Dog\u2019s have always been considered \u2018man\u2019s best friend\u2019. They\u2019ve served at the sides of humans for centuries, not just as canine companions, but also as a helping hand, or paw. From being a hunter\u2019s best weapon to becoming a member of the family, dogs have always had a purpose and been in humans\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n
So have you ever noticed a dog walking down the street with its owner, in a vest labeled \u201cService Dog\u201d, and wondered how exactly the dog got that title and what they really do? Well here\u2019s the ins and outs of what it means to be a service dog and how they get their name!<\/p>\n
Service dogs are trained working dogs that specialize to serve those with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines<\/a> service dogs as \u201cdogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities\u201d. Service dogs that trained and to be qualified as such must be able to specifically assist or respond to their owner\u2019s disabilities. This may include helping or reacting to a physical, psychiatric, intellectual, sensory, or other mental disability.<\/p>\n You may have commonly seen a service dog helping to guide a visually impaired person. But service dogs do many other tasks such as providing alerts to a hearing-impaired person, pulling or guiding someone in a wheelchair, altering or helping a person with chronic seizures, or even calming the panic attacks of a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).<\/p>\n Due to the working and trained nature of service dogs, they are not considered \u2018pets\u2019, so they are allowed in government facilities and other public places like restaurants, museums, stores, and transit. The ADA ensures that service dogs are allotted in all public facilities and airlines, although some air services have rules on where the dog can remain while in flight.<\/p>\n The ADA gives legal protection to owners and their service dogs in housing, meaning a landlord cannot object to their tenant having a certified service dog. It\u2019s important to remember that any other questions than \u201cis the service dog required because of a disability\u201d and \u201cwhat task may the dog perform\u201d could be seen as a violation of ADA and a person\u2019s right to medical privacy.<\/p>\n Most working dogs are not considered service dogs. Service dogs require extensive training for disabilities while working dogs usually are trained to assist in a task. Working dogs may range from hunting and herding dogs to military and police dogs.<\/p>\n Therapy dogs<\/a> are also not considered service dogs because they are not trained in a task. Therapy or emotional support animals however are trained to provide affection and comfort to patients in hospice, hospitals, mental institutions, rehabilitation centers, etc. They also just generally provide comfort to those who are affected psychologically or physiologically. Therapy dogs must pass a program<\/a> in order to be certified as well!<\/p>\n There isn\u2019t one specific organization that provides service dogs, but there are various public and private organizations that do training and help assign dogs to people with disabilities. Training service dogs is very extensive, costly, and can take a long time due to the specialization of each dog being trained.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, some service dog training can cost upwards of $20,000, so owners are left with a high cost if they do not qualify to get free training by an organization. Although, there are some federal and state facilities that will assist with costs to help get people in need the service they deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Dog\u2019s have always been considered \u2018man\u2019s best friend\u2019. They\u2019ve served at the sides of humans for centuries, not just as canine companions, but also as a helping hand, or paw. From being a hunter\u2019s best weapon to becoming a member of the family, dogs have always had a purpose and been in humans\u2019 lives. So…<\/p>\nLegal Rights With Service Dogs<\/h2>\n
Therapy And Other Working Dogs<\/h2>\n
Obtaining Service Dogs<\/h2>\n