Service dogs are highly trained canines who assist people with a variety of mental, emotional, and physical issues. They can help calm their handler, serve as a guide, fetch medications, open doors, and turn on lights. The number of tasks a service dog can provide is nearly endless.
Could you benefit from a service dog? That depends on your lifestyle and health profile. Continue reading to learn more.
Differences Between ESAs, Service Dogs, and Therapy Dogs
It’s important to note the difference between service dogs, emotional support animals (ESAs), and therapy dogs, as they each have different purposes, legal standings, and training requirements.
The Americans with Disabilities Act defines service dogs as those trained to assist one individual (their owner or handler) through tasks related to that specific person’s disability. A suitable service dog:
- Must be highly trained in obedience
- Will often possess a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate
- May or may not be certified through a professional training organization (you can even train your own service dog!)
- Has their access to public spaces legally protected by federal law
An ESA is not legally the same as a service dog. Typically, these dogs do not have the same specialized training as service dogs, and they’re not welcome in most public spaces. Yet, the Fair Housing Act protects ESAs from landlords’ restrictions and fees.
Finally, there are therapy dogs. A therapy dog provides comfort and emotional support for many people, rather than just their handler or owner. These calm canines:
- Must be highly trained in obedience
- Will often possess a CGC certificate
- May or may not be certified through a professional training organization
- May travel to nursing homes, schools, disaster zones, and any number of places where people require comfort and support
Therapy dogs’ access to public spaces is not legally protected but is permitted by individual institutions, such as hospitals.
5. Types of Service Dogs
If you have a disability, your specific situation will dictate what type of service dog could benefit you. Different types of service dogs include:
1. Psychiatric Service Dogs
These canines help their owners navigate many conditions, including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and autism. Tasks may include providing deep pressure therapy, providing a handler with personal space, and waking their handler during night terrors.
2. Mobility Service Dogs
Mobility service dogs assist individuals with issues regarding balance, such as paralysis, arthritis, and vertigo. A dog may be trained to help their handler by:
- Supporting their handler’s balance while walking
- Getting beneath their handler to lift them after a fall
- Retrieving and carrying items
- Opening doors, cabinets, and refrigerators
- Turning on and off lights
3. Visual Guide Dogs
Visual guide dogs aren’t exclusively for blind individuals. They can also help those with impaired vision, whether permanent or temporary. These dogs require highly advanced, professional training to truly meet their handlers’ needs, which means being able to:
- Ensure their handler avoids bumping into anything, including overhead obstacles
- Alert to stairs and steps
- Ignore commands that put their handlers’ safety at risk
4. Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing Dogs
These pets assist individuals with hearing loss. Assistive tasks may include:
- Alerting to a doorbell or knock at the door
- Alerting to their handler’s name being called
- Waking their handler when an alarm goes off
- Retrieving or alerting to a ringing cell phone
5. Medical Alert Dogs
Medical alert dogs, including German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers, and other working breeds, commonly assist individuals with various medical conditions. These can include diabetes, seizures, and fainting disorders. These dogs are specially trained to notice changes in their owners’ heart rate, blood sugar levels, and hormone levels, then alert them to an impending medical emergency.
What to Know Before Getting a Service Dog
Once your doctor or psychiatrist has signed off on a service dog, there are a few different routes you may take depending on the time and money you’re prepared to spend. Here’s what to know about:
Purchasing a Trained Adult Dog
By far the most expensive option is to purchase a service dog who’s already been professionally trained. However, this is the best option for handlers who lack the vision, mobility, or cognition necessary to contribute to the dog’s formative training.
Hiring a Professional Trainer
Hiring a dog trainer is slightly more cost-effective. However, you run the risk of investing in a dog who may “flunk out” of the training program. No dog has a 100% chance of graduating as a service dog. But, you can increase the odds by adopting or responsibly buying a dog well suited to the particular tasks they’ll need to learn.
Training Your Own Dog
The least expensive (but most time-consuming) route is training your own dog, whether a brand-new pup or your longtime pal. The earlier you begin, the better, starting with basic obedience and working your way up to service tasks and public access manners. This takes commitment and patience. Luckily, there’s a wealth of information on the internet with the guidance you’ll need!
Regardless of which route you take, you’ll need daily practice with your new service dog to become a successful team. Remember, he’s your living, breathing partner, not a programmed robot. Extend grace to your canine companion, and the love, friendship, and service he’ll provide will benefit you for years to come.
