There is a Difference

I want to talk about service dogs for a minute.  Since we started our service dog journey there seems to be some confusion about the role of a service dog or the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog.  Some people appear to use the terms interchangeably.  Let me clarify, because there is a difference.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a service dog as "individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities."  Examples can include leading someone who is blind, alerting a person who is about to have a seizure, calming a person with PTSD or many more.  A service dog should not be looked at as a pet, as they are a working dog.  The tasks the dog has been trained to do must be directly related to their owner's disability.  If the sole purpose of the dog is to provide comfort or emotional support, they do not qualify as a service dog under ADA standards.  

I like to use the graphic above as a good reference for people.  Charlie will be getting a true SERVICE DOG, listed in the left hand column of this graphic.  His dog will be specifically trained for his needs, the dog will be covered by ADA- meaning Charlie will be able to bring his dog wherever he goes, including restaurants (man oh man it will be nice to hopefully eat out as a family!).  Charlie cannot be denied access to places in public strictly because he has his dog.  If he is denied access, the establishment doing so could face penalties or fines.  

Now, the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog...when you think therapy dog, think of the sweet natured dogs they sometimes bring into nursing homes, schools, or hospitals to provide comfort and relief to those people.  Therapy dogs are not covered by the ADA.  Yes, they need to be able to tolerate a variety of experiences and environments, and likely have been through obedience training.  But they generally provide support to a numerous people, not just one specific person.

There are also Emotional Support Animals.  These animals are also NOT covered by ADA and may not even have any training.  But their primary purpose is to provide emotional support through their companionship with their owner. These animals are usually utilized by people to help alleviate symptoms of a mental health or psychiatric disability.  Some people using Emotional Support Animals use dogs, some use cats, or other types of animals as well.  

Again, Charlie's dog will be specially trained for his needs.  Some things he is needing include calming or preventing self harm during a meltdown, help ease anxiety, help with sleep, waking him in the morning (man, mornings are tough at our house....ha, and so are nights!) and transition from task to task.  These are just a few ideas we have in mind.  We know there will be more tasks added to the list as we talk more with the trainer.  

We hope this helps clarify the difference between a service dog and a therapy dog.  We look eagerly ahead to this week when we will be meeting with our trainer again and moving forward to have a dog trained for Charlie!