HOW TO SPOT A WORKING PUP:

A GUIDE TO GUIDE DOGS

For as long as most of us can remember, the canine has been widely accepted as being “man’s best friend.”  Our dogs accompany us in our daily lives, offering support, enthusiasm, and a whole lot of love. In certain cases, however, these intelligent animals are able to offer their owner so much more than meets the eye.

At Your Service: THE ROLE OF Service AnimalS

For owners who live with a disability, service animals play a vital role in them being able to lead more fulfilling, dignified lives. According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a “service animal is a dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability.” Dogs are unique in that they are the only creatures currently recognized as service animals; although miniature horses can also offer assistance, dogs have their own strict qualifications and have become increasingly popular in the disabled community. Because a “disability” is defined as a physical or mental impairment that significantly limits a major aspect of a person’s life, service dogs are always allowed to accompany their owner in areas where pets are not normally permitted, such as restaurants, malls, and even the cabin area of an airplane.

Born & Bred FOR THIS: SPECIES OF Service ANIMALS

The three kinds of service animals include: guide dogs, hearing dogs, and service dogs. Guide dogs, as the name suggests, guide the visually-impaired throughout their day as they navigate the world. Similarly, hearing dogs help to alert deaf or hard-of-hearing people to sounds they should be aware of, like a knock at the door. Service dogs help those with other disabilities; for instance, individuals in wheelchairs or those diagnosed with autism could benefit from owning a service dog. It is important to remember that not all disabilities are obvious upon first glance. Some service dogs are there to alert their owner about an oncoming seizure, low blood sugar, or even an anxiety attack for those who live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Common breeds of service dogs include: Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, border collies and poodles.

HOW Can My Mutt Become a Service Dog?

Well, service dogs don’t come cheap, and for good reason, too. Training for service dogs is a strict, serious business. The dropout rate for service dog school can be as high as 70 percent because the animal must be able to perform a set of skills at the drop of a hat, regardless of the distractions in their environment. Every dog must be trained in the tasks that are specific to the handler’s disability and lifestyle, and they must always be house-trained and behave well in public, according to ADA standards. Training can last 2 years or more to ensure that the animal is trained to focus on their handler and ignore the public. 

Service dogs trained by an organization can cost about $25,000, due to the two years of training and care by the organizations that breed them. Owners can decide to take part in the training process rather than purchase a fully-trained dog from an organization, but owner-trained service dogs are not inexpensive either when you consider the price tag for professional training and daily expenses.

MAN’s BEST SUPPORT SYSTEM: HOW Dogs Make A Difference

Now that we outlined the importance of service dogs, it is important to distinguish between these animals and emotional support animals, as they are often confused with each other. Although pets can be a wonderful presence in our lives, “the crime deterrent effects of an animal’s presence and the provision of emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship are not considered work or tasks,” according to the ADA.

Service dogs perform specific tasks to help their owner cope with a disability, whereas therapy dogs offer delight and emotional support to anyone from sick patients in the hospital to college students during finals week. Therapy dogs are allowed to be more friendly and outgoing, yet are able to remain calm and comfortable in a variety of settings. They are made for loving and petting. Support animals offer comfort and make us less lonely, making them helpful to those struggling with depression, anxiety, or other disorders. Since these dogs are not limited to working with disabled folks, they are not covered by federal law and are therefore not service animals.

SERVIcE DOG FAKERS, Beware: THE DANGERS OF Doggy Deception

Since service dogs have a more unrestricted access to public spaces, dog owners will often fake service dog credentials in order to keep their pet by their side. Not only is it unethical to purchase a fake “service dog” vest for your pooch, this action puts real service dogs at risk. Service dogs in public are actually on the clock, working to assist and watch over their owner, thus there is real danger in distracting them with an untrained animal or uninvited petting. 

That’s right, animal lovers, you must resist the urge to pet that adorable pup walking down the street, unless the owner has specifically expressed permission. You would not want to be responsible for causing harm to a disabled person simply because you wanted to get handsy with their canine companion.

For more information about obtaining your own service dog, visit the ADA National Network: https://adata.org/factsheet/service-animals.

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