The Papillon As A Service Dog

The Papillon continues to be among the less popular breeds in North America. Papillon production in the United States has increased in recent years. A Papillon, Ch. Loteki Supernatural Being, won Best in Show in 1999 at the Westminster Kennel Club show. He also won many hearts. Kirby, who won the most in breed history also won the World Dog Show in Helsinki Finland, and the Royal Invitational in Canada in 1998, which has also attracted many new admirers of the Papillon.

As for the Papillon's ability as a service dog, yes most definitely, the Papillon dog can be well-suited for service work. The Papillon has been bred for centuries as a companion dog and possesses one of the most important assets of a good service dog. This asset is how the Papillon enjoys spending the majority of time with his human partner and creates the ultimate in human-animal bonding.

Although larger dogs are required for some tasks for the disabled such as providing brace and balance, pulling wheelchairs, opening heavy doors, the Papillons are able to perform the majority of required tasks for a variety of disabilities. These tasks may include but are not limited to:

• Picking up objects dropped on the floor like pens, hairbrushes, keys or coins;

• Papillons can learn to make beds, tug clothing from the dryer, put clothing in a basket and it from room to room;

• Papillons can learn to take clothing from their human's body;

• The breed can learn to open and shut doors, drawers and cabinets inside the home, bring the telephone when it rings, shut off the alarm clock;

• From the lap, a Papillon can activate light switches, press handicap door openers, elevator buttons or hand change purse to a cashier.

The Papillon is naturally alert. This natural ability makes the Papillon an excellent choice as a hearing dog. He may also perform well as a seizure alert dog.

As a hearing ear or signal dog, the Papillon can be trained to alert their hearing impaired or deaf owners of environmental sounds, and to take their owner to the source of the sound. The Papillon may alert his hearing impaired owner to:

• A baby crying;
• Someone calling the owner's name in the event of immediate danger;
• A siren going off;
• A smoke detector going off;
• The sound of the alarm clock, microwave ring of completion, washer or dryer ring of completion;
• And a telephone ringing.

As a seizure alert dog, the Papillon is one who alerts his owner to impending crises, and responds in a trained way. The Papillon's owner who has Epilepsy or a brain disorder is then given a chance to move to a safe area before a dangerous episode occurs. They can also be trained to respond by seeking help in these situations, or by aspirating fluids from their owner's mouth during convulsions.

The uneven distribution of Papillon breeders presents a major challenge for those who are seeking a Papillon just for a pet companion. Some resources for locating a Papillon with aptitude to become a service dog are:

• Breeder lists published by national or regional breed clubs;
• The Papillon Club of America.

These organizations should be able to guide you in the appropriate direction to acquire a Papillon with the aptitude of becoming a service dog or a Papillon already performing service work.

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