A day in the life of a service dog

Service dogs lead rich and active lives both in harness and at home!

To present a picture of a typical service dog's day, let's look in on an imaginary composite of K9 Helpers dogs-we'll call him Freckles, and his person.")

Freckles, a K9 Helpers Service Dog, sleeps at night next to his partner, Cleopatra, in their bedroom. Freckles may awaken Cleo if he hears a fire alarm, telephone ringing or doorbell ringing. This task is really important for Cleo, who, like many K9 Helpers human partners, takes medication that causes her to sleep very deeply. This can be lifesaving in a fire or similar emergency. Freckles does not sleep overnight in harness, but he is still on duty!

In the morning, Freckles wakes his partner up in the morning, usually without the help of an alarm clock. When Cleo is awake, she makes sure Freckles gets what he needs, just as she would with any dog she lived with. Cleo is in charge of all toileting, feeding, exercise and other physical care for Freckles.

Shortly after they get up, Freckles brings Cleo a particular rubber door stop and drops it on her foot. This is part of one of his most important jobs as a service dog. Like many other K9 Helpers Service Dogs, Freckles alerts his partner to medication needs, on time, every time, every day. For Cleo and Freckles, this means until she takes her medication, he will continue to drop the door stop, not giving up till she's had her medication.

This medication alert is very important for Cleo, who often loses track of time and can miss medication, which puts her quickly into a downward spiral. Freckles helps her stay on track all day, every day, 24/7. This medication alert skill is very sophisticated for the dog to learn and perform and although we understand how to train the skill we are still not sure how the dog knows when to signal his partner to take his or her medications.

When Cleo needs to go out of the home for work, school, shopping or medical appointments, she dresses her dog, in his identifying K9 Helpers Service Dog harness. Freckles has been learning to wear special clothing since he was 8 weeks old and he knows it means he and his partner will be going out to do things, and he will be able to work. He gets excited, but as soon as he has his harness on, he is all business, alert and calm, ready for direction and responsibility.

With Freckles, Cleo can go carry out her business just as any non-disabled person would do. Freckles knows how to travel by car, bus, train or plane, go into a restaurant, or walk through a mall with his human partner. He is trained to walk on all kinds of surfaces, to ride in elevators without flinching, and to pay close attention both to Cleo and to the environment around them. Everywhere Cleo goes, she is accompanied by her K9 Helpers Service Dog.

In public, K9 Helpers Service Dogs can be expected to behave calmly and discretely, minding their own business and their manners. This means that in shops, Freckles will not touch items for sale, interfere with the business of other people or cause a disturbance. Cleo, like many K9 Helpers human partners, struggles with anxiety in many public places. What Freckles does is help his human partner to navigate through crowds, providing space for her in crowds, and alert Cleo if he senses she may have an anxiety attack coming up. Traveling with Cleo through the public world, Freckles should be the most conspicuous invisible dog you will ever encounter.

Each day, K9 Helpers Service Dogs get chances to "be a dog," off duty, enjoying normal doggy activities. Some K9 Helpers dogs are enrolled in obedience classes or do doggy sports. Freckles and Cleo often take long walks, play with toys and with other dogs and visit friends, just like any other dog and human.

Back at home, like most K9 Helpers Service Dogs, Freckles doesn't wear his harness. He gets to curl up with Cleo as she reads a book or watches TV, watch carefully for an opportunity to earn an extra treat, or have a bath after too much rolling in the mud at the park-in short, he does many of the things that any pet dog would do. And yet he is always ready to help his partner whenever he is needed.