Welcome to the Huge List of Service Dog Tasks
Under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) laws for public access rights, service dogs must be individually trained for a person with a disability to do certain “work” or “tasks.” The “work” or “tasks” that the dog does must be directly related to the disability. So, what are these “work” or “tasks?” There are an almost unlimited amount of potential service dog tasks. This is because there are many unique disabilities and people require a wide-ranging assortment of assistance from their trained service dog. Here are just a few examples of service dog work or tasks.
- Navigate around obstacles like a pillar, lamp post, parking meters, hazards like an open manhole & potholes
- Navigate around low hanging obstacles such as tree branches or awnings
- Avoid moving objects like people, bicycles, wheelchairs, shopping carts, strollers
- Intelligent Disobedience is when a dog refuses a command to go forward into the road if it would be dangerous, like if there is traffic. The dog is also trained to stop abruptly, rather than collide with a vehicle that intersects the team’s path when it enters the intersection during the crossing
- Stop or Sit to indicate every curb
- Stop to indicate the top of a flight of stairs
- Stop to indicate steps going up
- Stop to warn of edge of a train platform
- Stop to warn of approach to edge of cliffs, ditches, and other outdoor dangerous drop-off areas
- Stop when confronted by a barrier like a construction site
- Intelligent disobedience – refuse a command to go forward if there is a drop off area or danger
- Find the exit from a room and indicate the door knob
- Find an elevator
- Find entrances and/or exits
- Find an empty seat, bench, or unoccupied space
- Find a seat in a classroom
- Follow a designated person, like a waiter to restaurant table
- Locate specified destination such as store in mall or hotel room
- Retrieve dropped objects
- Find desired object like a newspaper on the porch or driveway
- Alerting to the door bell or knock on front door, patio door or window
- Alerting to smoke or fire alarm
- Alerting to timer going off
- Alerting to a crying baby or child
- Alerting to a family member or someone else calling the name of the handler
- Alerting to a child calling the partner’s name or another word
- Alerting to a ringing phone
- Alerting to an alarm clock
- Alerting to computer equipment beeping
- Alerting to a horn honking in a garage or driveway
- Alerting to the arrival of a school bus
- Alerting to a police, fire, or ambulance siren
- Alerting to phone ringing on handler’s desk at work, distinguished from all other phones in the workplace
- Alerting to the name of handler if a coworker, friend, family member or another person calls out the name
- Alert to a cell phone ringing
- Alert to a fire drill at school or work
- Alert to a vehicle honking its horn
- Retrieve dropped objects that the handler didn’t hear, such as keys, coins, or other objects
- The dog can enter the home first when arriving home at night, to turn on a light
- The dog can carry a note from the handler to another household member, and search the area to find the other person
- Dogs can carry messages between two people, using objects to signify important events, like lunch is ready, or that someone needs help
- Service dogs can be sent to find and return with the hearing impaired person
- Alert to a vehicle approaching from behind, or making a sudden turn
- Bring a phone to any room in house
- Carry groceries
- Unload grocery items
- Fetch a beverage from a fridge or cupboard
- Fetch food
- Pick up dropped items like coins, keys etc., in any location
- Bring clothes, shoes, or slippers to help with dressing
- Unload laundry from laundry machines
- Retrieve purse or bag from certain location like hall, room, desk, dresser or back of vehicle
- Help to tidy house or yard – pickup, carry, deposit specified items
- Fetch basket with medication or beverage
- Retrieve a specific pair of shoes from a closet
- Laser pointers can be used to target an item to be retrieved
- Drag Cane from its usual location to another room
- Pick up and return cane if falls off the back of the wheelchair
- Pickup or fetch crutches
- Drag walker back to partner
- Fetch wheelchair when out of reach
- Move bucket from one location to another
- Carry a basket of items to another location in the house
- Transport items downstairs or upstairs
- Carry items from the handler to another person in another room
- Send the dog to obtain food or another item from a caregiver and return with it
- Pay for purchases at high counters
- Transfer items in a bag from a clerk to a wheelchair user’s lap
- Carry mail or newspaper into the house
- Put trash, junk mail into a basket, bin, or garbage can
- Deposit empty cans or bottles into recycling bin
- Help handler to load clothing into top loading washing machine
- Put dirty dog food bowl into kitchen sink
- Put other nonbreakable items into the kitchen sink
- Deliver items to a closet
- Deposit dog toys into a specified container
- Put prescription bag, mail, and other items on counter top
- Open cupboard doors with an attached strap
- Open drawers with a strap
- Open fridge door with a strap or suction cup
- Open interior doors via a strap with a device to turn knob
- Answer doorbell and open the front door with a strap attached to lever handle
- Open or close sliding glass door with a strap or other tug devices
- Shut restroom door that opens outward via a leash tied to the doorknob
- Close stall door that opens outward in restroom by delivering end of the leash to handler
- Shut interior home doors that open outward
- Shut motel room exterior door that opens inward
- Assist to remove shoes, slippers, sandals, and other footwear
- Tug socks off without biting down on the feet
- Remove slacks, sweater, coat, and other clothing items
- Drag heavy coat, sweater, and other items to a closet
- Drag laundry basket to a different location in the house or home with a strap
- Drag bedding and other items to a washing machine
- Carry a bag or other objects from a vehicle into the home
- Pull a drapery cord to open or close drapes
- Assist to close motel room drapes by tugging on edge
- Operate rope device that lifts blanket and sheet or re-covers handler when he or she becomes the wrong temperature
- Nudge shut cupboard drawers
- Nudge shut dryer door
- Push shut the stove drawer
- Close dishwasher door
- Close with nudge the fridge & freezer door
- Call 911 on K-9 dog rescue phone by pushing the button
- Operate button or push plate on commercial doors
- Turn on light switches
- Push floor pedal device to turn on lamp
- Help a wheelchair user to regain sitting position if slumped over
- Help put a paralyzed arm back onto the armrest of wheelchair
- Return paralyzed foot to the foot board of a wheelchair if it is dislodged
- Close cupboard door with one paw
- Close dryer door with one paw
- Close fridge & freezer door with one or both paws
- Call 911 on K-9 dog rescue phone with one paw
- Operate light switch on wall by jumping up and pawing the switch
- Depress floor pedal device to turn on appliance or lamp
- Jump up to paw elevator button
- Close heavy front door, other doors – jump up, use both paws
- Transfer assistance from wheelchair to bed, toilet, bathtub or van seat
- Help to walk step by step, brace between each step, from wheelchair to seat
- Position self and brace to help partner catch balance after partner rises from a couch or other seats in a home or public setting
- Prevent fall by bracing on command if the partner needs help recovering balance
- Steady handler getting in or out of the bathtub or shower
- Help handler to turn over in bed
- Pull up handler with a strap, from floor to feet on command, then brace until handler catches balance
- Assist moving wheelchair and avoiding obstacles
- Work cooperatively with handler to get the wheelchair up a curb cut or mild incline
- Haul open heavy door, holding it open using six foot lead attached to back of harness, other end of lead attached to door handle or to a suction cup device on a glass door
- Tow ambulatory partner up inclines – harness with rigid handle or pull strap may be used
- Brace on command to prevent ambulatory handler from stumbling – with rigid handle
- Help ambulatory handler to climb stairs, pulling then bracing on each step
- Pull handler out of aisle seat on plane, then brace until handler catches balance
- Brace, counter balance work too, assisting ambulatory handler to walk
- Help ambulatory partner to walk short distances, bracing between each step with a rigid handle
- Transport books, supplies or other items up to 50 lbs in a wagon or cart
- Backpacking – usual weight limit is 15% of the dog’s total body weight and 10% if the dog is performing another task
- Bark for help
- Find the a care giver or specific person and lead back to the location of the handler
- Put forepaws in lap of wheelchair user, hold that upright position so wheelchair user can access items in a backpack or bag
- Wake up partner if smoke or fire alarm goes off, and help them to nearest exit
- Operate push button device to call 911, an ambulance service or another person to help in a crisis; let emergency staff into home and show the handler’s location
- Fetch an insulin kit, respiratory device or medication from a specific location during a medical crisis
- Lie down on partner’s chest to produce a cough, enabling patient to breathe
- Alert to an allergen in food or in the area
- Alert to an intruder
- Assist with grounding the handler
- Assist with position changes – sitting to standing, etc.
- Counter-balance
- Provide momentum in a wheelchair, when walking, up inclines or stairs
- Pulling a wheelchair
- Answering the door
- Block approaching people or animals
- Call suicide hotline from a dog-friendly phone
- Check the house for safety before handler enters
- Put items from the floor into a basket
- Find a bathroom or another specific room
- Find an empty seat
- Find the vehicle
- Pull blinds and curtains open and closed
- Crowd control
- Deliver credit card or money to a cashier
- Find a specific person
- Crying interruption, or response
- DPT (Deep Pressure Therapy)
- Flashback interruptions
- Help the handler sit up if slumped over
- High blood sugar alert
- Interrupting dissociation and freezing behaviours
- Interrupting harmful or repetitive behaviours like picking or scratching
- Diabetic Alert
- Medication reminders
- Interrupting a nightmare
- Panic or anxiety alert
- Providing distraction
- Provide pressure on chest to produce cough
- Respond to anxious behaviours
- Routine reminders
- Tactile stimulation
- Retrieve emergency medication
Related Articles:
- Psychiatric Service Dog Tasks – 17+ Extraordinary Examples
- Deep Pressure Therapy Dog (DPT Dog) Service Dog Explained
- Psychiatric Service Dog Training
- ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
Sam is an experienced writer, advocate for people with disabilities and mental health, dog lover, artist, philosopher, and generally complicated human being.
