Service Dogs Are Amazing Helpers on Four Legs
Some dogs do not just play. They go to work. They are called service dogs. A service dog helps one person with a disability.
Guide dogs help people who cannot see. The dog walks in front. It stops at roads and steps. It finds a safe way through town.
Hearing dogs help people who cannot hear. The dog hears the doorbell or an alarm. Then it runs to its owner and touches them.
Some dogs can smell when a person gets sick. They warn the person early. Then the person can take medicine and rest.
Service dogs can open doors. They pick up keys. They press buttons. They can even bring a phone.
A service dog learns its job for about two years. At work it wears a special vest. Please do not pet a working dog. It must think about its job.
Big words
- service dog
- A dog with special training to help one person
- guide dog
- A dog that shows a safe way to a person who cannot see
- disability
- When a part of the body does not work well
- warn
- To tell someone that something bad may happen
- vest
- Special clothes a dog wears for work
What do you think?
Which service dog job do you think is the most important, and why?
Talk about it with a grown-up, or write your answer in English.
For grown-ups
This is a real story from Assistance Dogs International, International Guide Dog Federation, rewritten for children. Read the full version for English learners at A1, A2 or B1 — with vocabulary, a grammar note and a quiz. How we write the news.
