Facts About Service Dogs!
- A Service Dog has been specifically trained to do work or perform a task for the benefit of an individual with a disability. A Service Dog can be any breed or size.
- A disability can be a physical or mental condition that substantially limits a major life activity. Some disabilities may be visible such as mobility impairment, while others are not obvious to an outside observer, such as a psychiatric condition such as PTSD or autism.
- A Service Dog can be trained to perform a wide range of tasks depending on the needs of the person with the disability.
- Special laws apply to Service Dogs. People with Service Dogs have Civil Rights protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
- The ADA requires businesses and places of public accommodation to admit persons with disabilities who have Service Dogs to their premises. They have access to nearly every place where the general public is welcome, including buses, trains, airplanes, restaurants, grocery stores, theaters, public schools, hotels, taxi cabs, etc.
- Service Dogs are NOT pets! Therefore, local laws that restrict pets from restaurants, housing, theaters, etc. do not apply to Service Dogs.
- Handlers of Service Dogs must obey local leash and vaccine laws and must have their dogs under control at all times.
- If a Service Dog barks, growls, or whines, it may be that somebody stepped on the dog’s tail or the dog may be responding to a Handler’s medical condition.
- If a customer complains about a Service Dog being present, the staff is required to explain that the dog is medically necessary and that Federal Law permits people with Service Dogs to have full access to public places.
- When encountering a Service Dog, speak directly to the Handler. Do not touch the dog without permission, offer the dog food or drink, or ask personal questions about the Handler’s disability. Do not be offended if the Handler does not wish to talk about the Service Dog.
- There is no requirement that the Handler carry any certification papers. You may not ask the person about the nature or extent of the disability. You may only ask two questions:
- Is the dog a service dog required because of a disability?
- What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?
Service Dog Cost!!!
- Average Service Dog Training Costs
- $25,000 to $60,000
- This does not include veterinary expenses, specialized equipment, food, bones, and toys.
- The process of selecting and training service dogs is extensive and time consuming. It requires specialized trainers with expertise and understanding the needs of individuals with disabilities and training the dogs accordingly.
- It generally takes 2 – 3 years to train a service dog to mitigate a handlers disabilities, as well as extensive public access training to avoid being removed.
- Service dogs MUST have exceptional obedience to mitigate their handler’s disability in public settings.
- Their public access behavior HAS to be spot on, as well as tasking the handler in distracting environments.
- Training time is also dependent on the individual dog’s learning rate and maturity.
- Most commercial and government health insurance — including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare program — won’t cover the cost of acquiring a service dog.
What is a Service Dogs?
Paws 4 Peace Definition
ADA Definition
- Certified service dogs are working animals that are considered a medical device with fur. They must remain behaviorally stable in a wide range of environments. They must be free from aggressive behavior and non-reactive to the public including other animals, humans, transportation vehicles, objects, and are neutral to sights, sounds, and scents.
- Service dogs are quiet, calm, gentle, and well mannered. They are skilled and certified in basic to advanced obedience as well as specific disability tasking behaviors. The dog must be able to remain focused, attentive, and dedicated to their handler. Service dogs are healthy, clean, well-groomed, and free from parasites.
- They are NOT afflicted with transportation motion sickness.
- They do NOT bark in public unless it is task specific.
- They are housebroken!!
- Service animals are defined by the ADA as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.
- ADA defines service animals are working animals, not pets! They assist individuals who suffer from:
- Visual or hearing impairment
- Psychiatric disorders such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), Autism, etc
- Mobility Impairment
- Diabetes, Epilepsy (alerts)
Types of Service Dogs P4P Trains!
Psychiatric
Autism Spectrum Disorder Assistance Dog
- Psychiatric service dogs are trained to assist their handlers with psychiatric disabilities, such as:
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Depression
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
- Bipolar
- Service dogs help mitigate these challenges:
- Interrupting anxiety/self harm behaviors
- Examples: Skin picking, tantrums, etc.
- Anxiety pre-alerts
- Anxiety calming support
- Social Skills Support
- Sensory Support in public
- Social Support in public
- Social Distancing
- Alerting to a stranger behind you
- Autism involves cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges.
- Service dogs help mitigate these challenges:
- Interrupting anxiety/self harm behaviors
- Examples: Skin picking, head banging, tantrums, etc.
- Anxiety pre-alerts
- Anxiety calming support
- Social Skills Support
- Sensory Support in public
- Social Support in public
Medical Alert and Response
Mobility Assist
- Dogs demonstrate the ability to pre-alert to a medical condition and/or respond to a medical crisis.
- Dogs can communicate to their handlers in various ways:
- Pawing, barking, nose touch, head resting
- Can be trained to set off panic response devices to dispatch EMS
- Mobility and Brace Dog
- Dogs, have a mobility harness, specialized to balance and stabilize the handler’s movements.
- Wheelchair Assist Dog
- Retrieves objects
- Opens doors
- Turn on and off lights
- Open drawers, cabinets, fridges, etc.
How do I apply to the program?
- Step 1: Fill out a contact form
- Step 2: Fill out the service dog application and the Medical Professional Questionnaire.
- Step 3: In person interview
Paws 4 Peace will determine the appropriate breed and age. We prefer to work with puppies or young dogs. Paws 4 Peace determines the selection of the dog.
Please note if you have a dog you want to be considered as a service dog, contact us for a REQUIRED pre-evaluation.
