And now it's time for Who Smarted. Psst. Hey, Smarty Pants. As you can hear, I'm outside taking a little walk around the neighborhood. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and ooh, what do I see coming towards me? Why, it's a super cute dog. Hmm, I think it might be a golden retriever or maybe a yellow Labrador. Definitely yellow. But also, the dog is wearing a vest. Oh, which means no matter how much I'd like to stop and pet this precious pooch, I shouldn't. Do you know why, Smarty Pants? Call it out if you know. Did you say because the dog might be working? Why, that's right. If and when you see a dog wearing a special vest, it probably means they're on the job. Wait, dogs have jobs? They sure do. But we'll get into that in just a minute. For now, I'm curious if the dog is working. And if it's not, maybe I can pet it. There's only one way to find out. Hi, excuse me. Is your dog working right now? Would it be okay to pet him? Hi. Thanks so much for asking. Hattie here was working, but he's taking a break right now. So, yes, you can pet him. Amazing. Hi, Hattie. You're such a good boy. Thanks so much. My pleasure. And you're right. Hattie is a good boy and a really good service animal. Ooh, smarty pants. Did you hear what she just called Hattie? A service animal. Now, maybe you have a service animal or know someone who does. But just in case this is the first time you're hearing about service animals, let's make sure we all know what they are. Is a service animal, A, an animal that's been trained to do things to help its person? B, an animal that's been trained to serve food in a restaurant? Or C, an animal that's trained to be kept as a pet? If you said A, an animal that's been trained to do things to help its person, you're right. But just what kind of things are service animals trained to do? Can any animal be a service animal, or is it something only dogs can do? And does every animal that trains to be a service animal get the job? Those are great questions. Maybe Hattie and I could help answer them. My name's Morgan, by the way. Hi, Morgan. I'm the trusty narrator. And these are the smarty pants. You can't see them, but they're out there. And now it's time to answer these questions and more as we take a big whiff of science and history on... Who's smarted? Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science? Or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smarted? Okay, Smarty Pants, I'm here with my new friend Morgan and her service dog, Hattie. My first question is, how long have service dogs been helping people? Is it A, hundreds of years, B, thousands of years, or C, millions of years? Well, I know it's not millions of years, but is it hundreds or thousands? You might be surprised to learn that service dogs have been helping people for thousands of years. Whoa. The first service dogs were guides for people who were blind. Question, and I'm not sure how I know this, but I thought the first attempt to train guide dogs happened in a hospital in Paris in 1780. Wow, that is a great fact, trustee. So wouldn't that make the answer hundreds of years? Yes, but that's only the first known attempt to train them. Found within the ruins of ancient Rome was a mural showing a person with a guide dog. Whoa. So it's safe to say service dogs have been around for thousands of years. Wow, that's amazing. Way to go, service dogs. Speaking of going, smarty pants, true or false? A service animal can go anywhere its person goes. The answer is... True. While some places may have signs that say no pets allowed, a service animal has had special training and performs an important job and is much more than just a typical pet. So according to the law service animals are allowed to go anywhere its person goes including hospitals restaurants airplanes schools or any other place their adult or child person might need to go. And why is that, Smarty Pants? Well, it's because service dogs assist their person. Exactly. But what exactly do service dogs assist with? Smarty Pants, any ideas? Call some out. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. I'm hearing lots of good answers. What do you think, Morgan? I think the smarty pants get it. But for anyone who isn't sure, a service animal can do many different things for its person, including hearing assistance, picking up items, help walking or moving, health alerts, and help with emotional and mental health. Ah, the last one reminds me. I've also heard the term therapy dogs or therapy animals used. Are they the same as service animals? Not quite. Therapy dogs, just like service dogs, work with a human partner. They may visit people in hospitals, schools, assisted living, or residential facilities to provide support and comfort and cheer people up. They sometimes visit libraries to help children practice reading out loud. But therapy animals are generally pets with only very basic training. Service dogs are highly trained to perform a single function to assist someone with a specific disability. Gotcha. So while therapy dogs may be invited into certain places for periods of time, they don't have full legal access to go anywhere like a service dog can. Exactly. Now wait. Sometimes I've said service dogs, and sometimes I've said service animals. Smarty Pants, true or false, only dogs can be service animals. The answer, of course, is false. While dogs may be what most people picture when they think of a service animal, other animals can be trained to help people. Besides dogs, other animals that can be service animals include cats. Meow. And horses. Horses? Not that I don't love horses. But don't service animals go anywhere its person goes? I can't imagine many buildings that a horse would fit in. True, but you might be forgetting about miniature horses. Some miniature horses work as guide horses. They do the same job as a guide dog, helping people who cannot see. And their small size allows them to go anywhere their person goes. That's amazing! Go service horses! Because guide horses may need to walk on gravel, sidewalks, or streets, They often wear hard rubber shoes to keep them from slipping. But there is a way that large horses can help people too. Some organizations allow people to ride horses for therapy. This type of program trains the people who will be working with the horses, sets up lesson plans for riding therapy sessions, and visits the stables where people will be riding to make sure the conditions are safe for everyone, both human and animal. Sounds like service animals do all kinds of work. But what needs to happen before a service animal can start working? Smarty Pants, do you know? Yeah, me neither. Morgan, what can you tell us? Well, one of the first things that needs to happen before an animal can even start training to be a service animal is a visit to the vet. The vet will make sure the animal is healthy enough to work, whether that means visiting people in hospitals or staying with a person to help them every day. Makes sense. Just like people, animals will definitely do their job better when they are feeling their best. They will need to keep seeing the vet throughout their lives to make sure they are healthy. They must also be kept clean, which means regular grooming and baths. And of course, they need to only eat good, healthy food. Same goes for trusty narrators. Smarty Pants, how soon do you think a service animal starts working? Is it A, as soon as it is born? B, as soon as it is adopted by its person? Or C, after having lots of specialized training? Why of course it C Service animals need lots of specialized training before they can start working But how does that work Well sometimes people can tell shortly after an animal is born that they might make a good service animal Some dog breeders offer puppies that show potential to a school for service dogs. Right. So would you say all service animals start training when they are babies? Most do. But some start when they are a little older. Texas Hearing and Service Dogs in Dripping Springs, Texas, adopts dogs from rescue groups and shelters and trains them. But for things like guide dogs, that training starts early and is very intense and focused. And then, even when they are working, many service animals still need to practice their skills to make sure they are doing a good job. That just goes to show that everyone needs to practice, Smarty Pants. So, do service animals work for their entire lives? What do you think, Smarty Pants? Yes or no? The answer is no. Just like humans, when they get older, service animals retire. Aw, Smarty Pants, what does a service animal do when it retires? Does it A, enjoy life as a pet, B, help train another service animal, or C, enjoy some new hobbies? If you said A or B, you're right. When a service animal retires, it may enjoy life as a pet, free from work, but still getting a lot of love. But if its person needs a new service animal, it may help train the new animal to work with that person. Wow, that's so cool. As for enjoying new hobbies, that sounds like something humans are more likely to do when they retire. After all, you don't see too many animals playing pickleball. But on a more serious note, what happens when a retired service dog can't stay with its person anymore? In that case, it will have a career change and get placed as a pet. There's a great organization called Canine Companions for Independence. They train dogs to help people who need physical assistance. They also have something called career change dogs. Smarty Pants, in case you didn't know, career is just another word for job. These dogs need a change of job. either because they retired from being service dogs or because they didn't pass the health screening or training program. When this happens, they can go back to the people who raised them, or they can be offered up for adoption so they can enjoy life as a pet without having to work. That also probably means they don't have to get dressed. Smarty Pants, if you were paying attention earlier, you'll know the answer to this question. What does a service animal wear to let people know that it's working? Is it a hat, a vest, or special shoes? The answer, of course, is a vest. If you ever see any animal wearing a vest, that means it's working, and you shouldn't distract it from its job. When Hattie has his vest on, he is doing his job. But when it's off, he likes the same things other dogs do. He loves to play in the dog park with his friends. And he loves treats. He also likes cuddles when he's not working. And after a long day of work, Hattie does what anyone would do. Just like you might be tired after a long day of school, sports, or activities, service animals need their sleep after a long day of work. I know I need my sleep after a long day of narrating. And let's just say not everyone can be a narrator. Which reminds me of two more questions I have. One, can only certain dog breeds train to be guide dogs? And two, are there any jobs that any breed of dog or any other animal train to do to help people? Oh, great questions, trustee. Great. And we'll find out the answers right after this quick break and a word from our sponsors. Spring is here, and if you're a homeschool family trying to finish the year strong, I want to tell you about IXL. It's the award-winning online learning platform that fits seamlessly into your homeschool routine, covering math, language arts, science, and social studies from pre-K through 12th grade. What I love most about IXL is how it adapts to each child's pace. Whether your kid needs to reinforce foundational skills before an assessment or push ahead into new material IXL meets them exactly where they are with no pressure and real encouragement built right in Kids earn rewards see their own progress and actually feel good about learning. And for parents, the real-time progress tracking is a game changer. You always know exactly where your child stands. Plus, it makes learning fun. And you know I love that. Over 15 million students use IXL, and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states. So make an impact on your child's learning. Who Smarted listeners get an exclusive 20% off at IXL.com slash smarted. That's IXL.com slash smarted for your 20% off. Now back to Who Smarted. Okay, let's take the questions one at a time. First, can only certain dog breeds train to be guide dogs for blind people? What do you think, Smarty Pants? Yes or no? The answer is... Yes. Guide dogs are usually Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, or a mix of these breeds. I see. And why were those breeds chosen? These breeds were chosen because they're breeds of a dog that are both a good size for guide dog work and are usually smart, hardworking, and easy to train. Aw, like Hattie, who's a yellow Labrador retriever. Good boy, Hattie. Good boy. However, other breeds of dogs or even other animals can be service animals. For example, any breed of dog can be a hearing ear dog as long as the dog is good-tempered and smart. And for the record, a hearing ear dog is a dog that helps a deaf person. And that makes sense about needing a smart animal who listens, follows directions, and isn't mean. Yep. Even though service animals need to be taught how to do their jobs before they can start working, it's important to start with an animal that is smart, nice, and easy to train. Besides getting a clean bill of health from the vet, what else happens before the training starts? The animal will need to pass a test. Smarty Pants, what kind of test do you think the animal needs to pass? Is it A. Multiple choice, B. True or false, or C. Obedience? If you said C. Obedience, you're right. Obedience means that the animal understands directions from its person and can follow them. Those of you who have pets at home know this is sometimes easier for some animals than others. I'm pretty sure my cat would not do too well on an obedience test. What are some of the directions a service animal needs to be able to follow? Obviously, commands like come and heal, which means walking calmly next to its person. A service animal also might need to be trained to wake its person up in the morning. How does that happen? Exactly the way you're thinking. Oh, what a great way to wake up. Service animals can also be trained to pick up things from the floor, open doors, alert other people if their person is having a health emergency, and respond to sounds like a smoke alarm or a doorbell. Wow, I didn't know that animals could be trained to do so many awesome things for people. Thank you, Morgan and Hattie, for helping me learn about service animals. Say, as a way to say thanks, can I buy you a slice of pizza? I would, but Hattie has to get back to work. Next time. Good boy, Hattie. Good boy. A super-duper double shout-out to Smarty fans Emily and Maxwell in Chula Vista, California. Thanks so much for Smarting with Who Smarted and letting us know how much you love learning fun facts that you didn't know before, especially about using poop as hockey pucks. Yep, I guess we did do that. Thanks, you two. This episode, Service Animals, was written by Sarah Sweetick and voiced by Melissa Del Toro Schaffner and Jerry Kolber. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Kolber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. Thank you.
