Our dogs are extremely important parts of our daily lives. They follow our commands, work with us in various capacities, and听act 补蝉听faithful companions. Studies have shown that听dogs provide . Service dogs have these abilities, combined with training to perform 蝉辫别肠颈蹿颈肠听tasks for individuals听with disabilities.听
顿耻谤颈苍驳听the last decade, the use of service dogs h补蝉听谤补辫颈诲濒测听expanded. However, more problems have arisen, and these may be caused by a听lack of听understanding of听service dog training, working听functions, and听access to public facilities. In response,听AKC Government Relations听is working with members 听of Congress,听regulatory agencies,听leading service dog trainers and providers, and transportation and hospitality听industry groups听to find ways to address these issues.听
The benefits service dogs can provide also continue to expand. In the 1920s, a service dog was typically a guide dog, assisting an individual with a visual or hearing disability. German Shepherd Dogs were commonly used as guide dogs. Today, service dogs belonging to many different breeds are trained. They perform a variety of tasks to assist disabled individuals.
What Is a Service Dog?
础鈥�service dog鈥痟elps a person with a disability to lead a more independent life. According to the鈥� 鈥�(ADA), a听service dog is 鈥渁听dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.鈥�听
鈥凄颈蝉补产颈濒颈迟y鈥� is defined by the ADA听as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including people with history of such an impairment, and people perceived by others as having such an impairment.鈥疶he ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications.听
A service听dog听is trained to听take a specific action that helps an individual with a disability participate in daily life more fully. The task the dog performs is directly related to the person鈥檚 disability.听For example, 听help blind and visually impaired individuals navigate their environments.听
Hearing dogs help alert deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to important sounds.听Mobility dogs听assist individuals who use wheelchairs or walking devices or who听have balance issues. Medical alert dogs might also听signal the onset of a medical issue such as a听seizure听or听low blood sugar,听alert the user to the presence of allergens,听and serve many other other functions.听
Psychiatric service dogs听assist听individuals with听disabilities听such 补蝉听obsessive-compulsive听disorder,听post鈥�traumatic听stress听disorder,听schizophrenia,听and other听conditions. Examples of听work performed by psychiatric service dogs could听include听entering a dark room and turning on a light to听help with a stress-inducing condition,听interrupting an individual鈥檚 repetitive听behaviors,听and reminding听a person to take medication.听
The ADA considers service dogs to be primarily working animals that are not considered pets.听
Common Service Dog Breeds
Service dogs can range from very small to very large. The dog听must be the right size to comfortably听and effectively perform the tasks needed. For example, a Papillon wouldn鈥檛 be an appropriate choice to pull a wheelchair, but they could make an excellent hearing dog. On the other hand, larger breeds like Great Danes, Saint Bernards, and听Bernese Mountain Dogs have the height听and听strength necessary to听provide mobility assistance.听
Poodles, which come in听Toy,听Miniature, and听Standard听varieties, are particularly versatile. A Toy Poodle听puppy听can听begin听early scent training听games in preparation for the work of alerting听on听blood sugar variations, while听a larger Standard Poodle puppy may learn to activate light switches听and听carry objects.听The most common鈥�breeds听trained 补蝉听guide dogs are鈥�Labrador Retrievers,鈥�Golden Retrievers,听and听German Shepherd Dogs. 听
maintains a breeding program for Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers. The predictability of dogs in a breeding program yields听improved results.听According to Canine Companions, 鈥淥ur breeding program staff checks each dog鈥檚 temperament, trainability, health, physical attributes, littermate trends and the production history of the dam and sire. Only then are the 鈥�best of the best鈥�听chosen.鈥�
听maintains a breeding program and also听obtains听puppies that are sold or donated by purebred breeders.听Using primarily Labrador Retrievers,听NEADS 鈥�works closely with reputable breeders to determine whether their puppies are appropriate for our program based on the temperament, health and behavioral history of both the dam and the sire.鈥� NEADS also听selects听alert, high-energy dogs听from animal shelters and rescue groups听as candidates for training 补蝉听hearing听dogs.听
Regardless of breed听or mix, the best service dogs are handler-focused, desensitized to distractions, and highly trained to reliably perform听specific tasks. They aren鈥檛 easily听diverted from their tasks听at home or in听public, and they remain attentive and responsive to their owners听while听working.听
Is a Dog in a Vest a Service Dog?
Although听some听service dogs听may wear vests,听special听harnesses, collars听or tags, the ADA does not require service dogs to wear vests or display identification.听Conversely, many dogs that do wear ID vests or tags specifically are听not actual听service dogs.听听听
For example, Emotional Support Animals (ESAs)听are听animals that provide comfort just by being with a person. But because these dogs are听not trained to perform a specific job or task听for a person with a disability, they do not qualify as service听dogs听under the ADA.听听听
The ADA makes a distinction between psychiatric service听dogs and emotional support animals. For example, , 鈥淚f the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal. However, if the dog鈥檚 mere presence provides comfort, that would not be considered a service animal under the ADA.鈥�听
ESAs听are not allowed access听to public facilities under the ADA. However, some听state听and local governments have enacted听laws that allow听owners听to take听ESAs听into听public places.听ESA owners are urged to check with their state, county, and city governments and to ask for up-to-date information on听permitted and听disallowed听public access听for ESAs.听听
Owners of ESAs may be eligible for access to housing that is not otherwise available to pet dog owners. Access to housing and other public spaces for ESAs can vary by location and destination, and these rules are subject to change. ESAs are not eligible for special accommodation in air travel.听 听听听
Therapy dogs听provide opportunities for petting,听affection, and interaction听in a variety of settings on a volunteer basis. Therapy dogs听and their owners听bring听cheer and comfort to hospital patients, assisted living center听residents, stressed travelers in airports, college students听during exams, and听in听other听situation where听friendly,听well-trained dogs are welcome.
Therapy dogs are also used to relieve stress and bring comfort to victims of traumatic events or disasters. Many groups that train therapy dogs or that take dogs on pet therapy visits have matching ID tags, collars, or vests. Like ESAs, therapy dogs are not听defined as service dogs听under the ADA, do not听receive access to public facilities, are not eligible for special housing accommodations, and do not receive special听cabin听access听on听commercial flights.听听听
Courthouse dogs are another category of dogs that听sometimes wear vests or may display听other听forms of identification. However, courthouse dogs听are not service dogs.听Several states have enacted measures that allow a child or听vulnerable听person听to be accompanied by a听courthouse, facility, or therapy dog听during trial proceedings. The rules and requirements for use of courthouse dogs vary from state to state, and additional states are considering enacting similar laws.听
Courtroom dogs are not protected under the ADA. These dogs are not eligible for听special housing听accommodations or听cabin听access听on commercial flights. 鈥淔acility dogs鈥� are a growing category of therapy dogs that may work in a specific institutional setting such as a school, courthouse, or healthcare facility. 听听
Where to Find a Service Dog
Professional听service dog training听organizations and individuals听who train service dogs听are located throughout the U.S. They work to train dogs听to perform a skill or skills specific to a handler鈥檚 disability. As part of their training, service dogs are taught听public access skills, such as house training, settling quietly at the handler鈥檚 side in public, and remaining under control in a variety of settings.听听听听
Professional service dog听trainers听have high standards for听their dogs, and the听drop-out rates听for service dog听candidates can run as high as 50% to 70%. Fortunately, there are often long lists of available homes for dogs that don鈥檛 make the cut.
Both non鈥�profit and for-profit听organizations听train听service dogs. The cost of training a service dog can exceed $25,000. This听may include training for the person with a disability who receives the dog and periodic follow-up training for the dog to ensure working reliability. Some听organizations provide service dogs听to听disabled individuals听at no cost听or may offer financial aid for people who need, but cannot afford, a service dog.听 Other听organizations听may charge听fees听for a trained dog.听
Persons with disabilities听and听those acting on their behalf are encouraged听work with an experienced, reputable听service dog听organization or trainer. Carefully check out听the organization, ask for recommendations, and make an informed decision before听investing funds or time to acquire a trained service dog.听
How to Train听Your Own Service Dog
听The ADA does not require service dogs to be professionally trained. Individuals with disabilities have the right to train听a听service听dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog听trainer or听training program.听
A service dog candidate听should:听
- Be calm, especially in unfamiliar settings
- Be alert, but not reactive
- Have a willingness to please
- Be able to learn and retain information
- Be听capable of听being听socialized to many different situations and听environments
- Be reliable in performing repetitive tasks听
Individuals who wish to train their听own service dogs听should first听work with听their candidate dog on听foundation skills. Start with听house training,听which听should听include听eliminating waste on command in different locations. Socialize听the听dog听with the objective of having听them remain on task in the presence of unfamiliar people, places, sights, sounds, scents, and other animals.听Teach the dog to focus on听the听handler and ignore听distractions.听
The听蜜桃视频 Canine Good Citizen听program can provide guidelines and benchmarks for听foundation skills. Another good source for learning foundational puppy raising skills for working dogs is the 鈥�.听In addition to socialization and basic obedience听training, a service dog听must be trained to听perform听work or听蝉辫别肠颈蹿颈肠听tasks听to听assist听with a听disability.听
Under ADA rules,听in听situations where it is not obvious that听a听dog is a service animal,听only听two听questions may be asked:听
- Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
- What work听or task has the dog been trained to perform?听
The听reply to the second question听must听affirm that the service dog h补蝉听been听trained to take specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability.听
The Epidemic of Fake Service Dogs
Federal laws provide special accommodations to the disabled and limit the questions that may be asked about听disabilities.听Unfortunately, some people may fraudulently misrepresent their dogs as service听animals.听听
This harms the truly disabled,听confuses the public, and听affects听the reputation of legitimate service dog users.听Even worse,听a poorly-trained fake service听animal听can be a danger to the public and to real service dogs. In response听to this growing problem,听the American Kennel Club issued a policy position statement called 鈥�.鈥�
Many state and local governments听share this concern and have introduced laws听that make it an offense to misrepresent a service animal. As of May 2022, the AKC Government Relations team has been tracking more than 150 laws related to this matter since 2016.
In 2016, the听Association of Service Dog Providers for Military Veterans created 鈥淐GC Plus,鈥�听a minimum standard for training and behavior for the service dogs their members provide to veterans.听CGC Plus mandates that dogs pass the AKC听Canine Good Citizen,听Community Canine, and听Urban CGC听tests,听plus demonstrate proficiency in performing three randomly selected specific services听for a disabled person. The 2016 federal听PAWS bill incorporated the 蜜桃视频 CGC into service dog requirements for Veterans鈥� Administration-funded dog.听听听
State and local governments听continue to听introduce and pass laws听that make it an offense to misrepresent a service animal. In 2018, 48 measures were introduced to听address fake service animals.
The AKC听also听works听with the , a charitable not-for-profit organization comprised听of听major service dog groups, service dog access providers, advocates for the disabled, service听dog听trainers, and policymakers听seeking to听improve access for听legitimate听service dog听teams听while听incentivizing high-quality听behavioral standards for all service dogs, and educating the public about the crime of service dog fraud.听听听听听听
ASDAC is building an 鈥渙pt-in鈥� service dog credentialing system, , that will streamline the air travel process for service dog teams while also reducing the challenges faced by gatekeepers when working to accommodate them. SDP will provide airlines with relevant information to easily identify valid, well-trained service dogs while also providing service dog teams with increased comfort and confidence to travel by plane.
Service dogs are more than pets and more than companions. The important听work they do enhances independence for children and adults with physical, cognitive, and developmental disabilities, and improves the everyday lives of thousands of people across the country.