service dog

service dog (plural service dogs)

1. A dog that assists a person who is physically handicapped or who suffers from a mental disability such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
   • 2007 April 18, Rita Healy, “Echoes of Columbine”, in Time:

     A spinal cord injury will confine him to a wheelchair for life. . . . He has a service dog and lives alone in a one-bedroom apartment, although there are relatives nearby.

   • 2011 June 11, Robin Finn, “Sunday Routine: Jessica Walter”, in New York Times, retrieved 5 Dec. 2011:

     Reggie was a “release” from Guiding Eyes; he kept leading his trainers into light poles, so he was deemed temperamentally unsuited to be a service dog.

2. A dog which assists the work of military or law enforcement officials.
   • 1959 August 6, Walter R. Fletcher, “Specialty Club German Shepherds' Best Friend”, in New York Times, page 23:

     The German Shepherd probably is the top all-round service dog. He had an enviable record with the K-9 Corps during World War II.

   • 1991 March 20, “Dog tracks, bites suspect in burglary”, in The Press-Courier, USA, retrieved 5 Dec. 2011, page 11:

     A suspected burglar was tracked down by a police service dog and bitten early today.

   • 2008 May 16, Pfc Alicia C. Torbush, “Service Dogs Retiring”, in Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, retrieved 5 Dec. 2011:

     Dago, a retired Army service dog, served as a bomb detecting dog with the 28th Military Police Detachment at Ft. Wainwright, Alaska for eight years.

• (dog that assists a handicapped person): assistance dog, aid dog, helper dog, support dog, guide dog
• (dog that assists military or police): police dog

• working animal
  • service animal

• seeing-eye dog
• hearing dog, hearing-ear dog
• rescue dog

• “service dog”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.

• codiverges