Service Dog Training

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Emotional Support Animals can be any animal. They provide comfort to a disabled handler, do NOT have public access rights granted by Federal Law, do NOT have specific training to mitigate a disability, and have access to accompany a disabled handler on Aircraft via the Air Carrier Access Act. There is NO CERTIFICATION for emotional support animals, all online registries are scams intending to rip off disabled individuals- please do not support them! The only necessiy for any animal to be an emotional support animal is a letter written by a doctor on the letterhead of their practice stating the need for the emotional support animal. I provide basic obedience training for all mammals and avians acting as ESAs. Contact me for rates.

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Therapy dogs can be owned and handled by anyone with or without a disability. They provide comfort and emotional support for people in a variety of venues, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, and court rooms. They MUST be licensed by a group that standardizes training and acceptable behavior for these dogs. They do NOT have public access rights- their handler MUST call ahead and receive permission even from the places where they will be working, and they are not allowed in stores and other locations normally off-limits to pets. They have ZERO Federal legal protection. I provide obedience training for Therapy Animals. Contact me with the name of the organization you wish to certify with to talk about your options- some certification organizations require that you work only with an evaluator/trainer certified by their organization.

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Service Dogs are trained specifically to mitigate their handler's disability, or in special circumstances, the disability of the handler's child or adult dependent, with at least one trained task. By definition, according to both Federal and State law, emotional comfort and support is NOT a trained task and does NOT make a dog a Service Dog. Additionally, by legal definition, natural alerts do NOT make a dog a Service Dog- the alert MUST be shaped to allow for consistent communication to the handler every time the alert is given. Disabled individuals have the right, via the Americans with Disabilities Act, to be accompanied by their Service Dog anywhere open to the public that is not a sterile environment, the most common exceptions being kitchens and operating rooms. Disabled Individuals have the right to be accompanied by their Service Dog on aircraft, via the Air Carriers Access Act. There is NO national registry for Service Dogs, and state registration is OPTIONAL [but may net you a discount on local rabies registration, check local law for both state and county to see if this is applicable to you]- this has been publicly addressed by the Department of Justice. I have experience training Service Dogs for a variety of needs, both for in-home use only and for public access work- contact me for rates.

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According the ADA, Service Dogs must be housebroken, must not show aggressive behavior while working, and must be trained to mitigate a disability by performing at least one trained behaviour. The fourth REQUIREMENT is that the dog must be in the company of a disabled handler, whom the dog works for. Faking your dog as a Service Dog is a Federal offense, on top of just a horrible move in general- pets, even well-trained pets, often cannot handle the stress of working in public for prolonged periods and endanger the public as well as legitimate Service Dog teams [even mild misbehavior can and HAS resulted in businesses illegally denying service to the next legitimate teams to visit]. I will not be party to assisting anyone in faking a disability just to bring Fido with them everywhere- leave your dog at home, or find pet-friendly venues instead of breaking the law, please.