Chihuahuas are perfect dogs for families due to their small size and easy going personality. They are loving and adorable companions. Can a Chihuahua be a service dog? This question comes to many dog owners. Service dogs are trained dogs that perform a variety of tasks for their owner and help them in their daily life which increase confidence and independence.
Large dog breeds are associated with this role including Golden/Labrador Retriever, the Border Collie, the German Shepherd, and the Standard Poodle. The small dogs breed like Chihuahuas are also considered to be excellent service dogs.
In this article we will explore the Chihuahua’s abilities as serving dogs. So, read this guide to know everything you want to know about Chihuahuas as a serving dog.
What is meant by a Serving dog?🐩
Many people don’t know what a serving dog actually is. The governing body of ADA define a serving dog as:
“A dog should be trained to take a special action when needed to help the person with a disability.”
Service dogs assistance including:
Service dog training includes teaching your dog complex skills to treat people with manners, specific tasks to help with your disability and a lot of patience and control to ignore everything else while working.
Chihuahua’s Characteristics 🐶
Chihuahuas are small dog breeds that weigh around 3 to 6 pounds. They are small and can live up to 18 years. They are very intelligent dogs so it is easy to train them. Chihuahuas are alert, affectionate, courageous, playful and devoted with their family. They are suitable to be pet dogs.
However, they are not suitable for guard dogs but they can make excellent watchdogs because of their great sense of alertness and hearing. These little creatures are very adaptable and can live in any environment, from urban partners to rural homes. They have short coats so they need minimal grooming.
Can small dogs be serving dogs?🐱
Mostly large dogs are associated as a serving dog, but it’s not the rule that small dogs don’t do this function. However, just like large dogs small dogs also require training and practice. They also need to be taught how to sit on a mat and how to assist you in different tasks.
Small dogs are not suitable as assisting dogs because mobility is difficult for them. They are very small and do not allow you to lean on them. Imagine a Chihuahua, the smallest dog trying to stabilize their owner.
Larger breeds such as Goldendoodles and Labradors are great choices in this case.
Can a Chihuahua be a service dog🐕
Chihuahuas are not traditionally associated with serving dogs because of their small size. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have the qualities to become service dogs. Chihuahuas can serve as service dogs to individuals with disabilities with proper training, understanding of their limitations and assessment.
Two Type💲
There are two type of Chihuahua service dog:
Type 1🌟
Technical service dog which provides physical help to those that need it. This can range from blind individuals crossing a street to fetching products for those who are unable to reach things from the floor.
Type 2🌟
Those dogs are included in type two who are known as a therapy dog whose task is to provide emotional support and comfort to those who need this.
What kind of Service can Chihuahuas provide?🐕
1.Epilepsy alert service dog🐾
Epilepsy is a disease which can happen anytime, anywhere and these service dogs can alert in advance and help the patient immediately. A large dog is a better choice in this disease to bring the owner’s body in a safe place.
2. Diabetic alert service dog🎀
Diabetes is a common disease which mostly occurs in elderly. If it is not treated in time it can cause heart disease. This type of service dog can be aware of the bad blood sugar and remind the patient to take some medicine to bring blood back to normal. Humans can not smell odors faster than dogs.
3.Hearing service dog🔔
Dogs can help hearing impaired people to alert them as fire alarms, kitchen timers, crying infants, doorbells, car horns etc. Not only Chihuahuas but dogs that have ears can be trained for this task.
4.Psychiatric service dog🐱👤
Mental health is also very essential like physical health, in recent decades people pay more attention to mental health issues. Small dogs are very cute toy dogs which can please their owners. Tiny dogs give their owner comfort and are easy to carry and pack. Mental disorders like depression, anxiety, autism and PTSD. A service dog can help the patient and recover from distress.
Besides these 4 service dog types, a Chihuahua can work as an allergy detection dog, medication reminder dogs and a mobility assistance dog.
When will a Chihuahua get a service dog certification?🐕🦺
Firstly, think about what type of task the dog can do. According to the (ADA) Americans with Disabilities Act “A dog should be trained to take a special action when needed to help the person with a disability.”
Then a professional trainer or train it by yourself. You must communicate and play with them to get their trust before you start training. The basic training command and obedience training are included. To do some special task training and socializing exercises for the specific illness.
Final test, an ability test and public access test. Ability and training levels there are still no requirements. However you make sure a service dog has appropriate competence. The owner makes sure that his dog behaves well when he takes it to a public place.
What about the other small dogs as Service dogs?🐶
Like Chihuahuas, the other small dogs like Yorkshire terrier, Corgi, Pug, Poodle and
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel are also effective to make a service dog.
Chihuahua as Emotional support dog🧒🐩
Emotional support animals come in all sizes and all kinds. They are only trained for emotional support and not trained as service animals. The difference between an emotional support dog and a mental assistance service dog is that the service dog is important and more professional for the owner.
You can make your Chihuahua as an emotional support dog by giving them training if you do not have a disability. By making your chihuahua as an emotional support animal you can tell it or others how important it is.
Conclusion💥
Chihuahuas are perfect dogs for families due to their small size and easy going personality. They are loving and adorable companions. Service dogs are trained dogs that perform a variety of tasks for their owner and help them in their daily life which increase confidence and independence.
Mostly large dogs are associated as a serving dog, but it’s not the rule that small dogs don’t do this function. However, just like large dogs small dogs also require training and practice. They also need to be taught how to sit on a mat and how to assist you in different tasks.
Small dogs are not suitable as assisting dogs because mobility is difficult for them. They are very small and do not allow you to lean on them. Imagine a Chihuahua, the smallest dog trying to stabilize their owner.
Chihuahuas are not traditionally associated with serving dogs because of their small size. This doesn’t mean that they don’t have the qualities to become service dogs. Chihuahuas can serve as service dogs to individuals with disabilities with proper training, understanding of their limitations and assessment.
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