SERVICE DOGS OF VIRGINIA INC

Service Dogs of Virginia trains dogs in the following areas:

Physical Assistance – these dogs are trained to assist people in wheelchairs with tasks such as opening doors, picking up items, getting the phone, and so much more.

Autism Service – these dogs are trained to assist autistic children and their families by preventing children from impulsively running off, facilitating easier transitions from one activity to the next, assisting with social interactions, improving communication, and more.

Medical Alert – (Diabetic, Addison's, Mast Cell)
Diabetic Alert dogs are trained to alert owners to low blood glucose thereby helping to prevent short-term health consequences such as passing out or having seizures, as well as long-term consequences such as early death, loss of limbs and blindness that result from uncontrolled blood sugar swings. Amazingly, a well-trained dog is more reliable than available technology for "brittle" diabetics.
Addison’s disease is an uncommon disorder that occurs when your body doesn’t produce enough of certain hormones. In Addison’s disease, your adrenal glands, located just above your kidneys, produce too little cortisol and, often, too little aldosterone. Addison’s disease occurs in all age groups and both sexes, and can be life-threatening. Treatment involves taking hormones to replace those that are missing. Sometimes the signs and symptoms of Addison’s disease may appear suddenly. Acute adrenal failure (addisonian crisis) can lead to life-threatening shock. Our dogs are trained to detect the odor of dropping cortisol levels in order to prevent addisonian crisis.
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) is the inappropriate release of mast cell mediators including: histamine, interleukins, prostaglandins, cytokines, chemokines, and heparin in response to stressors. A person with MCAS is at risk for anaphylaxis. Our dogs are trained to alert when there is an inappropriate release mast cell mediators.

PTSD Service -Service Dogs can help these vulnerable people by being a constant, non-judgmental presence. The dog is trained to interrupt common anxiety symptoms such as a nervous leg bounce, nightmares or body language that indicates social withdrawal. These gentle interventions can keep a person from spiraling into a dark place. Because of these interventions, people can go places they have been afraid or reluctant to go, and their isolation is decreased. Recipients of these dogs are taught the effective use of praise and reward, which can translate to giving support to family members and friends. Many vets and active duty military also have a physical disability and our dogs are trained to help with physical assistance tasks when needed.

Facility Dogs- Facility dogs are trained to work for one handler who serves many people with special needs. They may work in a courthouse, a school, a counseling center or a hospital. They provide unique motivation, create an increased feeling of safety, and infuse a difficult situation with a bit of light and joy.

We only place service dogs with clients who live in Virginia as both dogs and people require periodic "tune ups." When a program is geographically inaccessible, people go without help reducing the effectiveness of their canine helpmates.

SDV makes a commitment to provide ongoing training and support for each individual with which it places a dog. If an individual’s needs change, SDV provides additional training to customize their dog’s commands and tasks. This ongoing relationship also provides us the opportunity to observe each dog’s progress and to ensure it is being utilized to its maximum benefit.