people time to get themselves somewhere safe or alert their emergency contacts if they aren’t left alone and without help.

4. They Assist During Emotional Outbursts

People with autism experience emotional outbursts for many reasons. Whether they’re overstimulated or anxious in a specific environment, their service dog will sense their emotional state. Dogs ground people by encouraging repetitive petting motions or performing tricks like laying on the person’s lap to ground them through their warm weight.

A trained dog’s calming presence provides peace of mind to people during emotional highs and lows, even preventing the outbursts from getting the chance to build.

5. They Guide the Visually Impaired

Many people picture dogs wearing vests and leading the visually impaired when they picture service animals. They’re well known because they wear a bright vest that makes an impression. Trainers teach puppies special skills from birth to lead people in a straight line and keep calm in public environments, like when people try to pet them while they’re working.

Service dogs can also determine the size of doorways to redirect their owners if they’re too tall to enter a space. These skills, combined with navigating crowded areas and watching for traffic, save lives and open the world to people who might otherwise feel trapped at home.

6. They Monitor Blood Sugar Levels

Dogs have a heightened sense of smell that changes lives for people with diabetes. They may not always catch hypoglycemia until it’s too late, but a service dog will smell the fruit-scented ketones their body emits before and during an episode. Their owners will still have to monitor their blood sugar regularly, but service dogs are a great way to catch high or low blood sugar while someone’s occupied with work, family or other obligations.

7. They Detect Allergens

A canine’s ability to smell can also save people from accidentally coming into contact with life-threatening allergens. They’ll alert their owners if they smell even the slightest trace of something like peanuts in their surrounding environment. It provides great relief to anyone who would suffer from anaphylaxis if they forget to check the ingredients or eat something given to them by someone who didn’t think to check for allergens.

8. They Become a Companion

Service dogs receive training for numerous skills, but preventing loneliness is one of the most important things they do. If someone feels uncomfortable around people or unsafe to leave their home, loneliness will begin to influence their mental health. It could turn into depression and direct their thoughts to dark places.

When someone has a canine companion, their brain releases oxytocin to reduce stress and fight negative emotions. A dog is a long-term source of joy that’s with someone wherever they go. When that dog uses their expert training to save their owner’s life or make it easier, the joy only multiplies. Sometimes that’s all someone needs to enjoy their lives and feel more fulfilled.

Great Reasons to Have a Service Dog

These are eight great reasons to have a service dog because they assist whenever someone’s struggling. No matter what you or a loved one deals with, the right training could help a canine companion change your life. Consider your needs to determine the best service training for your future four-legged best friend.

It should be noted, however, that here in Ireland there is absolutely no other recognised 'Service Dog' other than a blind person's assistance dog. Sadly, Ireland is way behind the times in recognising the incredible work and assistance that these other dogs provide their owners.