Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Unit of Health Care Analysis, Linkoping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Health Soc Care Community. 2021 Jul;29(4):935-946. doi: 10.1111/hsc.13128. Epub 2020 Aug 11.
Individuals who have a functional or health impairment, are often in great need of conventional healthcare, social care and support, as well as help from family and friends. The use of dogs may be an important assistive support for this population. Assistance dogs are trained to assist with their owners' specific needs. The aim of this study is to explore service and hearing dog ownership from the owner´s perspective, by examining the owner's expectations before training a dog, and experiences after having a certified dog. This study was designed as a longitudinal intervention study with pre-post design. The participants included in the study trained their own dogs to become service or hearing dogs. A number of open-ended questions were answered by the participants before the training of the dog started, three months after the dog was certified, and 1-3 years after the first follow-up. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The participants' expectations of what the dog would contribute after being certified was high. Their perceived experiences in many ways reflected their expectations. For example, they perceived that the dog contributed to improved health status, a more active lifestyle, improved ability to feel secure, and that they had become more independent. They also felt that the dog had strengthened their social relationships. Negative experiences were also identified. Not being allowed to bring their dog into public places and negative attitudes from other people were examples of this. This study shows that individuals being supported by an assistance dog experience the dog as an invaluable help in their everyday life. By improving the owners' lives in many ways, a certified service or hearing dog is a novel and important assistive support for people with a functional or health impairment.
个体如果存在功能或健康障碍，通常非常需要常规医疗保健、社会关怀和支持，以及家人和朋友的帮助。使用犬类可能是这类人群的重要辅助支持。经过训练的工作犬和服务犬可以帮助其主人满足特定需求。本研究旨在从主人的角度探讨服务犬和助听犬的拥有情况，通过考察主人在训练犬之前的期望，以及在拥有认证犬之后的体验，来了解相关情况。本研究设计为纵向干预研究，采用前后测设计。研究对象包括自行训练服务犬或助听犬的个体。在训练犬之前、犬获得认证后三个月以及第一次随访后 1-3 年，研究对象需回答多项开放性问题。采用主题内容分析法分析数据。研究对象对犬获得认证后能做出贡献的期望很高。他们的实际体验在很多方面反映了他们的期望。例如，他们认为犬有助于改善健康状况、更积极的生活方式、提高安全感和独立性，也有助于增强社会关系。他们也遇到了一些负面体验，例如不被允许带犬进入公共场所以及受到他人的负面评价。本研究表明，得到辅助犬支持的个体将犬视为日常生活中不可或缺的帮助。认证的服务犬或助听犬通过在多方面改善主人的生活，为存在功能或健康障碍的人群提供了一种新颖且重要的辅助支持。
