Service Dog – Active Task
A service dog is a well behaved, non-aggressive dog trained specifically to mitigate a disability. A service dog must be “task trained”, which means that the dog is an active participant in mitigating a disability of its effects. For example, a dog can be specifically trained to alert a person when their blood sugar is high or low and then stabilize their handler physically or behaviorally. Another example includes a child or adult with autism has a tendency to run and the dog can be trained to physically prevent them from running by perhaps laying down across their lap to reduce their cortisol or ward off a meltdown. The dog could also be trained to track their owner. The key is that the dog performs a trained task as communicated by their owner through verbal commands or hand signals or they do the task automatically.
Service dogs undergo one to two years of training in order to perform the tasks and to ensure adequate public access exposure so that they’re non-reactive to their surroundings and can be in any venue. Aggression of any type is unacceptable.
The dog should be between 3-6 feet of the handler and needs to be able to move independently in case they need to retrieve an item or open a door. They should does not need to be restrained on a leash and should not be approached or pet by anyone other than their handler while the dog is working and wearing a vest.
The rights of a trained service dog are protected by the ADA provided they are with their trainer.
Psychiatric Service Dog
A psychiatric service dog is a specific type of service dog who mitigates the effects of a psychiatric disability. These dogs are “task trained” and are active participants. Typical tasks include guiding a distraught owner during a panic attack to a safe location, applying deep pressure by laying across the owner’s lap or blocking other people from approaching the owner. No aggression or excessive vocalization should be permitted, except as required to mitigate the owners disability.
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Medical alert dogs
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Autism service dogs
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Hearing Dogs
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Guide dogs for the blind
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The difference between service and therapy dogs
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