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The Definitive Service Dog

Service dogs require proper certification and this allows them to be allowed to any type of business, including food businesses.

When they are in public, they are generally harnessed and perform their tasks while in close proximity with their owner.

Types of Service Dogs

Now that we understand what a service dog is, it is time to look at the types of service dogs working today.

There are quite a few of them and while you may be familiar with many different branches of service dog careers, you may be surprised by some of them as well.

The types of service dogs are:

Guide Dogs for the Blind

Obviously, the first type of service dog on our list is a guide dog for the blind or visually impaired. They are the most commonly known service dog and have a long history of providing their owners with independence, security and freedom. In public, the guide dog helps navigate the world around their owner while providing them with safety from unseen hazards. The dogs work closely with their owners and need to be able to make quick decisions for the benefit of their owner.Although they provide a very important service in public, guide dogs are also helpful at home and are often trained to help with tasks such as retrieving dropped items, opening doors and other tasks.

Mobility Assistance Dogs

With mobility assistance dogs, there are several different sub-categories but the primary task of a mobility dog is to assist their owner with mobility. This can be by providing them with stability and balance, turning on lights or even answering the phone.
They can work as:

Wheelchair assistance dogs: Assist their owners with tasks such as retrieving dropped objects, providing stability when they are moving from their wheelchair to another seat or bed, opening doors and even picking up the phone for answering. In addition, they may help pull the wheelchair or anything else that is needed by their owner.

Mobility Support: Also known as a brace dog, this is a dog who is trained to work as a brace for someone with a balance disability. In addition, they will help open doors, turn on lights and retrieve dropped items among many other tasks. Only larger dogs over 23 inches in height can be mobility support dogs.

Medical Assistance Dogs: This can be for mobility or it can be for any disability that doesn’t fit into other categories. Like other service dogs, their tasks are customized to the needs of their owner.

Mobility support dogs, and all of the tasks they perform, help their owners live a more independent life.

Mental Health Service Dogs

Also known as psychiatric service dogs or PSD’s, mental health service dogs are difficult to describe. The main reason for this is because their roles vary greatly depending on the diagnosis of their owners. They can perform tasks from things such as pulling back blankets, turning on lights, to opening curtains and answering phones.

In addition, they can be trained to identify when an anxiety attack is about to occur and they will use calming tasks such as deep pressure stimulation to help calm their owners. The scope of their training will range but they are trained to work with people who have an emotional or psychiatric disability such as PTSD, anxiety or ADHD to name a few.

French Bulldog

French Bulldogs, when you first meet one, you may not be sure what the fantastical little beast is who’s bringing a smile to your face. In fact, I would be a millionaire if I had a nickel every time someone asked me my Pugs name.

Not that I don’t love pugs, but French Bulldogs, also known as Frenchies, are definitely not one and anyone interested in owning a French Bulldog should be aware of the funny little spitfire they are bringing into their lives.

As you can imagine, this breed is known for being clownlike and fearless, which can be both comical and terrifying as your 20 pound friend meets large dogs head on. Of course, everyone will fall in love with them and their bat like large ears. If they aren’t smiling, then they have the most comical of grumpy faces you’ll ever seen.

And for such a small dog, there is a lot packed into them. So, sit back and learn everything you need to know about the French Bulldog. You are going to be delighted you did, especially if it means one or two…or maybe even four…of these delightful dogs become part of your life.

The Interesting Appearance of the French Bulldog

Height:

Males and Females: 11 to 13 inches (27.94 to 33.02cm)

Weight:

Males: 20 to 28 pounds (9.07 to 12.70kg)

Females: 18 to 26 pounds (8.16 to 11.79 kg)

It should be noted that any French Bulldog over 28 pounds (12.70kg) is considered to be too heavy and can be disqualified against the breed standard.

Coat Colors:

Accepted Breed Standard Colors

White: With or without markings
Fawn: Ranging from light silver to dark red fawn
Cream: Ranging from a light apricot to a dark red apricot

Accepted Markings:

Brindle: Black with brindling of fawn or apricot
Piebald: A mostly white dog with colored markings.
Black Masks: Dark mask on the muzzle, nose, around the eyes. Ears can be black as well.
White Markings: White markings can appear anywhere on the dog.
Black Shadings: Shading of fur on a fawn dog that makes the dog smutty looking.

Disqualified Breed Standard Colors

These colors have become very popular over the last few years but buyers should beware with purchase these colors. First, there are not “rare” colors so they should not be more expensive. Second, some colors are linked to health problems, which we will go over in the health section of the French bulldog.

Black: Any solid black with no sign of brindling.
Blue Fawn: A fawn with a silverfish blue color to the coat.
Black and White: Black dog with white markings unless brindled.
White and Black: White dog with black markings unless brindled.
Tan Points: Found in blue, blue fawn or black, tan points on French Bulldogs are similar to the points Dobermans have on the eyebrows, legs, under the tail, muzzle and chest.
Liver: Can range from a light liver color to a deep chocolate.
Lilac: A light grey/brown color.
Blue: Light to dark greyish blue or blue/brown.
Merle: A coat that is mottled colors in a solid or piebald coat. Merle’s can also have miscolored eyes.

Known for being a sturdy little dog, that is exactly what you should be looking for in a French bulldog. They are a small breed of dog that should have a compact and stocky body.

When you pick them up, you should notice some weight, however, they should never be overweight or more than 28 pounds (12.70kg). The overall look should be of a square dog that is the same length as he is tall.

The back should be level and the hips should be narrower than the chest and shoulders, giving him a tapered look. The French bulldog has a short straight or corkscrew tail. The chest of the dog should be broad and is very deep.

When it comes to their head, they should have a short, broad muzzle with a definite stop. They are a brachycephalic breed, which means the muzzle is extremely short. The head should be square and the upper lips should hang over the lower.

The forehead should be slightly rounded and they should have large, round eyes that are set wide apart. For breed standard, darker eye colors and a black nose are desired, although the nose can be lighter in light colored dogs.

But one of the most important features of a French bulldog are the large, bat like ears that are set high on the head. They should form a triangle with the base wide before it narrows to the tip. They should be held so they point forward.

The coat of the French bulldog should be short and smooth. Some French bulldogs have a single coat while others have a double coat, which consists of a thicker, shorter coat. Double coated French bulldogs shed more than the single coat, however, both are considered average shedders. There should be loose skin on the dog and your French bulldog should have wrinkles around the head and shoulders.

Finally, the French bulldog comes in many different colors and color patterns, however, be aware that only a few colors are accepted for the breed standard. See above for a full list of colors.