What is a servicedog?
A servicedog trains to help his disabled owner with practical things which can be impossible or hard for the owner to manage on their own as a result of their disability. It can be to pick up things from the floor, to push buttons to automatic doors or to switch on/off the light, to open and close doors and boxes, to alarm someone if something happens to the owner, to help the owner to take off gloves, shoes or socks, to carry things and do other things that the disabled owner needs to get help with.

What is a hearingdog?
A hearingdog trains to point his deaf/hard of hearing owner out to that there´s some sound in the surroundings and to point out where the sound comes from. It can be sounds like for example that the doorbell rings, the firealarm hoots, the baby is crying, the water on the stove is boiling over and other sounds which the deaf/hard of hearing owner wishes that the hearingdog should alarm for.

The Swedish Service- and Hearingdog Association.
It is a non-profit organisation whose goal is to help people with a disability to train their dogs to be a helper in their lives.

The Swedish Service- and Hearingdog Association was formed in 1999 as a result of a very successful project. The project which was financed by Allmänna Arvsfonden and the Social department, educated the first servicedog in Sweden 1989. Today The Swedish Service- and Hearingdog Association stands on their own “paws” and live on sponsors, members and donations.

Thanks to our unique trainingprogram where the disabled person is our greatest resurs him self in the training of the dog, we have managed to keep the price low for each finished dog. To educate a dog costs about 20.000-50.000 Swedish crowns, which among other things goes to costs for courses and to the instructors remuneration. The disabled person is the owner of the dog and also pay for the purchase of the dog, the insurances, veterinary costs and so on, but they don´t pay anything for the education of the dog.

How does the education work?
The education works in a way where the disabled person makes a test with his/her dog, where The Swedish Service- and Hearingdog Association can see if the dog is appropriate to be trained to service- or hearingdog. The dog must be healthy, it is not allowed to show signs of fear or aggression and must be able to relax. If the dog manage the test the owner begins to train his/her dog at home after his/her own needs with guiding from his/her instructor. Average educationtime is one year, depending on the dogowner and the dog, thereafter the owner and the dog do an examinationtest which the dog has to manage to be approved service- or hearingdog.

When the dogs got their certificate they wear a special yellow vest, where it is written service- or hearingdog. During the educationtime they wear a red vest which tells that they are during education. The vest means that the dog is working and are not allowed to be disturbed of people or other dogs, something that the owner is totally depended on that it will be respected.

Support The Swedish Service- and Hearingdog Association
There can be practical problems having a disability for example not to have the possibility to pick up the keys that you´ve dropped, or to live in total silence and not be able to hear when someone is calling your name. Things that you and me take for granted can be a huge problem for a person with a disability.

Would you like to help?
By contributing to that a disabled person can have the great support, the effective help, the joy and the warmth that a service- or hearingdog can give. Your benefit, big or small, can give us the opportunity to help even another person with a disability to a little easier life. You are welcome with your benefit, big or small, at postal giro account 41 97 83-6 (Svenska Service- och Signalhundsförbundet)

If you have some questions you can send an email to our clerical officer Karin Ekdahl kansli@soshund.se

Translated by Tina Persson