I’m often asked about service dogs by pet owners. Service dogs provide invaluable assistance to people with disabilities, but there’s a lot of confusion about what they do and how they’re trained. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about service dogs from my experience in the pet care industry.
What Exactly is a Service Dog?
Simply put, a service dog is a canine that is specially trained to help someone who has a disability. Unlike a pet, these dogs have a job to do and are allowed access to places the general public can’t usually bring their pets.
Service dogs are not the same as emotional support animals (ESAs). ESAs provide comfort to their owners, but don’t have special public access rights.
There are many different types of service dogs that are trained to support people with various disabilities:
- Guide dogs assist people who are blind or have low vision.
- Hearing dogs alert people who are deaf or hard of hearing to important sounds.
- Mobility assistance dogs help people who have mobility impairments. They can open doors, turn on lights, fetch items, and more.
- Medical alert dogs are trained to detect changes in a person’s body that may indicate an impending medical emergency.
- Psychiatric service dogs can help people with mental health conditions by providing calming pressure, reminding them to take medication, or getting help during a panic attack.
- Autism assistance dogs support people on the autism spectrum. They can provide safety, companionship, and help with social interactions.
No matter their specialty, all service dogs should be well-behaved in public. A true service dog is trained to focus on their handler and avoid distractions.
What Are the Requirements for Service Dogs?
Service dogs must fulfill a number of conditions in order to be authorized to carry out their important tasks. These specifications vary somewhat based on the organization that certifies the dog and the state’s laws where the service dog will work.
However, there are some standard criteria for assistance dogs:
- Extensive training – Service dogs must be able to obey their handler’s directions at all times. This requires rigorous specialized training.
- Good health – These dogs need to be in excellent physical shape with up-to-date vaccinations. Any health issues could impair their ability to do their job.
- Calm demeanor – The dog should be able to politely interact with the general public. Aggression has no place in a service dog’s temperament.
- Minimum age – Many organizations require service dogs to be at least 1 year old before starting specialized task training.
- Spay/neuter status – Some groups mandate the dog must be fixed, while others don’t have this requirement.
- Breed – Certain breeds like Pit Bulls or Rottweilers may face restrictions. However, any breed can succeed with proper training. Motivation and temperament are most important.
It’s vital to research the specific standards for the organization you plan to certify with, as criteria varies. But specialized obedience and task training are always fundamental.
How Are Service Dogs Trained?
Service dog training is an intensive process that takes many months or even years. There are two main parts:
1. Obedience training
This covers basic commands like sit, stay, come, heel, and off-leash control. More advanced obedience skills may also be taught depending on the dog’s future role. A guide dog for the blind needs to respond perfectly to vocal commands in all environments.
2. Task-specific training
This teaches the service dog the special skills that will assist their disabled handler. For example, retrieving items, providing balance support, hitting elevator buttons, warning about allergens, and other essential tasks. The training is customized to the person’s unique needs.
Service dogs may be trained by accredited professionals or by the handler with guidance from a trainer. Some programs use an “apprenticeship” model where the dog and handler team work intensively with an expert trainer to polish the dog’s abilities before certification.
The right mixture of natural aptitude, solid training techniques, and extensive practice is the formula for creating a successful service dog.
What Are the Laws Regarding Service Dogs?
The use of service dogs in public places is governed by federal and state laws. These regulations outline the rights of disabled people who utilize service dogs.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides the framework at the federal level. The ADA prohibits discrimination and mandates that service dogs must be allowed wherever the general public is permitted. This includes shops, restaurants, government buildings, and more.
Other federal laws also cover service dogs in specific settings like housing and air travel. The Fair Housing Act protects renters with service dogs. And the Air Carrier Access Act requires airlines to allow service dogs to fly in the cabin with their handler.
At the state level, laws regarding service dogs can vary significantly. Some states have more liberal policies than the federal ADA. Others may impose additional restrictions. It’s important to research the service dog laws in your particular state.
And remember, the rules differ for emotional support animals versus service dogs. ESAs do not get the same public access rights. Make sure you understand how they differ if you need either type of assistance animal.
Maintaining a Service Dog’s Health
Service dogs are invaluable to the independence of many disabled individuals. So it’s critical to keep them healthy and fit for duty through:
- Regular veterinary visits for checkups and vaccinations. Any health issues must be treated promptly.
- A nutritious diet formulated for the dog’s age, size, and activity level. Consult your vet or a canine nutritionist.
- Daily exercise and mental stimulation. Take daily walks, play games, and reinforce training. This maintains the dog’s conditioning and skills.
- Proper grooming including brushing, bathing, nail trims, dental care, etc. This prevents skin issues, parasites, and shedding.
- Any special health considerations based on breed, climate, tasks performed, etc. For example, providing extra hydration in hot weather or minimizing dander for allergy alert dogs.
Work closely with your vet and trainer to develop a customized wellness plan that keeps your service dog operating at their peak.
The Controversies Around Service Dogs
While service dogs provide invaluable help to the disabled, their use does generate some controversial debates including:
- Breed and size restrictions– Some groups only allow certain breeds or ban very large dogs as service animals. Others argue this is discriminatory and any breed can serve if properly trained.
- Fake service dog credentials – Unfortunately, some try to pass off pets as service dogs. This undermines truly trained service dogs and makes public access more difficult.
- Acceptable service dog tasks – There’s disagreement about whether providing emotional support should be considered a legitimate service dog responsibility.
These are complex issues with reasonable arguments on both sides. It’s important to keep an open mind but prioritize the welfare and efficacy of service dogs. Safety for the public and dog must also be considered.
Putting It All Together
To summarize the key points:
- Service dogs are specially trained to assist people with disabilities in daily life. There are many types like guide, hearing, mobility, psychiatric, and autism dogs.
- They must complete rigorous obedience and specialized task training before certification. This can take many months or years.
- Good health, temperament, minimum age and other standards must be met. Requirements vary so research the certifying organization.
- Federal and state laws protect service dog teams from discrimination in public places like shops and planes. Emotional support animals have different rules.
- Ongoing veterinary care, proper diet, exercise and grooming help service dogs stay in peak operating condition.
- There are some controversial debates around breeds allowed, fake credentials, and acceptable tasks. But the top priority is keeping service dogs safe, effective and able to support the independence of disabled individuals.
I hope this guide has helped explain what service dogs do, how they are trained, and the laws surrounding them. As a pet expert, I’m amazed by their abilities and honored to help spread awareness about these wonderful assistance dogs.
