Debunking Service Dogs
There are a lot of misconceptions that I’ve heard when it comes to service dogs, especially in the US, so I will be going over some of these and explaining things in more depth for those that don’t know much about service dogs. If you know about some of these, then that’s great! If you didn’t know about some of these, then I hope this was helpful! I will be specifically naming a bunch of things I have heard in the past and will be explaining why they are not true.
(Also yes, I understand that some of these may seem ridiculous, but I figured I’d cover all of my bases, especially since I’ve actually heard most of these before.)
This is going to be quite long, so buckle up!
Most of what I will be going over is as it applies to the US (as I am a US based handler and know US laws the best).
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Only blind and deaf people can get service dogs.
This is far from true! Service dogs can help people with a variety of disabilities, from mobility issues to epilepsy. These dogs are able to sense chemical changes within their handlers’ bodies and alert to them. They help them walk for longer periods of time without other mobility aids. They can help their handlers when they faint, and even help with handlers’ flashbacks and panic attacks.
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Fake service dogs can be recognized by what they’re wearing and what their handler looks like. (Patches, vest, leash, etc.)
There is actually a lot more to it than that! Generally you cannot identify a fake by looks. Some teams can not afford much more than a vest with two patches that only say “service dog” or “do not pet.” I was one of those people; especially when Charlie was still going through growth spurts. To this day I will sometimes just take him out with a vest that just says “do not pet” for sake of simplicity. There aren’t patches that identify whether or not a SD is fake. Even fakes may have the more “real” looking patches (whatever that means). Real SDs may also not even be wearing anything as it’s not required in the US!
You can’t always tell just by looking at the handler either.
Some handlers have disabilities that are completely invisible, and sometimes, handlers can’t hold the leash or the leash interferes with tasks. When I can’t hold my SDs leash, I just drop it, and sometimes when I’m feeling faint, I drop the leash so if I out, my dog doesn’t get hurt. There are even people that have more visible disabilities that may have fake service dogs.
Fakes are generally identifiable solely by their behaviour. They may bark and growl uncontrollably, bite, pull on the leash, refuse to heel, completely ignore their handler’s directions, be far away from their handler sniffing something at the end of the leash, urinating or marking things in the store, sitting in a cart, and displaying anxious behaviours. It’s also important to note that service dogs are not allowed to be aggressive. If a dog is uncontrollably lunging, barking, growling, and snapping at someone while wearing a service dog vest, it is not a service dog.
Sometimes, dogs are trained well enough where you can’t even tell too! It’s all a pretty grey area which sometimes makes it hard to tell.
However, it’s important to that sometimes dogs have off days, but generally speaking, they will still be very well behaved. My SD has off days and sniffs things, or gets startled and will let out a bark; he is still able to be redirected most of the time, if not every time.
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Small dogs can’t be real service dogs, you can tell if a service dog is fake if it’s small.
There are actually very commonly small service dogs as well! If someone doesn’t need any mobility tasks, they may not need or even want a big dog. They might have a Pomeranian or miniature poodle instead. Small dogs can still perform many tasks despite how small they are. They can alert their handler to seizures, allergens, and syncope. There are a lot of amazing examples of small service dogs!
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Police dogs (and personal protection dogs) are a kind of service dog.
Police don’t have service dogs, as their dogs don’t perform tasks to directly mitigate disabilities that they might have. Instead, police K9s perform protection work, sniff out dangerous substances, etc. Even though service dogs can be trained to do these things as well, it is largely frowned upon to train a service dog in personal protection.
The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) does not protect dogs that are trained to attack people as an act of protection. Although the ADA doesn’t prevent people from training their service dog dogs to do protection work, it does not protect them; if one’s service dog is also a trained personal protection dog, businesses are legally permitted to exclude them from the premises. Under the ADA, it states that service dogs are permitted to provide only minimal protection which can mean blocking people with their bodies to prevent them from getting too close to their handler or watching people that are behind their handler.
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Therapy animals and ESAs are allowed to go everywhere with their handlers.
This is not the case. Only service animals are permitted to accompany their handlers everywhere. ESAs are only permitted to accompany their handlers on flights and in no-pet housing per the ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act) and FHA (Fair Housing Act). Therapy animals are only permitted to accompany their handlers to places such as nursing homes and hospitals, however, this is only with the proper permissions.
ESAs can be any animal, and therapy animals’ species is also wider than that of service dogs. In the United States, only dogs and miniature horses are permitted to be service animals. Some states may widen this by including other animals such as cats, but the majority of the time this is not the case. Other countries also have a wider array of species permitted to do service work, but this varies.
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The ADA is the universal law for all North American countries.
This is not the case! The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act, and ONLY applies to the USA. It is a federal law, so it does overrule state law, but this is ONLY in the US. Let’s say a state in the US says you need a certification. This federal law says no certification is required, so that overrides the state law. This is the only way that this act is universal. It is universal in that it covers everywhere in the USA. It does NOT apply to Canada, it does NOT apply to Mexico, etc. Please do not push the ADA onto everyone, as it’s hard to know where someone is from without them telling you. Try to figure out where they’re from first (country wise), so they might be directed to their own country’s set of laws. ^-^
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Service dogs have to be certified.
Nope, there is generally no such thing. Online registries and certifications are ploys for money. They do NOT give animals the right to accompany you in public! Nor does buying a vest that says “service dog” on it! Using these certifications as an excuse to do so is illegal!
You must qualify as disabled by a medical professional, and have your dog properly public access and task trained in order to be allowed to bring the dog with you. Even so, the dog must have the proper temperament, be in good health, and want to work in public.
There are, however, certifications that are required for service animals to travel to other places, such as European countries. These certifications are through Assistance Dogs International (ADI). In other countries, handlers may even have a certificate for their animal, but this is not generally the case in the US.
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Only Labs, Goldens, and Poodles can be service dogs.
Some dog breeds are better suited for service work than others. There is a “fab four” for a reason! But it is not true that only certain breeds can end up as service dogs. Any breed of dog (if the dog is cut out for it) can be a service dog.
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Any dog can be a service dog.
This is only partially true. It is true that any breed of dog can be a service dog, but not any individual dog. In order for a dog to thrive as a SD, they need to be in good health and have the proper temperament for it. Some dogs are much too anxious for service work, some are too fearful and reactive, and some may have health issues of their own. In these cases, it is unethical to work the dog.
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Service dogs never get a break and hate working; working a service dog is AbUsEe!
Service dogs love to work; for a dog to be a service dog is the ultimate privilege. They get to go everywhere with their favourite person and help them all the while! Working excites them. Working gives them purpose. Not to mention, working gets them treats and love from their all time favourite person!
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People with service dogs are lucky.
Service dogs are a privilege and a luxury, never a necessity, so in that regard, those with service dogs are somewhat “lucky” to be able to afford to have a dog to help them. However, those with service dogs have life altering disabilities and are unable to live a safe and independent life on their own. A service dog is what grants this independence. Are they then lucky that they have a disabling condition that grants them the ability to have a service dog?
Having a service dog is also very similar to bringing a toddler everywhere with you. It’s not fun, nor is it trendy. You constantly have to look out for your dog, as well as yourself, but many times, the benefits these dogs may offer for their handlers outweighs the many detriments.
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Because I have a disability, that means I can get a service dog!
There is a lot more to it than that. Disabilities can be treated by other means, and a service dog should be closer to a last-resort treatment option. Speak to a doctor before deciding that you are disabled and would benefit from a service dog!
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Resources for more information:
Service dogs and protection dogs
Comments (2)
Amazing post! Very informative
Thank you!