INTRODUCTION

Whether it is a physical barrier in the environment or a psychological condition, assistance dogs are ready to help people overcome the limitations resulting from a disability. Anyone with a physical or psychological condition, which places a substantial limit on their lifestyle, can adopt an assistance dog.

WHAT IS AN ASSISTANCE DOG?

An assistance dog is a dog selected, educated and trained to assist and accompany in their daily life a person with a specific and recognised disability with a minimum degree of 33%, or people whose needs are not focused on ‘recognised’ disabilities or whose degree is not at or above the minimum degree.

These dogs are considered working dogs (just like police, military, herding or hunting dogs) and the vast majority of them are purebred dogs from ethical breeders, because purebred dogs have a predictable character due to centuries of selection. In some cases mongrel dogs rescued from shelters are also used, but these cases are much rarer.

Some of the breeds used as assistance dogs are the following (the use of one or the other depends on the function to be carried out):

• Golden Retriever
• Labrador Retriever
• Jack Russell Terrier
• Giant Poodle
• Welsh Corgi Pembroke
• Welsh Corgi Cardigan
• Cavalier Kiing Charles Spaniel
• Bichon Frisé
• Chinese Crested
• Cane Corso
• Newfoundland
• Bernese Mountain Dog
• Dobermann
• Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
• Flat Coated Retriever

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE DOGS

There are currently 5 types of recognised assistance dogs:

GUIDE DOG: Focused on helping visually impaired people.

SERVICE DOG: Focused on helping people with physical disabilities.

ASD DOG: Focused on helping people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) of medium or high degree.

SIGNAL DOG: Aimed at helping people with hearing impairment.

MEDICAL ALERT DOG: Focused on helping people with recurrent crises such as diabetes or epilepsy.

Unrecognised assistance dogs in some places are:

INTERVENTION DOG: These dogs participate in programmes where therapeutic, social or educational goals are set in different areas. They only interact with the people in the programme during sessions, the rest of the time they live with their guardian, and the dog's work is always guided by experts and guides in dog-assisted interventions.

They do not have specific legislation at present and only have access to the sites where the intervention programme is carried out at the time of the intervention and to places where dogs are allowed.

EMOCONAL SUPPORT DOG: These dogs help their guardians with their presence to overcome emotional or psychological problems. The person does not have to have a minimum legal disability, a prescription from a mental health professional is sufficient. They do not need any specific training, they simply need to know how to behave in society.

The concept of emotional support animal arose in the United States, there, to obtain a certificate of emotional support dog, it has to be ‘prescribed’ by a mental health professional in order for the dog to be able to accompany you in the places established by the law of each state.

In Spain there is no legislation in this respect. Emotional support dogs cannot accompany their guardians except in places where dogs are allowed. What they can do is travel in the aircraft cabin with certain airlines, carrying a certificate prescribed by a health professional and a certificate from a training school stating that the dog has been trained.

PROTECTION DOGS AGAINST MALTREATMENT: These are not ‘escort dogs’ or ‘security dogs’. They are protection dogs, or Pepos, as they are called. They are trained so that their mere presence will deter abusers, and protect the victims in case the aggressors do not respond to warnings, repelling the aggression. ‘These dogs do not bite, nor will they kill, as they need to be super-social dogs so that they can live with children and live in society. They are generally focused on abused women.

COGNITIVE HELP DOGS (DEMentia or Alzheimer's): The task of these dogs is not welfare, they are focused on supporting patients with chronic mental health conditions such as Alzheimer's to improve their self-esteem, cognitive and emotional state, something that can be achieved with assisted intervention sessions focused on fostering the human-animal bond. In people with dementia, the presence of dogs has been shown to improve their quality of life, as well as behavioural and psychological symptoms and reduce symptoms of depression.

CANCER DETECTING DOGS: Beyond their role as assistance or therapy dogs, dogs, thanks to their exceptional sense of smell, have been shown to be able to detect cancer in the early stages of lung, prostate, bladder or bowel cancer.

CAN ALL ASSISTANCE DOGS GET IN ANYWHERE?

No, unfortunately there are many places that only allow guide dogs or those that fall into recognised categories.

CONCLUSION

There are currently several types of assistance dogs, although only some of them are recognised as such and enjoy the privileges associated with this, such as being able to accompany their owners anywhere without hindrance.

These dogs are indispensable in the lives of their human companions and their work should be recognised as such.