Whether you want unconditional love or help with your daily tasks, a service dog might be the perfect solution for you. It’s an excellent companion to have alongside you, especially if you have mobility issues.
He will assist and support you every day to make your life as enjoyable as possible despite your specific conditions. Nonetheless, there’s a lot of information to understand before you consider applying or training your dog for this purpose.
From what a service dog for balance and stability is to which breeds are suitable for this type of work, you probably have many things to learn. That’s why I want to share with you everything I’ve found about this subject!
Mobility service dogs are trained to help people with any disability to move, walk, or keep their balance. They can accomplish tasks such as opening automatic doors, giving back a dropped item and bracing to assist their owner with stability problems. With proper training and equipment, nearly any companion can alleviate mobility impairment.
In short, this type of working dog is the ultimate partner to support you when you need it. To eventually find or adopt the perfect one for your conditions, there are several things you must know.
I’ve already done all the research to save you time and energy. After your reading, you will understand if a service dog the right solution for your disability and how to apply for one. I will also give you information about training an animal for mobility assistance yourself!
What Is A Mobility Service Dog & What Does He Do?
Service dogs are bred to assist people with different types of disabilities. They will help them do plenty of things they can’t achieve alone because of their physical or mental conditions.
For mobility problems, your four-legged companion acts as an indispensable helper to compensate for your limitations. He will accomplish tasks for you to make your life much more pleasant and convenient.
It’s an excellent alternative to replace the person taking care of you to become independent from other people. Now, you might wonder how a mobility service dog can actually help someone with physical restrictions?
To give you some examples, he’s able to perform tasks such as:
- Providing you support to keep your balance while walking.
- Picking up an object you’ve dropped.
- Opening automatic doors for you.
- Etc.
It’s also a reliable companion that will be there whenever you need help to get up in the middle of the night or want some love to pump up your mood.
Why Would You Need This Type Of Service Dog?
Even if mobility dogs are great life partners, you should make sure you can benefit from their intelligence and eagerness to help. According to the law, you must suffer from a physical or psychiatric disability to make your service dog application request.
Anybody that has difficulty walking without help or has any other medical condition related to mobility or balance can apply for a four-legged helpmate. However, nothing keeps you from training your furry friend by yourself to make him the perfect assistant for your needs.
Let me share with you real examples of people who would need a mobility service dog. Here are some disabilities that should lead people to consider owning such a useful buddy!
- Arthritis.
- Balance Impairment.
- Brain Injury.
- Cerebral Palsy.
- Coordination Problems.
- Disequilibrium.
- Fibromyalgia.
- Gait Difficulties.
- Multiple Sclerosis.
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neurological, Cardiac, or Metabolic Disorder.
- Spina Bifida.
- Spinal Cord Injury.
- Vertigo.
- Other Mobility or Stability Issues.
People that are already using mobility devices such as a cane, wheelchair, or anything else to help you move more conveniently can also have access to a service dog.
Overall, it’s the perfect solution for you if he can make your life more simple and help you stop depending on other people or devices. If you have any hesitation about your suitability for this type of assistance, ask your doctor!
Mobility Service Dog Tasks!
I’ve already given you a few examples of things this type of companion could do to help you with your disability. With proper training and equipment, an assistance dog can be useful in many different situations. To give you an idea of how it can change your life, here are some tasks a mobility service can do!
- Assist You While Standing Up, Laying Down, or Sitting.
- Provide You Stability & Support To Keep Your Balance While Walking or Standing.
- Carry Your Stuff In An Adapted Backpack.
- Retrieve Useful Items Such As Your Phone, Keys, or Wallet.
- Pick Up Things You’ve Dropped.
- Help You With Counter-Balance.
- Open & Close Doors, Closets, Drawers & Curtains For You.
- Turn Lights On & Off.
- Give You Momentum While Walking.
- Wheelchair Pulling.
- Help With Orientation.
- Etc.
Mobility services dogs have several responsibilities. That’s why their handler must use a specific command for each job they have to perform. With proper training, you can make them do pretty much anything you can think of to simplify your life.
If you want to find out all the things they are suitable to achieve, you should read this article on the Total K9 Focus blog. Their daily tasks will mainly depend on the person’s disability and routine.
Service dogs are amazing, but you need to understand that they are still pets. Therefore, they will need to exercise, play, and get entertained mentally to avoid boredom.
It’s also important to know that not all furballs are good candidates to help people with mobility issues. They need to be suitable for this type of work and be extremely well-trained before assisting someone with medical conditions!
How To Find A Service Dog For Mobility Problems?
Once you know having an assistance animal is the right solution for your needs, it’s time to start looking for the perfect companion. There are two main ways to proceed if you want to have a service dog. You can either train him yourself or adopt one already qualified to help you out from an organization.
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) doesn’t require any professional or official training for dogs to become service animals. That’s why you can decide to train your buddy for mobility work if you want to.
However, it’s essential to have good dog training skills to teach him everything he must know to assist you with different tasks. To help you find out which option is the most appropriate for your situation, let me share with you some advantages and drawbacks of each possibility.
If you train a service dog on your own, you will definitely save money. On the other hand, it’s not as easy and fast as asking help from a professional trainer or applying for an animal already prepared for this type of work at an institution.
How Much Does A Service Dog For Mobility Assistance Cost?
The total investment will vary according to many factors such as the breed, type of training, and disability. To give you an idea, the NSARCO suggests expecting an initial cost from $15 000 to $30 000. Some high-end service dogs can have a price up to $50 000. Yes, that’s a lot of money.
Apart from the upfront fees, you will also have to spend between $500 – $10 000 per year to feed, take care of, and entertain your assistance animal. Thus, it might not be realistic for you to make such a huge investment. Even if the benefits worth it, most people don’t have that much money in their bank account.
There are many reasons why mobility service dogs are expensive. First of all, the intense training and care required to make them good assistants cost a lot of money. With the adoption fees, vaccinations, food, and every other charge that adds up, it’s normal to pay a high price for this type of companion.
Another alternative more affordable right off the bat is to find a professional trainer to educate a dog according to your needs. It’s an excellent solution because he can teach him specifically what’s necessary to assist you with your disability.
The personalized service you will receive could be useful if you have unique conditions. For the price, professional service dog trainers can cost anywhere from $150 to $250 an hour. It can take up to two years of constant training before your helpmate develops enough skills to help you with your daily tasks.
With that said, the overall investment can be very similar whether you purchase an assistance dog from an organization or hire a professional to do the job. You can find more information about the cost of service dogs in this article from the NSARCO blog.
The Benefits Of Investing In An Animal Already Trained!
Even if it’s not cheap, service dogs trained by specialized organizations or professionals are more likely to become good assistants. That’s why I highly recommend you to go with experts if it’s possible. Just think about it, can you really put a price on your well-being and happiness?
You want to adopt a four-legged companion for mobility assistance, but you don’t have the budget for this expense? In this case, you should read this article on Bank Rate that explains how you might be able to afford a service dog.
Best Mobility Service Dog Organizations:
How To Train Your Dog For Balance & Stability Assistance?
Now, let’s see how you can prepare your buddy to support you without any professional trainer. With all the information available online, you have everything you need to train a service dog.
Nonetheless, I’ve never said it will be easy. Assistance training requires a lot of work, patience, time, energy, and even money. The first important step is to understand your needs.
Right off the bat, you should know what type of assistant is necessary for your conditions. Therefore, your disability is an essential consideration to find your ideal four-legged companion.
An organization or professional trainer would ask you multiple questions to match you with the perfect partner and meet your requirements. That’s why you should do the same to select a service dog suitable for what you want him to do. Once your needs are clear in your mind, it’s time to search for the right furry assistant!
What Are The Best Dogs For Mobility Support?
Apart from your personal needs, some dogs are also naturally more appropriate for service work and mobility assistance. Many different breeds are well-suited for this purpose, but not all of them have the perfect characteristics to help you with support and balance.
You should consider their size, personality, longevity, care requirements, and many other factors to choose the perfect service dog. In general, any candidate that’s tall enough, friendly, eager to please, and easy to train should be great for mobility assistance. However, some breeds are more likely to be excellent companions for this purpose.
How Big Should Mobility Service Dogs Be?
The size of your working buddy is quite important, especially for support and balance assistance. That’s why most service dogs are relatively tall and large.
As a general rule, their height should be at least 22” for this type of work. For the weight, anything over 55 lbs should be alright. Your size and disability will also influence what size of companion you should be looking for.
If you want him to assist you when walking and standing up, he must have an appropriate height and weight. Otherwise, you might not be able to reach him if he’s too short, or he might not be strong enough to support you safely!
Other Considerations. (Temperament, Care, Etc.)
Apart from the size, your service dog should also have other specific traits. First of all, he must have the right personality to assist you with your daily tasks.
The ideal temperament for assistance would be a companion that’s ready to help, adaptable to any situation, sociable, energetic, and easily trainable.
The time necessary to take care of your furry helpmate is also essential to consider. With your busy life and mobility issues, you possibly can’t give as much attention as some breeds need.
Another element to keep in mind is the animal’s age. Young and old dogs have different advantages and downsides when it comes to assistance work.
For example, puppies can generally learn new assistance skills more quickly than adults. But they are very energetic and have short attention spans. On the other hand, older service dogs are calmer and might already master the fundamentals of obedience training.
Top 5 Mobility Dog Breeds!
Now, some breeds have the perfect conditions to assist people with this type of disability. Their natural desire to help, be friendly, and bond with their owner makes them excellent service animals.
So here are the 5 most appropriate dog breeds for support and stability issues!
- Golden Retriever.
- Labrador Retriever.
- German Shepherd.
- Standard Poodle.
- Bernese Mountain Dog.
- Etc.
They are many other breeds that are also well-suited for mobility assistance. Newfoundlands, Rottweilers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and some mutts are good candidates for this type of work.
As long as your companion is strong enough, properly sized, gentle, smart, and always happy to help people, you shouldn’t have any problem.
If you’re looking for more information about what makes good dog breeds for your conditions, I highly recommend you to read this article on the Amazing Service Dogs blog.
What Equipment Does This Type Of Service Dog Need?
Once your furry assistant is well-trained and ready to help you out, you might have to invest in some specialized gear. An essential piece of equipment for mobility service dogs is the harness or vest.
If you need a lot of support while walking or standing, the Mobility Harness made by Bold Lead Designs is the best option for bracing and balance stability. A more affordable alternative would be the Dean & Tyler Guide Harness.
For simple tasks such as retrieving things or opening automatic doors, any standard service dog vest will do the job. If you want your dog to do more specific work, there are probably products designed for this purpose. For example, the Yoga Dog Harness or FrontPet Explorer Pulling Harness are great options for wheelchair pulling.
Here’s more information about the best mobility and balance harnesses!
Apart from this fundamental piece of equipment, you might also need other accessories such as a bridge handle for mobility assistance, a special lead or collar, identification cards, or additional gear. Therefore, it’s another investment that’s essential to help your service dog be as useful as possible!
Last Thoughts About Mobility Service Dogs!
Finally, there’s a lot of things to know about these awesome life partners. Whether it’s for emotional support or physical assistance, service dogs are the ideal solution.
I know it’s a huge investment in money and/or time, but all the benefits will be worth it. Don’t be cheap when it comes to your well-being and happiness!
With all the information in this article, you should be all set to adopt or train your assistance dog. Now it’s time to start the best adventure of your life and find the perfect four-legged companion. I hope my blog post has helped you understand what mobility service dogs are, what they do, and how to get one.
Take Care & Have Fun With Your Buddy!
If you’re looking for another resource, I’ve found a lot of information in this article made by Canine Partners For Life.