Paws and Affection companion dogs are highly trained dogs who assist their child partners with the same skills as service dogs, but they do not have public access. These dogs instead act as home helpmates, performing tasks around the house, empowering their child partners with independence and giving them a sense of ownership. For families who do not want the responsibility of handling a dog in public or maintaining public access training, a companion dog is a wonderful alternative. These dogs sometimes qualify as Emotional Support Animals (ESA’s), allowing them to live in housing that doesn’t allow pets and to fly in the cabin with their handlers on airplanes.
Contact us to learn more about our companion dogs and to see if you or your child might be a candidate.
Some of the skills companion dogs are trained to do in the home include, but are not limited to:
Opening doors
Turning on light switches
Retrieving various items
Getting help
Light balance and mobility assistance
Help with dressing and undressing
Deep pressure therapy
Alerting to panic attacks
Alerting to low and high blood sugar