For a while now, service dogs have been helping people with disabilities carry daily tasks, with the goal being to keep individuals safe. Any dog can be turned into a service dogs – and can be registered as such with the official organization if they meet certain requirements. In addition, there are certain legal benefits that owners of service dogs can take advantage of.
About Service Dogs
Service dogs to be individually trained in order to perform tasks to help people who are disabled. The American with Disabilities Act describes service dogs as a trained and certified dog which is provided to individuals who are disabled.
Service dogs are able to provide help when it comes to navigation, assist individuals who suffer from seizures, dial 911 in case of an emergency, and calm individuals who suffer from PTSD. Many people who suffer from disabilities rely on service dogs to help them perform daily tasks.
Service dogs have legal benefits, including:
- They must be allowed to enter any public area
- Landlords must allow them – without charging extra rent
- Airlines have to allow them to fly for free
- They are allowed in the dining area of restaurants
Difference from Emotional Support and Therapy Dogs
Service dogs are different from emotional support dogs and therapy dogs, both when it comes to the tasks they can perform, but also in regards to their legal benefits. Emotional support dogs have to provide comfort to individuals, and they don’t require formal training – as any-tempered dog can become an emotional support dog if they can provide comfort.
Similar to service dogs, emotional support dogs, are allowed to travel on planes, and they have to be allowed by landlords to live with their owner for free. However, that’s as far as their legal benefits go.
Therapy dogs on the other hand have no legal benefits – they can be denied from apartment buildings, airlines, restaurants, and public areas. They offer help to individuals who suffer from physical or mental health issues, often times assisting people who are dealing with stress or trauma. Similar to emotional support dogs, therapy dogs don’t require any formal training.
Registering Service Dogs
While the American with Disabilities Act does not ask service dogs to have any specific training in order to wear that label, there are some requirements when it comes to registering the dog with the United States Service Dog Registry.
Dogs have to go through a minimum of 120 hours of training, with the process taking at least 6 months. In addition to that, 25% of the dog’s training has to take place in a public setting. When the dog is able to perform the tasks required, they are eligible to be registered with the United States Service Dog Registry, with the process being free of charge.
Is certification necessary? Getting a certification for the service dog is technically not a legal requirement, but it could help eliminate issues that might arise in public places. Getting a certification for the service dog can also be done through specific organization related to various disabilities.
Additionally, while also not a legal requirement, having a letter from the doctor which states the disability that the individual suffers from and a health certificate from the veterinarian stating that the service dog is in good health could come in handy.
Alternatively, service dogs can also be certified online by paying a fee. Once the dog is certified, the owner will be provided with a certificate, ID badges, and also a vest for the dog.
Training To Become A Service Dog
Any dog can become a service dog if trained properly. If the dog is intelligent and has a proper temperament then half the race is already won. Of course, they have to respond to basic commands, this being a prerequisite for service dogs. They would have to follow simple commands such as “stay”, “sit”, “come”, etc. In addition, certain dogs might respond better to hand commands rather than verbal commands, while others might be trained to respond to a combination of both.
Many dogs are specifically bred in order to become service dogs, with dogs trained by organization costing as high as $25,000. Owners can train their own dogs and then register them personally, however, many organization train dogs and then they place them with clients, this being a popular procedure.
However, there is also another popular procedure that has risen in the past few years. Given the fact that getting a dog from an organization can take a while (as a result of long waiting lists), and the fact that they can get expensive, some owners seek professional help in order to train their own dogs to help them with their daily tasks. Organizations such as Assistance Dogs International can provide help in finding trainers and can make owners aware of the laws involving service dogs.