Service dogs are helpful companions, and many individuals benefit from the tasks they complete and provide assistance with every day. And, you may not know it, but service dogs can come in all sizes, ages, and breeds. Some dogs are better fits for certain kinds of service dog tasks, but, in general, any dog can become a service dog with the right training.
If you are wondering how an Australian shepherd would fare as a service dog, keep reading! Our guide gives you all the information you might need about Australian shepherds and the service dog tasks they perform.
What Is a Service Dog?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines service dogs as dogs that are trained to perform tasks that directly help relieve disability symptoms or provide direct support to an individual with a disability.
Service dogs are granted wide-reaching public rights because of the essential tasks they perform for their owners, and they are allowed into facilities and businesses that otherwise would not allow dogs, such as restaurants and grocery stores. Many individuals with disabilities rely on their service dog for help in their day-to-day lives, something that makes service dogs essential companions for these individuals.
Types of Service Dogs
There are a few different types of service dogs that you should know about, as not every service dog is trained to perform the same tasks.
In fact, most service dogs will be taught a general set of tasks that they are expected to perform, such as opening or closing doors, in addition to tasks and skills that are highly specific to the individual who will be adopting the dog to provide assistance with their disability.
The main types of service dogs include:
- Mobility or guide dogs
- Medical alert dogs
- Psychiatric service dogs
These names are fairly self-explanatory for the skills that each dog provides. Mobility and guide service dogs help to support those with a mobility disability or guide the visually and hearing impaired.
Medical alert dogs alert their owners to the onset of medical conditions such as seizures or heart problems, or they alert due to changes in blood sugar and blood pressure.
Psychiatric service dogs provide assistance to those struggling with mental health conditions like depression or anxiety, or disabilities such as PTSD, OCD, and bipolar disorder.
Service Dogs Versus Emotional Support Animals
It’s important to note that there is a distinction between service dogs and emotional support animals. While service dogs are granted public access rights and protected by both the ADA and specific state laws, emotional support animals don’t have these same rights.
Emotional support dogs provide assistance to those with certain disabilities by simply providing a comforting and supportive presence; they are not trained to perform specific tasks that might help with someone’s disability. As such, emotional support animals only have protected rights when it comes to living with their owners.
The Fair Housing Act ensures that all individuals have a right to secure housing without discrimination and provides details on the accommodations that individuals are required to grant those seeking to live in a unit or housing complex with their emotional support animal.
The History of the Australian Shepherd
Despite their name, Australian shepherds became a notable breed in the American West during the late 1800s to the early 1900s. They are a medium-sized breed, and they are well-known for the companionship they provided to cowboys, their presence during rodeos after World War Two, and their popularity as a ranch dog.
Australian Shepherds were recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1991, and this breed has experienced an increase in popularity over recent years as individuals discover their high-energy personalities and drive to work.
Australian shepherds are incredibly loyal, intelligent, and hard-working. They have an immense drive to herd, and they can be seen herding animals, other dogs, and even children when left to play in more domestic environments.
This breed is highly alert and learns new tasks quickly, and they enjoy spending time with their owners, making them a great choice for a high-energy family that can provide them with the exercise they need or someone who needs a working dog.
Are Australian Shepherds Good Service Dogs?
Australian shepherds do make good service dogs, mostly due to their high intelligence which allows them to be easily trained and their eagerness to work. This breed loves being given daily tasks, and they thrive in environments where they are mentally stimulated via work.
When given the task of supporting their owner and taught helpful skills such as guiding, retrieving items, alerting their owner to changes in medical status, and interrupting harmful activities, Australian shepherds can thrive as service dogs.
Traits that make Australian shepherds particularly suited to service dog tasks include:
- High intelligence and an eagerness to learn new things, even complex tasks or skills
- High work drive
- They thrive when given daily tasks to complete and they love working alongside their owner
- Very loyal and affectionate toward their owner
- The right size to provide deep pressure therapy or other calming behaviors without overwhelming their owner
- High energy and always willing to help their owner, no matter the time of day or night
- Expert herding sense which can easily be translated into expert guiding skills
As you can see, these traits make Australian shepherds suited to performing many different service dog tasks.
Tasks That Australian Shepherds Can Assist With
Australian shepherds can help their owners with a large number of different tasks. We list examples of the tasks your Australian shepherd service dog might complete below.
- Guiding the visually or hearing impaired
- Providing mobility support
- Providing deep-pressure therapy
- Retrieving items such as medications, water, phones, and remotes
- Opening and closing doors
- Turning lights on and off
- Providing medical alerts when changes in blood sugar or pressure occur, or when they detect an oncoming medical event
- Interrupting harmful behaviors and providing distractions to their owners
- Checking rooms or identifying hallucinations for their owner
- Providing support in public and guiding their owners to safe spaces
You will find that many Australian shepherds may perform other tasks and tasks that are more specifically suited for their owner’s disability; the last part of many training programs is teaching a service dog tasks that are tailored to the individual’s disability assistance needs.
How Can I Get an Australian Shepherd Service Dog?
The first step in getting an Australian shepherd service dog is speaking to your therapist, doctor, or another licensed medical professional that oversees your care plan. You will need to decide together if a service dog is a good idea for your situation and if you are able to properly care for the service dog.
Once it has been determined that a service dog will bring you benefits, you will need to purchase a fully trained Australian shepherd service dog or adopt a purebred Australian shepherd service dog and get them trained.
A great way to find an organization that will provide you with a trained service dog or assist you in training your service dog is by searching local or national service dog training organizations and reaching out to them for more information.
Can I Train My Own Australian Shepherd Service Dog?
It is possible to train your own Australian shepherd service dog, but you will need to be aware that this process might take a significant amount of patience and effort. Australian shepherds as a breed do learn new skills fast, but there is only so much they can learn in a day.
Make a consistent effort of working with your Australian shepherd on a training plan that ensures your dog learns all of the service tasks you will need assistance with for the best results in training your own service dog.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to a professional dog trainer for a consultation on the best way to teach your Australian shepherd service dog new skills.
FAQs About Australian Shepherd Service Dogs
[Image: https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-happy-australian-shepherd-different-colored-2435515245 alt text: australian shepherd running in field]
The following answers to frequently asked questions about Australian shepherd service dogs will help you understand more about these helpful working dogs and how they might fit into your lifestyle.
Is an Australian Shepherd Service Dog Right for Me?
Before you adopt a trained Australian shepherd service dog or set about training your own Australian shepherd service dog, you need to evaluate if this dog is a good option for you.
Speak with your medical provider about your needs and think about the tasks that an Australian shepherd service dog could potentially help you with.
You will also need to keep in mind the fact that an Australian shepherd is a high-energy dog that will require proper care to keep happy; only take on this breed as a service dog if its care needs fit in with the tasks that you might need help performing.
What Is the Cost of an Australian Shepherd Service Dog?
Service dogs are not the cheapest thing to invest in, but they are incredibly helpful for many people. On average, service dogs cost between $15,000 and $45,000 when adopted from an organization that fully trains the dogs. You may find it cheaper to adopt an Australian shepherd and then train it yourself, but this is more of a time-intensive process.
Some organizations do provide financial aid and scholarships to those in need, so if you believe you will need help obtaining your Australian shepherd service dog, don’t hesitate to reach out and inquire about this.
Will Insurance Cover My Service Dog?
Insurance may cover all or some part of the cost of your service dog, but this is very situation-dependent and dependent on your specific health plan. Some insurance plans consider service dogs essential medical equipment, while others won’t recognize service dogs at all.
Check with your insurance provider for more information on whether or not they will provide assistance in obtaining a service dog.
Can I Take My Service Dog Everywhere?
Once you have your service dog, you are able to take advantage of the public rights granted by state laws and the ADA to bring your service dog with you everywhere you need to go. Individuals or businesses are not allowed to deny you entrance into a facility, even one that doesn’t typically allow dogs, on the basis that you are bringing your service dog with you.
The only two questions that are allowed to be asked about you and your service dog (according to the ADA) are the following:
- “Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?”
- “What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?”
Any other questions or request that you show proof of your service dog’s task are in violation of the protections granted to you and your service dog by the ADA.
Do I Need to Identify My Australian Shepherd Service Dog?
You aren’t legally required to identify your Australian shepherd service dog when out and about in public, but you may choose to.
Many service dog owners utilize a vest, marked leash, or another item that shows their dog is currently working. This helps to stop unwanted interactions with people that approach the handler and their dog looking to pet the dog or create potential distractions from the dog’s work.
However, this choice is up to you, and you don’t need to identify your service dog as a working dog in public if you don’t want to.
Your Trusty Australian Shepherd Service Dog Companion
When it comes to service dogs, these helpful working companions are seen in all breeds, ages, and sizes. Australian shepherds are a wonderful breed to act as a service dog, as they have plenty of loyalty, an eagerness to work, and a high intelligence. These pups are alert, affectionate, and love working alongside their owners to support them with their daily needs.
If you are considering adding an Australian shepherd service dog to your care and treatment plan, reach out to your therapist, doctor, or another licensed medical professional and start having a conversation about adopting one of these helpful companions.