Many of us enjoy and are comforted by our dog’s continuous company. With their loyal dispositions and eagerness to participate in whatever we’re doing, dogs provide us with fun and emotional support. The notion that these naturally occurring qualities of the pet dog somehow entitle him to the appellation “service dog” is both naïve and inappropriate.
The vest-seekers never want to know how to actually train an authentic service dog. On occasion, they might inquire about “certification,” but their eyes quickly glaze over at the complexity of the task. No, no, no. Just give me the vest.
I’ve seen the service dog moniker subjected to a full spectrum of abuse: from the housewife who wants to keep a poodle in her purse while shopping, to the inebriated man belligerently insisting he and his dog be admitted to the county fair. In the latter case, not only was the man drunk, but his dog was off-leash, hiking his leg on everything and growling at passersby. His homemade “service dog” vest had been cut from an old shirt.
Service dogs perform actual, specific tasks for people with disabilities: signal dogs for the deaf, guide dogs for the blind, assistance dogs for those in wheelchairs, alert dogs for insulin-dependent type 1 diabetics, seizure response dogs, assistance dogs for persons with certain psychiatric disabilities, and medical alert dogs. These are not pets - they are highly trained, working partners that have been liberating people with disabilities since World War 1.
The homemade “vesters,” claiming bogus disorders while masquerading their untrained pets as service dogs are no different from those who fake a condition in order to park in handicapped zones. Bolstered by phony websites professing that any dog can be declared a service dog - hey, all you need is a doctor’s note! - they threaten to erode the access to public places legitimate service dog organizations have fought so hard to earn. http://www.ada.gov/qasrvc.htm
Most real service dogs have been carefully selected by professionals for their suitable temperament, health and aptitude for their necessary work. They have received intensive training, often completing a 2-year training program before being assigned to their person. It is a painstakingly sophisticated process and it’s unconscionable to think one can simply slap a T-shirt on the family dog and stride through any public place with impunity. It devalues the work of true service dogs.
Can you train your own service dog? Yes. Maybe. I respect anyone with a genuine need for a service dog who seeks to legitimately elevate their dog’s status from pet to service animal. Contact the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners http://www.iaadp.org (IAADP) for information.
The process http://www.iaadp.org/iaadp-minimum-training-standards-for-public-access.html outlined by the IAADP is extensive and time-consuming. Dogs must have a solid temperament, impeccable manners and be proficient in basic obedience. They must receive a minimum of 120 hours of schooling with 30 hours dedicated to working in public places under the supervision of a program’s qualified trainer http://www.assistancedogsinternational.org/Standards/TrainersStandards.php and perform at least three identifiable physical tasks Click Here for the benefit of the disabled partner.
See also:
- Traditional Tasks performed by Guide, Hearing and Service Dogs http://www.iaadp.org/tasks.html,
- Tasks for Service Dogs for Persons with a Psychiatric Disability http://www.iaadp.org/psd_tasks.html
- The Delta Society’s Minimum Standards for Service Dogs http://www.deltasociety.org/Document.Doc?id=170
I’m not the only one plagued by the vest-seeking crowd. People with real service dogs http://anewscafe.com/2008/04/30/one-smart-dogby-darcie-gore/ are regularly tormented with “You’re so lucky, I wish I could take my dog everywhere,” “Can I pet your dog?” and of course the dreaded, “where do I get one of those vests?”
What’s behind this casual and intrusive attitude toward service dogs? Thirty years ago, the only service dogs most of us encountered were Guide Dogs http://www.guidedogs.com/site/PageServer assisting the blind. We instinctively knew it might be rude or even harmful to distract a blind person with questions about his or her dog and back then, predominant service dog breeds were impressive, formidable-looking German shepherds and Labradors whose sheer size often commanded respect.
Not so anymore. With the advent of innovative organizations like Dogs for the Deaf http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org/ who evaluate and adopt shelter dogs into their training programs, the service dog field now employs all manner of breeds. It is common in public and social arenas to see “Everydogs” performing a wide range of tasks and assisting people with a much larger variety of disabilities. Hence they frequently look like the pets we have at home. Since not all disabilities are obvious, the public has developed a false sense of familiarity, even entitlement, regarding service dogs.
This new attitude is aggravating. Yes, a modern-day service dog might resemble “Benji,” but when you stop to consider his skill level, he’s no less impressive and formidable than his heroic predecessors. Although his human partner may not be blind, it is still impolite and sometimes dangerous to interfere with the pair’s routine. Those relying on service dogs for their freedom often find themselves forced to run the gauntlet of curious strangers http://mytimeoflife.blogspot.com/2009/09/warning-frustration-ahead.html every time they leave the house. As a side note, while many people with disabilities find constant overtures exhausting, the opposite may be true of “vesters,” who seem to crave the attention generated by being in public with their pets.
If you’re smitten by the sight of someone with a working service dog, offer the team a smile and keep moving. Play with your own dog and be thankful you have the luxury of enjoying her as a delightful companion.
As a dog fanatic, I’d love to see pet dogs welcome in more places throughout the community. If you agree, then take steps to change public opinion about dogs by training your own, picking up after him, teaching him the skills to be a good canine citizen http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/program.cfm and courteous neighbor. And please, don’t call him a service dog if he isn’t one.
Resources: Canine Companions for Independence - http://www.cci.org/site/c.cdKGIRNqEmG/b.3978475/k.BED8/Home.htm Delta Society http://www.deltasociety.org/Page.aspx?pid=302 Dogs4Diabetics http://www.dogs4diabetics.com/index.html Dogs for the Deaf - http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org/ Guide Dogs for the Blind www.guidedogs.com. International Association of Assistance Dog Partners - http://www.iaadp.org
Carla Jackson is a certified pet dog trainer who owns and operates Jackson Ranch for Dogs, a kennel-free dog boarding and training facility. Carla specializes in private training/behavior consultations for the family dog.
For a complete introduction to dog training, check out Cari Bowe’s and Carla’s DVD, “Your Family Dog, Leadership and Training,” an interactive DVD featuring over 60 locally owned dogs learning new behaviors in beautiful Shasta County locations. The DVD provides valuable tips for daily living, guidelines for solving common behavior problems and the essential skills needed to teach your dog basic commands.
The DVD is now available at many local veterinarian offices and through dogwise.com or jacksonranchfordogs.com
Carla, as a disabled person that teams with my service dog, Bailey, I
can’t thank you enough for this article. A couple of things I
would like to add:
1) No matter what the reason, passing off any dog that is not
specifically trained as per the Americans with Disability Act, state,
and local laws is illegal (a federal offense) and carries Federal
penalties. I believe the fine is $2,500 but it may have recently
gone up to deal with this problem.
2) A therapy dog, one that does visits to hospitals, schools, etc. Is
NOT a service dog and does not have the same public access rights or
requires anywhere near the same training. While Bailey happens to be
both, the function and focus is totally different.
Bailey is a whippet so people often ask, “Where did you get her
jacket?” Or “I bought or made a service jacket for my dog for those
times I don’t want to leave him at home.” It makes me want to
scream! It certainly makes public access for those of us that
have registered service dogs more difficult. If I don’t need to use the scooter that day, I am stopped more often, because Bailey doesn’t look like
the “typical” service dog.
Any disabled person would trade their challenges in an instant for not
having the “privilege” of having a dog with them 24/7. Remember,
while service animals provide invaluable service, it is also a
tremendous responsibility to make sure the animal is safe, comfortable
and all their needs are met in a bazillion different environments
(loud, quiet, hot, cold, hard floors, stairs raining, long periods at
stay, traffic, distractions, crowded stores, cars, buses, elevators,
etc.)
Thanks again, Carla you don’t realize how much good you did today –
especially in this paragraph;
“If you’re smitten by the sight of someone with a working service dog,
offer the team a smile and keep moving. Play with your own dog and be
thankful you have the luxury of enjoying her as a delightful
companion.”
Normally, comments would only be posted from Glenbrooke residents; but since this article appeared on Anewscafe, there were several excellent questions from Stasia that I felt were worth sharing.
·From Stasia
·Thanks for the story on a interesting issue. I wonder if there aren’t more implications… could snakes, birds, pot-bellied pigs, etc, also be considered service animals, in that they provide companionship and emotional support? I suspect all you would have to do is find the right doctor to provide the note. (Just imagine what meeting that person in the grocery store might be like.)
Also, does a service animal designation allow someone to ignore landlord requirements, like a no-pets rule?
This was an interesting idea to think about. Good work.
From Darcie
·To Stasia
If snakes, birds, pot-bellied pigs, etc, could be TRAINED to perform
TASKS for the person that mitigates their disability, they could be a
service animal. They would have to follow all the same rules.
Companion/emotional support animals are NOT service dogs.
ADA and Fair Housing ensures that a disabled person is not
discriminated against because they need a service animal.
stasia Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Darcie: Thanks for the reply.
So the critical issue is performing tasks? I say this because I remember reading a story about a boy with autism (and I might/probably have the details wrong) who had a dog that his family considered pivotal to the improvements in his social interaction. But it sounds to me that the dog was merely a calming influence. Would this dog be allowed on a city bus, a grocery store and school?
Again, I think this is a fascinating topic. And by the way, I have a terrier adopted from the shelter who has no function other than to sleep on the couch and bark at the occasional cat.
Darcie Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Yes, it is the TASKS they perform, Check out this site for more info on service dogs for those with autism.
http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/233
Carla Jackson Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Darce, it appears we were responding to Stasia’s question at the same time! I like your link better - thanks.
Carla Jackson Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Hi, Stasia,
Dogs for the Deaf has just recently expanded its training program to include Autism Assistance Dogs for children and families living with autism. It’s a very new program and while it’s true the dogs do provide comfort and a feeling of safety, they too, are highly trained to perform specific tasks. Here’s a link to the Autism Program page on the Dogs for the Deaf website: http://www.dogsforthedeaf.org/autism_assist_dogs.php
Thanks for reading!
Carla
Reply
Carla Jackson Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Oops, I forgot the other part of your question! Yes, the dog would be allowed on buses and in grocery stores IF he/she had been certified for public access.
Being what you would obviously call "uninformed about service dogs" except for the blind, this article has been an eye opener. When I first saw Darcie with her service dog at the Lodge, I, in all honesty, wondered why she had one. She looked pretty normal to me! (~_~) Then one evening at the "Happy Hour" meeting I saw her dog (Bailey) work...pretty amazing to say the least. Of course since then I have become better informed and now know why Darcie needs Bailey. OK Darcie, now you answer a question for me. Why didn't Bailey alert you to the current medical problem...or did Bailey try to and you just didn't read it? I'm thinking Bailey did his job.