928-577-4131
Service Dog Programs
Let's start at the beginning: what is a service dog?
Under the Federal ADA law, service dog is defined as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” A simple way of explaining it is this: a person with a disability has a need that can be met with a service dog performing a task and a dog is trained to do that task. The tasks are varied according to the person's disability, i.e. seizure detection, guided sight, mobility, psychiatric interruption, and many, many more. This training for tasks as well as the necessary public access training is why they are allowed in places that ordinary pets are not.
Terms like Service Dog, Therapy Dog, and Emotional Support Dog are sometimes considered interchangeable. This is NOT the case. So, let's break down the similarities and differences between these unique occupations for canines.
While a Service Dog is there to mitigate a disability for one person with disabilities, Therapy Dogs are there for emotional therapy and comfort for many. Therapy Dogs are mostly used in clinical settings. While they are occasionally given special permission, do not have public access rights in places that are not pet friendly. Like Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs go through a lot of training to acquire the obedience necessary to become Therapy Dogs. Very often Therapy Dog organizations require a Canine Good Citizenship certification before approving them for the program itself.
Emotional Support Dogs are dogs there to provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias. Unlike Service Dogs, these animals DO NOT have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. These dogs have no specific requirement for training and, thus, have no rights in non-pet friendly places. They do have some protections under the law regarding housing. They must have access to apartments with a no-pet policy and are exempt from pet-related fees.
Can A Service Dog Help You?
I am speaking to you not only as a trainer but as a person with disabilities. If you have a disability, these dogs can be a Godsend. They are incredibly intelligent, intuitive, and empathetic. These animals can change your life. However, training a service dog yourself can be challenging and it's important to get help. These dogs set the example for other dogs, facing all kinds of everyday hurtles like strangers, kids, or even other dogs.
This kind of training takes time and is done at a young age. The training itself is at least two years long – however, people with disabilities often are wait-listed by organizations for around five years as the dog gets its training elsewhere.
The upside to owner training your service dog is a foundation that starts with you.
If you're interested in a Service Dog Training Plan or just have questions about the process, please e-mail me at agirlsbestfrienddogtraining@gmail or use the messaging feature at the bottom of the page to leave me a note so that we can discuss your options.
For Fun, here's a couple common misconceptions about service dogs:
“A service dog has to be wearing a vest.”
“You have to have 'papers' for a service dog.”
I should also note that in Arizona, Service Dogs in Training have the same rights as fully trained Service Dogs. While my training course requires a Service Dog in Training have experience in pet friendly places before even dreaming of going to your local grocery store, many training sessions in pet friendly businesses are non-vested outings. Vests, in my training philosophy, are a signified message that a dog is “working” and trained enough to do so.
While this is a multi-faceted issue that I don't want anyone to take lightly....generally, no. To enter any public place that a person with disabilities may go, a service dog does NOT require any sort of paperwork. There is, according to federal law, no official certification necessary for a service dog. That means all forms of ID paid for via the internet are not a legal form of proving your dog is a service dog. These ID badges are – pardon my french – a complete and total scam. They will not hold up in court nor are they in any way proof of your disability/your service dog's ability to mitigate your disability. Any business asking for your 'papers' do not have a legal right to do so and being refused service or turned away because you have a service dog is a violation of ADA law.
That said, there are certification programs around the country led by trainers. These are technically arbitrary and not necessary to the law but these programs are good ways of supplementing your dog's behavioral record.
There are exceptions to these rules, such as airlines which are not covered by ADA law. As of late 2020, some airlines may charge fees for larger service dogs or not allow them at all. Most airlines now require a doctor's note explaining the person's disability and/or the service dog's ability to mitigate that disability, especially if the disability is Psychiatric. Honestly, every airline is different and may have different requirements. There's a lot of paperwork they can require for service dogs which is highly controversial. Emotional Support Dogs are no longer allowed on planes at all. I can't say much on the subject as I'm not a frequent flier but...
I guess this is what happens when your Emotional Support Peacock has taken over the plane.
While vests can be a helpful tool in identifying and making certain messages clear, such as “Do Not Pet” or “I'm in Training” or “Emergency Medicine Inside”, vests are not a necessary part of a service dog. Your service dog is legally allowed to be in public places because of its training and its tasks for the person with disabilities. No one is allowed to tell you to leave because your dog is not wearing a vest nor are you allowed to bring a pet dog (a dog not trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with disabilities) into a store because it has a vest.