Trooper's Journey

Therapy dogs are dogs who go with their owners to volunteer in settings such as schools, hospitals, and nursing homes. From working with a child who is learning to read to visiting a senior in assisted living, therapy dogs and their owners work together as a team to improve the lives of other people.

Therapy dogs are not service dogs. Therapy dogs need to pass the Canine Good Citizen test from the American Kennel Club (AKC) and work with an organization that oversees their visits. The Canine Good Citizen test consists of 10 tasks that the dog must be able to pass to ensure that they are an outstand dog citizen, people and dog friendly, and listen to basic commands without needing to receive a treat. Therapy dogs have good behavior in public and do not shy away from people. They learn to be comfortable with medical equipment and greet everyone in a room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Service dogs are dogs who are specially trained to perform specific tasks to help a person who has a disability. An example of a service dog is a dog who guides an owner who is blind, or a dog who assists someone who has a physical disability. Service dogs can help with all sorts of disabilities, they are not limited to physical disabilities and blindness. They can help individuals with Autism as well as individuals with psychiatric disorders. They can help individuals with Epilepsy, Diabetes, and other medical conditions by alerting the handler to a variety of changes that dogs can sense. Service dogs stay with their person and have special access privileges in public places such as on planes, restaurants, etc. Therapy dogs do not have the same special access as service dogs. It is unethical to attempt to pass off a therapy dog or companion animal as a service dog for purposes such as flying on a plane or being admitted to a restaurant.

 

It is also important to know that services provided by websites such as the US Service Dog Registry where you enter information and receive a vest and identification card are not valid ways of obtaining service dog access. Service Dogs are required to go through thousands of hours of training and must pass several tests to be able to legally have public access. Service Dogs need to meet very high standards and requirements. Service dogs are not a glorified way of having your dog with you everywhere you go. Service dogs are essentially a piece of medical equipment. They are there to provide specific tasks to help mitigate a disability.   

 

This information came from the American Kennel Club (AKC) and our personal experience.