What Conditions Can Service Animals Help With?

Impaired Hearing

Service dogs can be trained to help individuals who are deaf or hearing impaired. These dogs are colloquially called hearing dogs. Many accommodations exist to help those who are deaf or hard of hearing navigate the world to begin with. For example, there are oven timers with lights and alarm clocks that vibrate to shake the bed. However, service dogs can still help alert deaf and hearing-impaired individuals to sounds of danger. Some of the most common sounds service dogs are trained to respond to include a child's cry, telephone ringing, alarm clock, doorbell, or smoke alarm. When hearing dogs hear noises they've been trained to respond to, they will nudge or paw their handler to alert them about the sound. Then they will lead the person to the source of the sound. Individuals who are nonverbal can train their dog to respond to American Sign Language instead of verbal commands. If the person has additional medical conditions or disabilities, the dog can also be trained to help with these.

Reveal more conditions service animals are able to help with now.