Happy Tails Service Dogs is dedicated to the education and training of a person with a disability and a dog to become a working team. This in turn will lead to greater independence in their homes, neighborhoods and communities. Learned tasks are based on individual needs of the owner thus enhancing their daily activities.
- Service dogs can assist individuals with physical disabilities by:
- Picking up dropped items or items told to retrieve
- Holding items for you
- Carry items for you, even to another room
- Opening/Closing household doors
- Opening/Closing cupboard doors
- Bringing a drink from a kitchen cupboard
- Opening the refrigerator door
- Bringing a soda from the refrigerator
- Putting dog toys away
- Fetching a cane, walker, braces, crutches or other equipment
- Assisting with transfers to or from the bed, toilet, bathtub, sofa, chair, car or bus
- Reaching an item for you, i.e. clothing items, shoes, coat, hat
- Assistance with undressing – removing shoes, coat or other clothing items
- Answering a ringing phone
- Bringing you the emergency phone or calling 911 for you
- Answering a knock at the door/doorbell
- Barking at a knock at the door/doorbell
- Cleaning up, i.e. putting trash in wastebasket and/or recycle bin
- Fetching a First Aid Kit, medication bag, bottles of pills, asthma puffers, etc
- Helping you up off the floor, off of furniture or helping you up from a fall
- Assisting with stairs or elevators
- Turning On/Off light switches
- Assisting with laundry, i.e. washing, drying, putting clothes in/out of basket
- Retrieving purse, wallet, school book bag or dog’s backpack
- Assisting with mail – retrieving dropped mail or newspaper
- Retrieving a person for help
- Taking a note/message to another family member, coworker, teacher, peer, etc.
- Wheelchair maneuvering
- Support for walking
- Water safety, i.e. shower, bath tub, swimming pools, lakes, etc
- Assistance with financial transactions – paying for store item
- Assisting with a shopping cart/hand basket
- Pushing elevator buttons, automatic door buttons or door bells
- SAFELY loading and unloading in a vehicle
- SAFELY maneuvering through a parking lot
- Assistance in public bathroom
- Advanced retrieving, i.e. taking an item off a store shelf and placing in you basket
- Barking on command
- Putting an item away for you, i.e. putting items on a shelf, shoes in a closet
- Taking an item to a different room
- Retrieving an item from a different room
- Emergency body pull
Number of visitors since October 10, 2008
2004 Happy Tails Service Dogs, Phoenix Arizona