Celebrating National Service Dog Month: The Heroes at Our Side

September is a moment for four-legged friends to shine since this is the time to celebrate National Service Dog Month. It is a moment to raise awareness and show appreciation for dogs' extraordinary work for the people in their care. These dogs are more than just pets; they are smart enough to be trained to care for humans suffering from specific disabilities, mental health issues, and ailments. Therefore, their purpose in life has roots in serving their human companion to make their lives easier. This makes it vital to honor their hard work by devoting an entire month to them.Service dogs can perform various tasks for specific people depending on their needs. Most assist with balance, retrieve objects, assist those with psychiatric disabilities, and give seizure or diabetic alerts. Most importantly, they serve the nation's wounded Veterans or service members who are suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress. The support given by these pups continues beyond there. They also provide companionship, loyalty, and unconditional love. With their help, humans can better tend to their disabilities and issues and live better and happier lives.

History of the National Service Dog Awareness Month

Over the years, humans have suffered from various illnesses that have made their quality of life somewhat tricky. Some of these conditions include autism, mental disorders, seizures, blindness, and hearing issues, which may require physical assistance. However, as technology progressed, researchers discovered that these ailments do not have to be fully in control of one's life or depend on another human for assistance. It was uncovered that they all need a well-trained dog to act as their support and best friend. To honor them, National Service Dog Month was created in 2008.The one who started the appreciation month is the actor Dick Van Patten, who was amazed by how these pups help their humans. To make things better, he even took everything two steps further as he created a fundraising program to reward the hard work of these pups in service dog training schools. With his work and effort, Guide Dogs of the Desert made Patten an honorary board member. This led to a progression, and every National Service Dog Awareness Month fundraising effort being made across the country.These training schools are greatly improving the recipients' lives with service dogs. They also are helping the pups' quality of life improve.

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The Journey of a Service Dog

Every dog undergoes rigorous training to become a service dog. Some pups receive their training at a young age when they match with volunteer caretakers. At this stage, they learn social skills that will help them have the best behaviors. The next stage is basic training and socialization. This happens when the puppy turns eight weeks old, and their training will last up to 18 months. They will gain exposure to various situations and experiences to develop skills they need in real-life situations.Once the pup passes, it is sent to service dog school, where it spends up to nine months learning 45 various tasks to help a disabled person. Sometimes, other dogs change careers to become emotional or therapy dogs. Once everything is good, they carefully match the dogs with a person who will best fit their temperament and skills.

How to Celebrate the National Service Dog Awareness Month

Sources:National Service Dog Month - Canine CompanionsNational Service Dog Month 2024: When & How to Celebrate – DogsterCelebrating National Service Dog Month - American Humane - American Humane