Do you know the difference between a service dog, emotional support dog (ESA), and therapy dog?
Many people use the terms interchangeably when in fact, the laws surrounding each one and training for the dogs is very different. Jen Hagarman, Wilde Acres’ resident service dog expert, breaks it down:
Service Dogs
A service dog is a dog that has been trained to perform at least three tasks to help a person with a disability. A person who chooses to utilize a service dog is protected under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) to have their trained dog in public places with them. The key word here is trained. People trying to pass off their untrained dog as a service dog has become a huge problem over the last few years, so much so that many businesses now question legitimate service dogs. This makes it extremely frustrating for those who truly need a service dog to navigate their daily life.
Under the ADA, a service dog is considered an assistive device, like a wheelchair or crutches. The training that a service dog goes through is more intensive than a therapy or emotional support dog because they are accompanying their handler to a wide range of environments.
Think about all the places you visit in a week: grocery stores, doctor’s appointments, to restaurants, on public transportation, maybe even to a sporting event. Then think about more unique places you might go, like to a concert, to the beach or to a big party. A service dog needs to be comfortable going to all those places, which is why it is recommended that training starts as a puppy so exposure and socialization in as many environments is possible.
What about breeds? Any breed can technically be a service dog, but there are definitely breeds that have been found to work out better, such as the Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever. Those breeds generally love to work, are food motivated, social, easy to train, and have the temperament that goes with service dog work.
Examples of tasks that dogs can be trained to perform are picking up dropped items, opening/closing doors, assisting with balance for walking, providing extra space around the handler’s body when in crowded spaces, deep pressure, and alerting to noises–just to name a few. Just because you want to be able to take your dog everywhere with you and it makes you feel better doesn’t make your dog a service dog. If that’s what you’re looking for, consider an Emotional Support Dog.
Emotional Support Dogs
An emotional support (ESA) dog is similar to a service dog but is not covered under the ADA and does not have public access rights to accompany their person into public places. An ESA can be trained to perform tasks to help their person but that is not necessary for the designation.
For some people, just having their dog with them is enough emotional support, even if the dog doesn’t do any physical tasks. For others, their ESA is trained to help physically by performing similar tasks to a service dog, like lying on them to calm down from a panic attack. While an ESA doesn’t have public access rights, they are covered under the federal Fair Housing Act, which means they are allowed in housing even if pets are not. A note from a doctor or mental health professional may be required to prove the need for an ESA. Since an ESA is not accompanying their person in public, the training can be more suited to the person’s needs in the home. Good overall obedience and manners are never a bad thing for any dog to have!
Therapy Dogs
A therapy dog assists groups of people in settings such as nursing homes, hospitals, libraries and times of trauma where the comforting effect of a dog is beneficial. While a therapy dog should have some basic obedience training and be extremely friendly with people and other dogs, they don’t need to go through extensive training like a service dog.
There are national organizations that register dogs as therapy dogs and each organization has their own requirements and guidelines. Most do require some form of testing of the dog and handler to assess the dog’s temperament, obedience, and handler’s aptitude at controlling their dog. The benefit of registering with a national organization is having liability insurance that covers you and your dog in the event that something happens.
I personally did therapy dog work and my dog and I were registered through a national organization while also being a part of a local group. The local group had a relationship with numerous nursing homes, libraries, and schools so once my dog and I were certified, we had many options of where to visit. If you have a dog that loves people and is relatively calm around other dogs, therapy dog work might be an option for you!
