What is a service dog?

By legal definition, a service dog is one specially trained to lessen the effect(s) of a disability. This includes -- but is not limited to -- disabilities such as: visual, hearing, mobility, seizure, and "invisible" disabilities that are debilitating but not necessarily obvious to the public.

Service dogs are legally guaranteed access to all public places, transportation, and lodging. They cannot be denied access unless they are disruptive (ie. aggressive, destructive, or out of control) or will cause a fundamental change in how the business operates (ie. sterile operating room, etc.). Service dog access laws supersede public health codes in relation to restaurants, grocery stores, etc.

Guide dogs for the visually impaired have been around for decades, but it's only in the last twenty years or so that service dogs have become widely used for other disabilities. (And "Seeing Eye Dogs" are dogs from a particular school. Not all guide dogs are "Seeing Eye Dogs." The proper term is "guide dog.") Service dogs do a wide variety of tasks, including guide work, mobility and wheelchair assistance, seizure alert and hearing alert.

While the four most common breeds used for service work are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, German Shepards, and Border Collies, many breeds have been used as SD's from toy breeds all the way up to Newfoundlands and Mastiffs. You don't need a Newfie to tell you the doorbell's ringing, and a Yorkie can't pull a wheelchair (although it could retrieve dropped keys for someone confined to one!).

There are approximately 150 organizations that train service dogs for the disabled, many more private trainers who work independently and countless owners who have "self-trained" their dogs to perform specific tasks. There are pro's and con's to all. With a large organization, there are waiting lists averaging from two to five years, but many are non-profit and do not charge for their dogs, the dogs have been thoroughly screened and trained, plus they usually offer follow-up assistance and help for the recipient. Private trainers can be expensive, but they can custom tailor a program for the specific needs of a disabled person. Unfortunately, many dogs wash out before they can become service dog material, and a disabled person might go through several dogs before finding one that is right for the work. Self-training is difficult, and also runs the same risk of washing out several dogs before finding the right one. But for the disabled person who is able to self-train and has experience training, it can be a good choice. (Usually, people who self-train have very good mobility or caregivers to help out, have had one or more service dogs in the past and have had some training experience, even if only with their own dogs.)

Service dog etiquette:

NEVER pet, call, talk, feed, whistle to, or otherwise distract a service dog or dog in training. To do so can potentially injure a disabled handler and earn the dog a correction.
IGNORE a service dog or puppy in training. Remember, they are NOT pets; they are either doing or being trained to do a very important job.
If you feel you must pet a service dog or puppy in training, ASK first. And do not feel offended if the handler says no. The dog (or handler) might be having a bad day, or might be in a hurry. Remember, a service dog is as vital to a disabled person as a wheelchair or cane. You wouldn't ask to pet their wheelchair or get mad if they wouldn't let you pet their cane, would you? :) And keep in mind that you are probably the fifth or twenty-fifth person to ask that day, and the handler might be really tired and want to get their errands finished.
Train children to NEVER pet a strange dog -- ANY dog -- without first asking permission. Teach them to follow your lead.
Remember, a service dog is not a pet. But it has a far better, more rewarding and more enjoyable life than any pet dog could ever wish for. It's with the person it loves all day long, it gets to go everywhere it's owner goes, and because it's a working dog it usually gets more exercise and better food and medical care than most pet dogs do because a disabled person can't afford for their assistant to be in ill-health! Plus, many of the breeds of dogs used for service work were originally bred to be working dogs, so they are doing what is in their blood.

I'm a service dog -- read why I'm so special!

I'm a service dog, and that makes me special. I get to go everywhere with my human partner so I can help if I'm needed. I'd like to tell you about my wonderful, exciting life!

I went to a special puppyraiser's home when I was just eight weeks old. My puppyraiser taught me manners and obedience. I was socialized in lots of interesting places where I learned to ignore other people and concentrate on behaving correctly. I stayed with my puppyraiser until I was old enough to go to "puppy college," which the humans call advanced training.

In advanced training I learned to do special things to help the partner I hadn't even met yet. I learned to pick things up and return them to my partner. I learned to open and close doors, and turn lights on and off. I learned to get things off high shelves. I learned to put my feet on a counter with money in my mouth in case my partner needs help paying for purchases. I even learned to pull a wheelchair in case I would ever be needed to do that. I learned the names of some important things, like the phone. All my partner has to say to me is, "Get the phone," and I run and come back with the phone in my mouth.

When I was really good at all those skills, I met my partner who then had to learn how to command me to accomplish such tasks. My partner had to learn to be my leader, and I had to learn to do what I was told by another person. It was hard work to go through Team Training together, but we did it. Now we are a real team. We go everywhere together.

We're going to be partners forever. We love each other and depend on each other. We play together and have fun, but when it's time for me to work, I'm ready. I'll bet I've picked up my partner's keys a million times already, but I love doing it. I'm always with my partner, and I never get stuck alone at home. Being a service dog is the best life a dog could have! I'm really lucky to be one!