History

• According to the Americans with Disability Act (ADA, 1990), all institutions serving the public, such as hotels, restaurants, retail stores, theaters and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against people with a disability. The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animal, or in this case, service dog onto the business premises into whatever area customers are generally allowed. Service dogs are trained to perform tasks that physically or mentally disabled individuals cannot perform without assistance.
  
  

Function

• Service dogs are trained to perform tasks related to the handler's disability. According to the ADA, a disability is a mental or physical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, such as performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing and working. The value of a service dog climbs steadily for the handler as the service dog assumes responsibility for tasks they can no longer perform. Service dogs perform many tasks including pulling a wheelchair, alerting its handler of danger, assisting its handler with dressing and undressing, and much more.
  
  

Types

• The value of a service dog is measured by the service dogs ability to perform the daily tasks for which it was trained. Therefore, dogs are carefully selected for service dog training and cannot have hyperactivity or aggression issues. There are many types of service dogs assisting the disabled today. These include: mobile assist or mobility dogs, which assist those who are physically challenged; guide dogs, which assist its handler by serving as eyes for the legally blind; and hearing dogs, which alert its handler of sounds like a ringing phone or a visitor at the door.
  
  

Training

• Training duration varies from training program to training program. Many trainers claim it takes 4 to 12 months of intensive training to turn out a strong service dog. Some programs will train the dog and bring the dog to the handler to put the finishing touches on their part of the training and transition the dog into its new home. The ongoing training and reinforcement is the responsibility of the handler. Other training programs will set up training dates where the prospective handler comes to the training facility to work with the dog to facilitate a smooth transition from training facility to its new home and handler.
  
  

Considerations

• A disabled person can get a service dog through a number of organizations throughout the United States. Selecting an organization should be done with equal parts research and consumer gut instinct. Some organizations breed, raise, train and match dogs with the individuals who need them. Other organizations solely train the dog for the handler or assist the handler with the training. Certification does not determine a dog's suitability for training or service. Certifying a service dog is not a legal requirement by the ADA, but is preferred by many handlers. Some service dog training programs evaluate dogs they have trained and provide the handler with a service dog identification card.