Service dogs bring benefits to many individuals’ lives; these animals are highly trained to help with the specifics of an individual’s disability. If you are interested in adding a service dog to your life or want to learn more about what it takes to be a service dog, then you should begin by reviewing service dog requirements. Our article will give you insight into the actions service dogs perform, the basic requirements needed to be a service dog, and the protected rights that your service dog will have when accompanying you in public.
What Do Service Dogs Do?
Service dogs aren’t uncommon, many individuals may associate service dogs with guide dogs for the visually or hearing impaired. However, service dogs can be beneficial for a number of different disabilities or conditions. They are typically divided into three different categories: mobility assistance dogs, medical alert dogs, and psychiatric service dogs.
Mobility assistance dogs are service dogs that help with guidance, balance support, and other tasks that individuals with visual, hearing, or mobility impairment may need assistance with. Medical alert dogs perform tasks like allergy detection or alerting their owners to the onset of seizures, blood pressure drops, and blood sugar spikes. Psychiatric service dogs are utilized to help individuals manage mental health conditions or disabilities such as anxiety, PTSD, depression, OCD, or sensory disorders.
Depending on the specific disability they are being trained to help with, service dogs may learn a variety of tasks that include: retrieving medications and water or phones, guiding their owners, interrupting negative behaviors or providing distractions, and supporting their owners with their bodies. Many service dogs are also trained with very specific tasks that help the nuances of their owner’s disability, as no one individual or service dog is the same.
How Do I Get a Service Dog?
The first step in obtaining a service dog is speaking with your doctor or mental healthcare provider. They can help you determine if a service dog is a good addition to your treatment plan and whether or not you will be able to properly care for a service dog. After you have been approved for a service dog, you can start the process of finding an organization to adopt a fully trained service dog from; or you can consider adopting a dog from a shelter and training it yourself. Be sure that when adopting a dog from a shelter you pay attention to their temperament and history, as some dogs are better suited to service dog work than others.
How Much Does a Service Dog Cost?
If you choose to adopt a fully trained service dog from an organization or foundation dedicated to training service dogs, you may end up paying between $15,000 and $30,000 upfront for your companion. This cost varies based on the breed of dog and the various special or complex tasks that your service dog might need to perform.
Keep in mind that insurance rarely covers the cost of a service dog, though health plans differ. If you are having trouble coming up with the finances to fund your service dog adoption, you may be able to benefit from scholarships or other foundation grants that provide service dogs to individuals in need. Research local and national organizations around you to learn more about your specific options.
Basic Service Dog Requirements
When it comes to service dog requirements, the most important requirement is that your dog is trained to perform tasks that help relieve symptoms related to your disability. They may only perform a handful of tasks for you, or they may have a large repertoire of tasks that they provide assistance with.
Additionally, there are a few things you should keep in mind about what makes a good service dog a good service dog. This is especially important if you plan on adopting a dog and training them yourself.
Training
Service dog training is what makes these dogs stand out from the pack. In order for a dog to be classified as a service dog, they must make it through service dog training that is often adapted with your disability in mind. This training can be difficult, keep an eye out for dogs that are more eager to please, those with a higher intelligence, and those that love to work alongside their humans. These are all great choices when it comes to learning new things and building on basic obedience tasks to learn complex service dog tasks.
Training a dog you adopted can be more of a time and patience commitment. It may take months, even years depending on the tasks your dog needs to perform. Adopting a fully trained service dog can help you cut down on how long training takes, as you will be able to pick from dogs who are already undergoing service dog training, though you will still likely need to participate in the last stages of your dog’s training.
Temperament
The temperament of your service dog is very important, and service dogs need to be intelligent, well-socialized, and well-behaved. If you are training your own service dog, it’s a good idea to have them complete the Canine Good Citizen test to ensure they are able to go out in public without issue.
While any breed or age of dog can become a service dog, dogs that are eager to please their owners and willing to learn new things are especially suited to service dog work. Your service dog should be focused on you the entire time they are working, and they shouldn’t be easily frightened or aggressive.
Size and Strength
The size and strength of your service dog matters depending on which tasks you need completed. Service dogs that need to perform mobility or balance support tasks should be larger and have the strength to support their owner. The same is true of guidance dogs. Some service dog tasks can be completed by smaller dogs, as long as they have the skill and strength needed to easily complete these tasks on a regular basis.
Does My Service Dog Have Legal Protections?
Once you have a service dog, it is important to understand the legal protections that apply to you and your dog. Americans with Disabilities Act
The Americans with Disabilities Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation when it comes to the rights of individuals with disabilities. Under this act, individuals are allowed to take their service dog with them into public spaces, even those that don’t typically allow dogs such as restaurants, malls, and retail stores. The only exception under this act is religious buildings, and you will need to check ahead of time whether or not your service dog is allowed in.
It’s important to note that the Americans with Disabilities Act provides more details on what animals count as service animals – only trained dogs and, in some circumstances, miniature horses, are allowed to be qualified as service animals, and these animals must be trained to perform specific disability-related tasks for their owner.
Fair Housing Act
The Fair Housing Act is another essential piece of legislation for individuals with service animals. Under this act, you have the right to live alongside your service animal in any suitable apartment or housing area, and landlords will need to make reasonable accommodations for your service animal. You will also not be required to pay pet rent, pet fees, or security deposits for your service animal.
Air Carrier Access Act
The Air Carrier Access Act is the legislation that allows you to travel on an airline with your service animal in the passenger cabin with you. You should keep in mind that while this act prevents discrimination and the separation of individuals from service animals, every airline is allowed to handle their registration policies differently. You will need to check directly with the airline you are flying with to book tickets and inform them of your service dog’s presence before boarding your flight to ensure travel goes smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Service Dog Requirements
Service dogs and their requirements often leave people confused or wondering about the best way to identify their service dogs. We have some answers to frequently asked questions about service dog requirements below so you can put any remaining worries or confusion to rest.
Do I Need a Vest for My Service Dog?
While many individuals choose to identify their service dog with a vest or harness, this isn’t necessary. The Americans with Disabilities Act only requires that individuals train their service dog and answer the following two questions when asked:
- Is this dog a service animal?
- What work or tasks has this dog been trained to perform?
Marked harnesses, leashes, vests, or other identification paperwork isn’t necessary, and individuals are not allowed to ask you and your service dog to otherwise prove their training. Being denied entry into certain places after refusing to produce any of the above is likely a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Can My Service Dog Be Turned Away?
Your service dog is legally allowed to access many different places while at your side, and service animals are rarely allowed to be turned away. However, if your service dog is out of control, aggressive, destructive, or dangerous, establishments are legally allowed to deny entry. Landlords are also allowed to deny accommodations to service dogs exhibiting this kind of behavior.
Do I Need to Register My Service Dog?
You do not need to register your service dog in any database or obtain official identification papers for your assistance animal, though many individuals choose to do this anyway. Having your dog officially registered can help provide you with easily accessible information about them if needed, and you can keep documentation of your service dog like this for your own records.
Where Can I Take My Service Dog?
Both federal and state regulations protect public access and housing rights for your service dog, and you can take your service animal into any public or private space regardless of animal restrictions. Religious buildings may be the only exception to this rule, and it’s always important to ensure you can enter a building with your service dog beforehand.
Do I Need to Show Proof That My Dog Is a Service Animal?
You do not need to show proof that your dog is a service animal, as this is not required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. You are required to answer questions about whether or not your dog is a service animal and the tasks they have been trained to perform, but you will not need to elaborate further or demonstrate these tasks. You can consult the Americans with Disabilities Act for more information on your public access rights.
Should I Train My Own Service Dog?
Whether or not you train your own service dog is a personal decision. Training your own service dog takes a significant time commitment, and you must be able to train your dog consistently each day. You will need to teach them basic and complex tasks, and any dog you adopt for service dog training needs to be intelligent and possess the temperament for service dog work.
That being said, training your own service dog can help strengthen the bond between you and your service dog in addition to being a more cost-effective way to add a service dog to your treatment or disability management plan.
What Is the Most Important Service Dog Requirement?
The most important service dog requirement that every service dog must meet is being trained to complete tasks that are directly related to their owner’s disability. These tasks must help relieve the symptoms of a disability or mental health condition, or they must be a way for the individual to access items or places in a way they wouldn’t normally be able to without the assistance of their service dog.
Other than this, your service dog may be any breed, age, or size, and they may be self-taught or professionally trained. What matters is that they are around to help improve the daily life of an individual with any disability.
Understanding Important Service Dog Requirements
Service dogs are beneficial companions to many, and these wonderful working dogs are often highly trained and skilled at the work they perform. If you are interested in adopting a service dog or training your own service dog, it’s important that you understand the basic requirements for assistance animals.
Review our article above for details on service dog requirements and speak to your doctor or mental healthcare provider to learn more about the potential for adding a service dog to your disability treatment or care plan.