German Shepherds excel as assistance, service therapy and guide dogs.

Loyal, intelligent service to humanity is in German Shepherd Dog's blood. Max von Stephanitz, the founder wanted a dog that would be noted for its supreme intelligence, nobility and usefulness. He wanted a dog with a sound mind in a sound body. And he got it.

Elizabeth Stidham, a German Shepherd breeder, said, "The loyalty of the German Shepherd is legendary; the depth of its bond to its owner is well-documented. Coupling courage with calm confidence, independence with compliance, derring-do with dignity, provides the balance that makes the German Shepherd the world's premier working dog."

Since the early 1900s, German Shepherds have distinguished themselves in many arenas, most notably in military, law enforcement and search-and-rescue units. However, German Shepherd Dogs serve mankind in many other ways, often quietly and unobtrusively.

HELPING PEOPLE
German Shepherds need a job, and if a job isn't available, they'll find something to do. This desire to work, with their flexibility and intelligence, has made the German Shepherd an awesome service dog.

The term service dog has come to mean dogs that assist people in some fashion; not service as in military service. Service dogs may include dogs that lead and assist the blind, dogs that alert the hearing disabled to noises and alarms, dogs that pull wheelchairs and pick up dropped items, and dogs trained for a thousand and one other useful tasks.

Guide dogs are the oldest known assistance dogs. A fresco, dating from 79 AD, uncovered in the ruins of Pompeii, shows a blind man with a staff being led across a marketplace by his dog.

The first Guide Dog in the United States was originally trained in Switzerland, then it was placed with Morris Frank in the United States. In 1927, an article in the Saturday Evening Post had introduced the idea of guide dogs for blind World War I veterans.

Frank, a blind teenager in America, inquired about a dog for himself and was paired with Buddy, a German Shepherd Dog. This man-and-dog team paved the way for all future service dogs. In fact, Frank, in return for Buddy's services, spent the rest of his life campaigning for guide and service dogs and better medical care for dogs.

In the years since Buddy had introduced to America the concept of a service or assistance dog, service dogs have enabled people who might otherwise need help from other people to lead more independent lives.

Nowadays, many organizations select, acquire, train and place service dogs. Some rely on volunteer puppy raisers, who socialize, raise and begin basic training; others have teams of specialized trainers. In addition, these groups must train and prepare the disable who will care for the dogs for the rest of their lives. The dog-and-owner teams must attend orientation and follow-up classes, learn how to continue and reinforce the dog's training and feed, groom and care for their new companions. Finally, these organizations educate the public about the importance of service dogs and how to interact with these working dogs.

HEARING DOGS
Max, a large black-and-red German Shepherd Dog, was a trained hearing assistance dog. He was paired with Kathy, a teenager in San Diego. (Kathy's last name has not been given at her family's request to protect her privacy). Originally in special classes for the deaf, Kathy had been pulled from those classes for individual tutoring, primarily because she was having trouble with American Sign Language and didn't like to lip read. Her parents were afraid that Kathy's overprotective older brothers had babied Kathy so much that she wasn't willing to try to complete her sometimes-difficult classes.

Kathy's father hoped that a hearing assistance dog would give Kathy the motivation to learn and the confidence to attend a mainstream high school. Kathy and Max attended special classes to learn what to expect from each other. Upon graduation, Kathy was told that Max was her responsibility, and only her responsibility. Her brothers were not to help care for Max in any way.

The road to responsibility was hard; Kathy and Max both made mistakes. However, within a year, Kathy and Max were attending a mainstream high school. Kathy had become fluent in ASL and her lip reading had improved.

Just to top everything off, Max cornered a burglar trying to enter a downstairs bathroom window one night. Kathy's dad says, "I could not have guessed how much this dog would affect our family. He has done so much for us in such a short time. He will be a treasured part of our family forever."

AWESOME THERAPY DOGS
Therapy dogs are dogs of any breed (or mixtures of breeds) who visit people in hospitals, nursing homes, residential care facilities and childcare centers to bring love, warmth and affection to those who need it most. A dog can cuddle up to a lonely child, do tricks for a depressed adult or give a senior kisses on the cheek.

Although the GSD breed standard (the written description of the breed) states that the dog is to be self-confident with a certain aloofness that does not lend itself to immediate and indiscriminate friendships, the GSD can and has served admirably as a therapy dog. The GSD is smart enough to figure out what is required during therapy dog visits, and can put aside the aloofness that might otherwise interfere with its work.

Just what goes into becoming a therapy dog? To be certified as a therapy dog, the dogs must satisfy the following:

• The dog must be well socialized to people of all sizes, shapes, ages and ethnic backgrounds.
• The dog must like people.
• The dog must have had some obedience training and be able to sit, lay down and stay for at least two minutes.
• The dog must be able to walk on a leash nicely with other people around.
• The dog must be under control and safe around other animals that might be encountered during a visit, such as other dogs, a residential cat or a patient's bird.
• The dog cannot jump on or paw people.
• The dog should never touch its mouth to people; either as a bite or as mouthing (grabbing a hand, for example.) Licks or kisses can be given on command.
• The dog should not react fearfully to sounds it might encounter during a visit, such as metal bowls falling to the floor, a wheelchair's squeaks and rattles or the hissing of an air hose or an intercom.
• The dog should not react fearfully to visual stimuli that it might encounter during a visit, such as a sheet snapping over a bed or a person walking hunched over a walker.
• The dog's owner must also enjoy people and be willing to do what is necessary to present the dog to people so that the dog can work its magic.

MATCHING DOGS & PEOPLE
Although a German Shepherd was the first guide dog in America and the breed has been used almost exclusively for many years, today, most schools that train assistance dogs use several breeds. These organizations attempt to match the dog's personality and traits with the person's needs and abilities. Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Doberman Pinschers and Australian Shepherds are commonly used, and even Standard Poodles have been used by some schools. For many, however, the German Shepherd is still the breed of choice.

The reasons for using each breed varies. Sometimes it has been difficult for schools to find German Shepherds that were temperamentally and physically sound. Other times, the trainers needed skills and traits that other breeds could better offer. The German Shepherd, with all its wonderful qualities, is not for everyone. It does have some traits that make it a less than desirable companion for some people.

Although every dog of every breed is unique, some generalizations can be made. Most guide and assistance dog trainers agree that German Shepherds and Standard Poodles work faster than Labs and Goldens. They walk faster, and turn and react more quickly. These dogs must be paired with people who can work at this speed, such as those who are healthy and active.

People who walk more slowly or have slower reactions are probably better off with a slower, softer dog.

Because of the breed's strong drive to work, it must have a challenging job. A sedentary owner will not do well with a German Shepherd assistance dog; the shepherd would probably get into trouble while trying to find things to do.

The owner of a shepherd must be able to work with an intelligent dog and teach it with a firm, yet gentle, hand. These dogs cannot and will not tolerate abusive handling.

The German Shepherd is also a high-energy dog that needs daily exercise. If the dog's owner is a busy go-getter, that's great. However, if the owner is not, the dog will need daily strenuous exercise.

Living with a German Shepherd requires a few compromises and understanding that the breed sheds is one of them. A good vacuum cleaner is another. People who dislike dog hair in the house should not have a German Shepherd. The owner should be able to groom and brush the dog regularly to care for its weather-resistant, double coat.

Trainers use guidelines such as these to select dogs to be admitted into training and when pairing up trained dogs with their future partners. Ultimately, the decision whether to use a dog is based upon the dog's physical and emotional soundness, its working drive and its responsibilities to its handler.

CONSTANT COMPANION
A guide dog, assistance or other service dog serves its owner much more than by simply doing the job for which it was trained. A service dog does its job, yes, but it is also very much a companion. A disability can be frightening and may cause a person to feel like a social outcast or to feel different. A dog, though, is a friend and companion that doesn't care about disabilities.

The dog also facilitates social contacts. Many people speak to a disabled person with a dog when they might not speak to a disabled person who is alone. A dog allows a disabled person to pursue a career, education and leisure activities that might not have been possible had the person needed to rely on others for assistance.

Tom Naden of Vista, California, and his guide dog Vargas give presentations to interested groups about the benefits of guide dogs and how they assuage loneliness. "I know what a lonely life it is with just a stick [the white cane]," says Naden. "You can't talk to your cane. Vargas is just like another person."

Virginia, a polio victim who is also severely arthritic, has nothing but praise for her service dog, Bonnie. "I don't know when I've been so happy. She has made my life so different. She has given me back my will to live and now I'm never alone." She adds, "It's so nice to be independent again."



Liz Palika is a Southern California dog trainer and an award-winning freelance writer. Liz and her dogs participate in a number of activities, such as obedience, carting, agility, Frisbee, flyball and therapy dog work. Recent books she has authored include All Dogs Need Some Training and Save That Dog! (Howell Book House).