Service Dog Tasks

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DPT is a trained task where a service dog is asked to lie with either their head or the bulk of their weight on a particular section of their handler's body such as their lap or chest. DPT can help calm people who are  experiencing fear, stress, and/or anxiety. 

Crowed Control is a trained task where a service dog creates space for their handler by circling around their handler, blocking isle ways or space in front or behind their handler, blocking approaching people, alerting to people approaching from behind the handler, and watching their handler's back. 

Behavior Interruption is a trained task where the dog notices and interrupts certain behaviors of their handlers such as: repetitive behaviors, pulling hair, excessive scratching, skin picking, nail picking or biting, freezing, nightmares, crying, harmful stimming, and other anxious behaviors and other self-harming behaviors. Typically, the service dogs are trained to interrupt these behaviors by pawing, licking, nuzzling, bumping, or jumping up on the handler. 

Service dogs can be trained to help guide their handler to exits, parked cars, chairs, or quiet locations. They can also be trained to follow a certain person. 

Service dogs can be trained to lean, nudge, or paw a handler to bring them back to themselves. They can also go into a position next to or on top of their handler and stay in that position until released, while the handler pets, rubs, or holds on to them. 

Service dogs can be trained to find items like keys, phones, wallets, and other personal items when the handler has lost the item or can't remember where they left it. They can also be trained to automatically pick up dropped items. 

Night Terror Interruption is a trained task where the dog notices and interrupts by licking, pawing, nudging the handler awake. They can also be trained to detect on coming night terrors by scent. 

Service dogs can be trained to remind handers to take medicine. They can also be trained to retrieve medications. 

Service dogs can be trained to retrieve items such as phones, keys, wallets, comfort items and the like.  

Service dogs can be trained to counterbalance, brace, or otherwise help stabilize handler when they become dizzy, disoriented, or distracted.  Typically, the dog will wear a special harness for this work though some balance work can be done without it.

Service dogs can be trained to find help or alert when their handler is in destress or becomes nonresponding. They can also push emergency buttons or retrieve a phone.

A proximity alert is when the service dog alerts the handler to someone approaching from behind, usually with a nudge or paw alert. 

A service dog can be trained to go into a position next to the handler facing the opposite direction, so they can watch for people approaching the handler. They can also proximity alert form this position. 

Service dogs can be trained to find family members or friends if the handler becomes separated in public. 

Service dogs can be trained to recognize when their handler is having a panic attack and respond to them in number of ways such as providing deep pressure, guiding the handler to a safe place, interrupting behavior associated with the panic attack, grounding the handler, or getting help. 

Service dogs can be trained to recognize when their handler is dissociated and respond with deep pressure, guiding the handler to a safe place, interrupting behavior associated with the dissociation, grounding the handler, or getting help. 

Service dogs can be trained to recognize when their handler is having a flash back and respond with deep pressure, guiding the handler to a safe place, interrupting behavior associated with the flashbacks, grounding the handler, or getting help. 

Service dogs can be trained to recognize when their handler’s emotions are escalating and respond to them. Typically, dogs are trained to use behavior interruption when their handler's emotions are escalating but some handlers may find deep pressure, guiding the handler to a safe place, grounding the handler, or getting help maybe more effective. 

Service dogs can be trained to track/trail children who elope (wonder away, bolt/run away, and/or escape form homes/schools). If the child has eloped, the adult handler can have the dog find the child by following their scent. 

Service dogs can be trained to alert adult handlers when their child starts to elope. The adults can then reconnect with the child before they are out of sight.

Service dogs can be trained to walk next to an adult handler while also being tethered to their child by a leash attached to the dog harness. The dogs are taught to counterbalance when the child tries to move away or bolt away from the adult handler. 

Service dogs can be trained to alert an adult handler when their child is engaging in a behavior that is self-harming or dangerous.  Dogs are often taught a bark alert for this, but any type of alert came be used. 

Service dogs can be trained to retrieve items that are dropped or out of reach. They can be taught the name of specific items that are need often and then go find and retrieve said item. Along with retrieval, they can be trained to deposit items in baskets, trash can and the like.  Additionally, they can be trained to pick up items that the handler indicates with a laser pointer. 

Service dogs can be trained to carry items in their month or in a backpack for their handler.   Typically, items carried in a dog's mouth with be for short durations.

Service dogs can be trained to pull or push to open and close doors, drawer, cabinets and the like on command.  They can also be trained to push handicap buttons that open automatic doors. 

Service dogs can be trained to use their paw or nose to hit buttons, such as elevator buttons, hapicap buttons, emergency call buttons and the like. They can also be taught to hit button the handler indicates with a laser pointer. 

Service dogs can be trained to help their handler put on or remove clothing by either tugging on or holding clothing items stationary. They can also retrieve clothing items. Additionally, dogs can be trained to put clothing in laundry hampers and load/unload washers and dryers. 

Service dogs can be trained to pull their handler’s wheelchair. They can be taught to go different speeds, turn, and stop on command. 

Service dogs can be trained to counterbalance, brace, or otherwise help stabilize their handler. They can help a handler stand up or sit up. They also can help transfer a handler to/from chairs, wheelchairs, beds, and bathtubs. Additionally, they can stabilize handlers going up and down stairs. Typically, the dog will wear a special harness for this work, though some balance work can be done without it.

Service dogs can be trained to deliver and retrieve money, cards, wallets, and other items at checkout stations in stores. 

Service dogs can be trained to turn on and off light switches with their paw or nose. They can also hit switches that the handler indicates with a laser pointer.

Service dogs can be trained to find help or alert when their handler falls, is in destress, or becomes nonresponding. They can also push emergency buttons or retrieve a phone.

Medical Alert dogs are trained to sense oncoming health issues and alert handlers ahead of time so that handler can take preventive action or get to safety. Dogs usually alert handler by pawing, licking, barking, pressing alert buttons, or using a bringsel (tab a dog holds in their mouth), anywhere from a couple of minutes to a couple hours ahead of time. Typically, dogs are trained to smell changes in their handler's biochemistry. Some dogs can have natural alerts. 

Medical response dogs are trained recognize when their handler is having a health issue and respond to them by guiding them to safety, getting help, retrieving medicine, balance tasks, or applying pressure to their handler by lying on them.

Service dogs can be trained to remind handers to take medicine. They can also be trained to retrieve medications. 

Service dogs can be trained to find help when their handler is having a medical emergency. Dogs can be trained to find a specific person, bark for help, push emergency buttons, or retrieve a phone.

Service dogs can be trained to counterbalance, brace, or otherwise help stabilize handler when they become dizzy, disoriented, or otherwise incapacitated. 

Service dogs can be trained to guild their handler to safe places such as chairs, walls, corners before or during a health issue. They can also be trained to guild them to exists or even home. 

Service dogs can be trained to smell for allergens in/on food or Items.  Dogs are usually taught a yes behavior and no behavior when asked to check foods or other items. For example, a dog can be trained to paw at their owner then they smell an allergen and to nose touch them when they don't smell any allergen.  

Service dogs can be trained to search a specific area for the scent of an allergen and indicate if they find it. They can also be trained to indicate that no allergen is present. 

Service dogs can be trained to retrieve medication (such as an epi pen) on command or if their handler is having a hard time breathing. 

Service dogs can be trained to find help, alert bark, retrieve phone, or press emergency button on command or if their handler is having breathing problems.

Service dogs can be trained to alert their handler when their name is called. Usually, the dogs learn to alert to first names, lasts names, and nick names. They can also be trained to alert to general attention getting terms like "excuse me", and "sir/ma'am."

Service dogs can be trained to alert their handler to fire alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, tornado sirens, and emergency sirens. Dogs are often taught to display different behaviors for each alert, so the handler knows what the dog is alerting to. 

Service dogs can be trained to lead hander to the source of a noise they are alerting on. Typically, the handler will give their dog a command after the dog has alerted them to a sound, the dog then leads the handler to source of the noise. For example, the dog might alert their handler to someone knocking on a door and the hander then asks the dog where to noise is coming from and the dog will take them to the door. 

Service dogs can be trained to alert to general noises in the handler's house, such has appliances ending their cycles, timers, phones, microwaves, coffeepots, tea kettles, and the like.  The dogs can be taught different alerts for each, or the handler can simply have the dog source the sound. 

Service dogs can be trained to wake when their alarms go off or during an emergency.  

Service dogs can be trained to retrieve their handler's phone when it rings. 

Facility dogs can be trained to model behaviors or experiences that clients in facilities may need to participate in. For example, the dog can be trained to sit still while having their blood pressure taken to show a child that it is safe and how to behave when it is their turn.

Facility dogs can be trained to participate in different types of therapies to help motivate clients. For example, a speech therapist might have a child give the dog commands to help them enunciate better or a psychical therapist might have included the dog in certain exercises or stretches.