5 Things You Didn’t Know About Service Dogs

Sep 13 • 2 minute read

September is National Service Dog Month! To honor all service animals, we are sharing 5 facts about service dogs to level up your knowledge on these devoted critters!

Service dogs are task trained to assist handlers with disabilities so the handlers can lead more independent lives. Only service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and must be allowed in public places such as restaurants, grocery stores and on public transportation.

There is NO certification for a service dog. Service dogs may be trained professionally or by their owners to learn how to assist disabled handlers. They must do at least one specifically trained task to assist their owner/disabled handler and be well behaved in public in order to mitigate the impact of that person’s disability.

Service dogs do not have to wear a vest or any other kind of identification. A common misconception is that service dogs have to wear identification such as a vest. This is not required under the ADA. However, many handlers choose to use a vest because it makes access easier.

There is no breed or weight restriction to a service dog. Any size or breed of dog can be a service dog. Some dogs are more appropriate for tasks than others. For example, it is not practical for a French Bull Dog to pull a wheelchair but they might be able to serve as an alert dog for allergens in food or a hearing alert dog that lets their hearing-impaired owner know when the doorbell or phone rings.

Dogs are the only animal recognized as service animals. However, miniature horses are sometimes allowed in certain circumstances as long as the facility can accommodate the miniature horse’s type, size, and weight. They must also perform at least one specifically trained task to assist a disabled owner and are protected under the ADA. Other animals such as cats, reptiles and birds would be considered emotional support animals and are not protected under the ADA.

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