Guide dogs for the blind are perhaps the most familiar assistance dogs. In addition, there are service dogs who assist physically handicapped persons, and hearing ear dogs for the deaf. There are also seizure alert dogs and cats, dog's who have been trained to assist persons with Parkinson's disease, and emotional support dogs and cats.
Assistance dogs help the individual with their disability, but they also do much more.
They provide the person with more independence and can help initiate social interaction between the disabled person and others. By law, service and assistance dogs are not required to wear any special equipment or tags, although many of them do. Guide dogs Dogs for the blind are probably the most commonly recognized assistance dogs. They help lead people around obstacles, cross the street, go thru doors, and use elevators and escalators. Guide dog training starts when the puppies are 6-8 weeks old.