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The answer is YES… BUT, do you know the differences between the 3 types of dogs?
Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs and Emotional Support Dogs all have different roles and responsibilities in the lives of the people that they help.
Service Dogs- A service dog is a dog that is trained to help a person that has some type of disability, such as: a seizure disorder, diabetes, post traumatic stress disorder, mobility impairment, visual or hearing impairment, a developmental disability or a mental illness.
For PSTD, a service dog can identify anxiety and will make his owner focus on him when the anxiety occurs or wake the owner in the middle of the night when he is having a nightmare.
In the case of diabetes or low blood sugar, the service dog detects their owner’s blood sugar is low by smell and alerts the owner.
For seizures, a service dog will protect his owner during a seizure by breaking a fall or by alerting other people that a seizure is taking place. Some seizure dogs can even fetch medication or a phone.
Therapy Dogs– A therapy is a dog that provides psychological or physiological comfort to people in hospitals, nursing homes, schools, colleges, prisons, institutions, etc… Therapy dogs do not have to go through the specific training that a service dog does; however, they have to be obedient, they have to be up-to-date on immunizations and they have to be well-groomed. Therapy Dogs are easy going dogs with stable and friendly temperaments. When people interact with therapy dogs, the interaction has been known to lower blood pressure, lower heart rate, reduce anxiety and stress, and make people feel better.
The one difference with therapy dogs is that they are not allowed in businesses like a service dog is.
Emotional Support Dogs- An emotional support dog is a dog that provides companionship and affection to its owner for people suffering from conditions like anxiety, depression, Bipolar, panic attacks, personality disorders or separation anxiety.
There is no formal training for an emotional support dog, but the dog should be a gentle breed, and it should be devoted and responsive to you. Some breeds that are often used for emotional support dogs are: Labs, Golden Retrievers, poodles, pugs, Spaniels, etc…
Emotional support dogs DO NOT have access to public places like a service dog, BUT they can:
- Fly on an airplane with their owner
- They do qualify to stay in housing with no-pet policies.
Back to my original question- Can pugs be used for service dogs, emotional support dogs, or therapy dogs?
YES!!!
Jamie Garner, who lives in Georgia owns a pug who works as a service dog. Jamie has had diabetes since she was 13 years old and her blood sugar fluctuates badly sometimes. Tia Marie alerts for hypoglycemic sugars.
Tia Marie says she originally did not want her- she wanted her brother, but God knew she needed Tia Marie.
“Tia Marie was a gift from God,” Jamie says.
Tia Marie will lay under Jamie if she falls and she’ll put her paw on her to alert her to check her blood sugar. Jamie says when Tia Marie barks at her to alert her, it’s a different type of bark.
“I was getting ready to drive my car one time,” says Jamie. “Tia Marie was yipping at me so I thought I better check my sugar. It was 30.”
Jamie says Tia Marie has saved her life many times. She alerts if Jamie’s blood sugar is under 70 or over 180.
Tia Marie was not formally trained, but according to Jamie “She does what she’s supposed to do.”
Jamie says her doctor and vet have both seen Tia Marie work and both signed her up as a service dog.
“There’s nothing better than a pug,” says Jamie. She’s my world and I am very protective of her.”
Wow!! What a great story… Thank God for Tia Marie!! And… thank you Jamie, for sharing your story with us.
If you want YOUR pug to be a service dog, an emotional support dog, or a therapy dog, decide which one, sign them up for some training, then check out this website:
Until next time,
Hugs and Pug Kisses,
Candy
