Three days of dyeing note a little bit in guide dog colors: Service dogs are this amazing

Good morning.

Thank you for always reading the notes from me and Happy-ojou.
I'm Natsuko, a consultation support specialist for the visually impaired.

This is day 2 of my challenge to help people learn about assistance dogs for the physically disabled🐾

“I want to dye the world of note a little bit in guide dog colors.”

That was the thought behind starting this challenge.

Since yesterday, so many people have written articles, used the community photo gallery, and supported us with hashtags...

Before I knew it,
more than usual,
guide dogs and assistance dogs for the physically disabled were here on note.

Every time I open note,
“Oh, there's another guide dog.”
“Oh, an article about a service dog.”
Finding them like that makes me incredibly happy.

Really, little by little,
I feel like everyone is changing the landscape of note.

After all,
the world of note is warm, isn't it?

“I'll do it with you.”
“I'm rooting for you.”

Those feelings really come through,
and I thought, how happy I am.

And the articles you all wrote are truly wonderful, every single one of them.

Your thoughts on assistance dogs,
your messages to Ojou,
the desire to learn about things you “didn't know”...

Reading them,
they were all articles that warmed my heart.

And Happy-ojou,
might have finally,
made her debut at that dream cafe🐾

A dream place I wanted to visit someday...

The world of note that even makes such dreams come true,
is truly wonderful, isn't it?🥹✨

If you'd like,
please go read everyone's articles too🐾

Besides this, you've used images of Happy-ojou,
#May22ndIsAssistanceDogDay
#AssistanceDogDay

and added tags...

Everyone, thank you so much for lending your strength in so many different ways🐾

For the next two days,
I would be happy if you could continue to help liven things up with me🥹✨

So,
today, the second day of my challenge to help people learn about assistance dogs for the physically disabled, I'm going to write about service dogs instead of the usual guide dog talk🐾

…Having said that,
actually, I myself still have so much to learn about service dogs.

So this time,
I decided to write mainly about what I've researched myself and episodes with service dogs I've actually met.

As I researched again this time,
“Wow, is that so!”
“They can even do that!?”
I was surprised by so many things.

I hope this article serves as a trigger,
for you all to become a little interested in service dogs,
or think, “Maybe I'll look into it a bit”🐾

🦮What kind of dog is a service dog?

Assistance dogs for the physically disabled include:
・Guide dogs
・Service dogs
・Hearing dogs
There are three types.

Among them, service dogs are dogs that mainly support the daily lives of people with disabilities in their hands or legs.

For example,
・Picking up dropped items
・Opening doors
・Turning on lights
・Taking off socks
・Opening the refrigerator and bringing items
・Calling for help in an emergency

They support even the smallest details of life.

First, if you'd like, please watch this YouTube video🐾

What kind of work do service dogs do,
and how do they support their users...

It's very easy to understand,
and I think it's a video that will make you feel, “Service dogs are amazing”✨

I have seen a service dog demonstration in person before, and I was truly moved, thinking, “That's amazing...”

Ojou has a different kind of greatness, and service dogs have their own. I'm sure they are trained according to each dog's aptitude.

What was particularly impressive was the demonstration of bringing tea from the refrigerator.

The refrigerator has a string attached so the service dog can open it easily, and they pull it with their mouth to open it.

This...
I'm sure Ojou could do it if it were just “opening” it.

But the problem is what happens after.

Imagine our glutton🤣

She opens the refrigerator.
It's full of delicious things inside.

I definitely don't think it would end with,
“bringing back only the target tea.”
“There's ham in a place like this!”

“Found octopus!”
Doesn't it seem like that would definitely happen?🤣
Overcoming that temptation,

and properly bringing back only the tea, service dogs are truly amazing.
No, I'm not making fun of Ojou.

Being a glutton is one of Ojou's good points, after all🐾

And another thing that made me think “Amazing...!” at that time was the scene where they supported a wheelchair user in taking off and putting on socks.

To take off the socks,
first the service dog puts its face under the user's foot to help lift the leg.

From there, it takes the sock in its mouth,
and pulls it off smoothly.

“Wait, they can even do that!?”
I was truly surprised.

When putting them on too,
I couldn't see the fine details of how they were doing it, but they were even helping to put the socks on properly...

I thought it was truly amazing.

And what was most impressive was,
that the service dogs looked so happy while they were working.

“Amazing!”
“Smart!”
“Good job!”

They were praised a lot by everyone in the venue.

Seeing them wag their tails at those words,
and looking so happy,
I felt a very warm feeling, thinking, “Ah, service dogs must also be happy and enjoy their work.”
…And, right next to that,

for some reason, my Ojou was wagging her tail and rejoicing along with them🤣
No, no,

you aren't doing a demo today, you know!? I thought while watching🤣🐾

And actually,
there is an organization in Hyogo Prefecture that trains service dogs🐾

When I go out to Motomachi or Sannomiya on my days off,
I quite often encounter fundraising activities for service dogs.

If anything,
I might encounter service dog fundraising more often than guide dog fundraising🤣

Many service dog candidates also come there, and they are all truly calm and cute dogs.

Ojou has also interacted with them several times,
and service dogs,
have a very gentle air about them.

Of course, Ojou is also gentle,
but they have a slightly different atmosphere,
and I felt, “These dogs must be suited for this kind of work.”
However,

honestly, there are almost no opportunities to see service dogs working in the city.
Even guide dogs,
are said to be fewer than 800 nationwide.

But service dogs,
are even fewer than that,

and there are still only a very small number nationwide.
Considering the number of wheelchair users,
I think there are many more people who need them,

but I also felt that the current situation is that there are still not enough.

By the way,
service dogs are also assistance dogs recognized under the same “Assistance Dog for the Physically Disabled Act” as guide dogs🐾

So originally,
just like guide dogs,
they can enter various places together,
such as shops, hospitals, and public transportation.

However,
in reality, the awareness of service dogs and hearing dogs is still low,
and they are sometimes told, “Is that a pet?”
or are refused entry.
Even with guide dogs,

there are still times when I feel a lack of understanding,
so I think there must be even more difficult situations for service dogs, which are fewer in number.
Also, while researching this time,
what I thought was “I see...” was that

service dogs require training that is close to custom-made to match each individual user.
Guide dogs,
have a common, major goal of “walking safely.”

But service dogs,
the help needed varies completely depending on the user.

For example,
・People who want them to pick up items

・People who need help operating a wheelchair
・People who want help putting on and taking off clothes
・People who need emergency response
etc.,
the work needed is truly different for each person.

That is why,
it takes time and expertise to train them,

and it seems there is a current situation where it is difficult to increase the number.
But that is exactly why,
service dogs are,

“partners who walk alongside that person's life,”
I felt that again while researching🐾

I also,
not just about guide dogs,
thought again that I want to know more and more

about service dogs and hearing dogs🐾
I'm sure there are still,

many things I don't know.
How service dog users,

live with their service dogs.
By living with a service dog,

how their lives have changed.

What kind of thoughts they spend their days with.
I hope I can learn more about those things too.

And this time,
watching YouTube videos,
and researching various things, what I felt again was that
service dog users and service dogs,
just like us guide dog users and guide dogs,
are truly connected by a strong bond.

I'm a crybaby,
so there were many videos I couldn't watch without tears🥹

If you'd like,
I would be happy if you could look into service dogs a little,
watch YouTube,
and become interested🐾

And,
I hope that more and more guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs,
in the city,
and in the world of note,
will overflow as if it's natural.

Especially tomorrow, May 22nd,
is finally Assistance Dog for the Physically Disabled Day🐾

Of course, I would be happy if it's lively today too, but
I hope tomorrow will be a day where even more,
many people learn about assistance dogs for the physically disabled.

Everyone, please,
continue to lend your strength to me and Happy-ojou🐾✨

🌼Today's Recommended Article

Today's recommended article is,
Remona 🍋's

“The world of 'working dogs' that walk alongside human lives and living🐕”

article🐾

In this article,
not just guide dogs, service dogs, and hearing dogs,
but also disaster rescue dogs, police dogs, quarantine detector dogs, etc.,
truly various “working dogs” are introduced in a very easy-to-understand way.

About service dogs and hearing dogs too,
“They do work like this!”
there were many things I learned for the first time.

And,
not just “smart dogs,”
but living together with people,
supporting people,
and being existences that walk alongside people's lives and living,
it was an article that really conveyed that.

While I was reading it,
“Assistance dogs are truly amazing”
“I hope more and more people learn about them”
I felt that again🐾

For this Assistance Dog for the Physically Disabled Day project,
I think it's a perfect article, so
everyone, please read it too✨

Thank you for reading to the end this time too🐾

The charm of service dogs,
I would be happy if it was conveyed even a little.

And,
together with me and Happy-ojou,
I would be happy if more and more people could learn about
assistance dogs for the physically disabled.

Please,
with likes, comments,
#May22ndIsAssistanceDogDay
hashtag,
thumbnail images, icons, etc.,
I would be happy if you could support our challenge🐾

For the next two days,
please enjoy and liven things up with us🥹✨