title: Service dogs in the province of Quebec: sociodemographic profile of users and the dogs' impact on functional ability.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the sociodemographic profile of service dog users, their physical disabilities, main occupations, living environment, and use of technical aids in daily life and (2) evaluate the impact of service dogs on wheelchair travel and picking up objects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected and various mobility tests were conducted in the service dog users' home environment (n = 199).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The service dog users had injuries to the central or peripheral nervous system (55%), spinal cord (33%), or musculoskeletal or orthopedic system (12%). In the wheelchair travel on flat terrain test (n = 67), users travelled a longer distance in a shorter time, improving their average speed to 1.28 m/s with the service dog compared to 0.75 m/s without (p < 0.001). In a wheelchair propelling up a slope, 42% improved with the service dog (n = 60). Mounting a threshold/curb in a wheelchair, 41% improved with the service dog (n = 39). In a test where walkers and wheelchair users picked up three objects off the ground, 44% improved with the service dog (n = 164).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Service dogs significantly improved wheelchair travel speed and distance on flat and ascending terrain, mounting a threshold/curb and picking up objects off the ground. Implications for Rehabilitation For people with motor impairments: Service dogs are most often used as a technical aid to pick up objects (96%), open doors (36%) and pull the wheelchair during travel (34%). Clients' performance in significant travel in a wheelchair (on flat terrain, on an upslope, mounting a threshold) improved with the service dog compared to their own performance without the dog. Clients' grasping performance (picking up three significant objects off the ground) improved with the service dog compared to their own performance without the dog.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Laval University , Quebec , Canada .
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Dany
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Routhier
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Leblond
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blanchet
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Martin-Lemoyne
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D011792:Quebec; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D014910:Wheelchairs; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Assistance dog; motor disability; outcome measure; wheelchair mobility