Using a Service Dogs while on Oxygen Therapy

Using a Service Dogs while on Oxygen

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Having COPD can make life more challenging, even when it comes to everyday things and small tasks. If you need a little bit of help throughout the day, you might want to consider getting a service dog. They aren’t just for the blind, even though that’s what they’re most commonly used for, and they are called “seeing eye dogs” to distinguish them from other types of service dogs for those with other medical needs and disabilities.

Of course, you’ll need to talk to your doctor and do some of your research before making a serious decision about getting a service dog.

What can a service dog do for someone with COPD?

Having COPD or any shortness of breath can make even the simplest tasks much harder. You might need to conserve as much of your energy as possible, so you don’t get out of breath or tired too quickly. Some example of things that a service dog can do for you is pick up a small object for you, open and close doors, turn lights on and off, or get someone if you need help.

Dogs need to be walked to get their necessary exercise, so they can also help you to stay a little more active than you would have been. Even with COPD, and with the advice from your doctor, you might have an amount of exercise that you should get daily, to get your blood pumping.

Walking a dog down your road or through the park will be sufficient exercise for the two of you. Another great thing about having a service dog is the companionship, especially if you love animals. If you have COPD, you’re likely to have other medical problems, and your service dog would be even more helpful.

Oxygen Therapy and Service Dogs

Can I train a pet dog to do these things?

You might be able to train a dog to retrieve things for you or even turn a light-switch on and off, but service dogs have to receive special trainer from professionals before they can be the service dog that you need them to be. They go through specialized training to have the right temperament not to be distracted by sorts of surroundings when their owner needs them to do something for them.

Service dogs will also be allowed in certain public places where regular pet dogs won’t be. A special harness or jacket identify service dogs. When you get a service dog, he or she will come with an ID, which you can show to employees in a restaurant, hotel, movie theater or any other public place, that normally wouldn’t allow animals.

How can I get a service dog?

After you’ve made sure your doctor approves and you can take care of the animal, you can start by checking out https://www.assistancedogsinternational.org to see how to go about getting one for COPD. You can learn about the training programs they go through and learn more about how you can get one.

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Nick joined AMSR in 2007 and is the Lead Oxygen Specialist. He is factory-trained by Respironics, DeVilbiss, Inogen, Invacare, and SeQual. He is also certified to repair select oxygen concentrators and other sleep therapy products.

About Nick Vannatta:

Nick joined AMSR in 2007 and is the Lead Oxygen Specialist. He is factory-trained by Respironics, DeVilbiss, Inogen, Invacare, and SeQual. He is also certified to repair select oxygen concentrators and other sleep therapy products.

6 thoughts on “Using a Service Dogs while on Oxygen

  1. Where can I get a dog vest with a breathable pouch to carry my Inogen One, and extra batteries?

    • John! This is an interesting question. I would look online at pet specialty shops who carry pet vests. I have seen lightweight summer type ones where they are breathable for the dog. Good Luck.

  2. Some of this information is incorrect.

    Service dogs can be owner trained, it’s not required for a charity or organization to train the dog. You could train your pet dog to become your service dog.
    There is no registration or ID for service dogs.
    It’s not required to label a service dog with a harness or vest, etc.
    Owner-trained service dogs have the same rights as organization-trained dogs, for example, from the charity guide dogs.
    In the US service dogs are required to have 1 trained action or behavior (task) that assists the handler with their disability.
    You don’t need to go through ADI, other options include owner training, owner training with professional assistance, or private training
    Service dogs are exempt from no-pet rules in housing
    Service dogs fly for free with their disabled handler
    Some insurance companies will pay towards service dogs
    You don’t need a doctor’s approval. You must be disabled and the dog must be able to help you with the disability. That’s it.

    I’d be really thankful if you would update this article with the correct information.

    • It’s generally not reccomended to train a pet for service dog work, though it’s definitely possible and many people do, because the pet may have bad socialization or command obedience that cannot be easily gained, ecspecially if the handler is unable to take it places frequently. A service dog school would be able to more easily educate the dog and there is a gaurantee that the dog is cut out for the work, because the school has vetted it thoroughly before passing the dog to you.
      It’s not required but it’s reccomended to have some form of ID or a vest. This is because most members of the general public tend to think that those things are magically granted once the dog completes training and it’s much easier to give into that public misconception than to explain that it’s not requited by federal law, just because a dog has no ID doesn’t mean it’s untrained, ect. Also, a vest can display important messages. For example, if you’re at risk of collapsing, it can say, “If I approach you without my person, follow me and call 911 if the person I indicate is unconcious. DO NOT SEPERATE US.” Or it can simply say, “Do not pet.”
      The ADA, at least in the US, is that the service dog must be able to have 3 trained tasks to the benefit OF THE HANDLER’S DISABILITY. For example, if you hove COPD, one of the tasks that will not count towards the three is redirection on tasks, like a service dog for ADHD might be trained for, unless you have a disability thaat requires rediriection on tasks.

  3. I have a 2 1/2 year old Bernese Mountain Dog that I would like to train/trained as a service dog for COPD. She is currently working toward 1st obedience certification and is already a certified therapy dog.
    I would like recommendations for reputable agencies for training.
    Thx. Linda

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