Service Dog. Therapy Dog. What's the Difference?

I met a man today who takes his dog to area nursing facilities for animal-assisted activities ("pet therapy"). We were
talking about our dogs and he said his "service dog" didn't have to be trained! Obviously he is confused about the appropriate title for the role his dog plays. His dog is a "therapy dog," although not a trained or certified one.

Therapy dogs are dogs that visit people in healthcare institutions, schools, etc. and are encouraged to interact with people for the therapeutic benefit. These dogs have had some basic training and should be tested for suitability for the job. They should also be free of contagious disease and current on vaccinations.

Service dogs, on the other hand are dogs which have undergone extensive training to help mitigate the effects of an individual's disability. Unlike therapy dogs, service dogs should not interact with the public - at least while working, as this distracts them from their work.

Ginger, therapy dog visits with a resident in a long term care facility

There is a vast difference, not only in the amount of training, but also in the type of work performed by therapy dogs and service dogs.

What is a Service Dog?

A service dog is a type of assistance dog that has been specially trained to help mitigate the effects of one individual's disability. The disability can be physical or mental, visible or "invisible." Invisible disabilities refer to disabilities that are not generally visible to others, for example, mental illness or chronic fatigue syndrome.

Visible disabilities include conditions which affect strength and mobility such as multiple sclerosis or muscular
dystrophy. A disability under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 refers to a mental or physical condition which substantially limits an individual's ability to participate in one or more life activities.

Service dogs perform tasks such as retrieving items, opening doors, pulling wheelchairs, providing support for balance. The tasks the dog is trained in depends on the need of the individual the dog is trained to assist. Service dogs and their owner/handlers work as a team and are generally referred to as "partners."

Opal demonstrating clothing removal

The individual with a trained service dog is permitted under the ADA to take the dog with him or her in public where
dogs are usually not allowed. So long as the dog is under control in public, the individual may not be asked to leave.
Federal law does not require service dogs to be certified or individuals with service dogs to have a vest or identification for their dogs. Further, businesses may not legally ask for identification.

The only questions that business representatives may ask of people with service dogs is whether the dog is a service dog and what tasks the dog has been trained to perform. It is not legal to ask about an individual's disability.

Opal, certified service dog, on down/stay

In 2010 the Department of Justice issued a clarification about breed specific legislation with regard to service dogs, but that did not stop the small town of Aurelia, Iowa from trying to ban Jim Sak's service dog that happens to be a pit bull mix from the city. The city threatened to seize and destroy the dog if Sak did not relocate the dog outside of city
limits. Sak, with the help of Animal Farm Foundation relocated the dog temporarily until a federal judge ruled to return the dog to Sak.

Retrieving is an important task for service dogs to learn and master

What is an Assistance Dog?

The term "assistance dog" is often used interchangeably with "service dog." Assistance dogs, according to Assistance Dogs International (ADI) include hearing dogs, guide dogs and service dogs. Service dogs include, but are not limited to mobility assistance dogs, seizure response dogs and dogs for children with autism.

What is a Therapy Dog?

In direct contrast to a service dog, with which the public should not interact, a therapy dog is a dog whose job it is to interact with the public.

Therapy dogs are dogs which may be pets or animals from a local humane society that have been identified as being "good around people and other dogs."

These dogs may or may not be certified. There are programs and organizations such as Pet Partners (Delta Society), Therapy Dogs International (TDI) and Canine Connection's Positively Trained Certified Therapy Dog Program that have programs for registering or certifying therapy dogs.

Wrigley, Canine Connection Positively Trained Certified Therapy Dog

Dogs that are able to perform basic behaviors such as sit, down, stay and come, as well as exhibit a love of people, friendliness around other dogs, a tolerance of loud noises and medical equipment may be tested and "certified" or "registered" as therapy dogs. These dogs must also be healthy and current on vaccinations.

Therapy dogs must love people and enjoy interacting with them

Therapy dogs visit nursing centers and hospitals and participate in reading programs at libraries. Children may feel more comfortable reading to a nonjudgmental dog than a teacher or parent. When therapy dogs visit residents in nursing centers or patient in hospitals, they may provide diversion and company or they may be used in physical or occupational therapy as part of a formal treatment plan.

While many institutions allow pets to visit that are not certified therapy dogs, certification provides some assurance that the visiting dogs are safe and healthy because they have passed a qualifying examination and are current on their vaccinations.

What is a Working Dog?

I was recently in the pet store where I was having a discussion with another customer about my dog Opal who is a service dog. The man ask ed what kind of service she provides. "Search and rescue?" he asked.

I also had a conversation recently with a police officer who asked me a similar question. What kind of service does Opal provide? To him, a service dog meant either a guide dog or a police dog.

Police dogs, search and rescue dogs, service or assistance dogs and therapy dogs are all "working dogs." That is, these dogs have jobs other than their role as pets. So, "working dog" is a general term applied to dogs that perform work, including therapy or service dog work.

The job of a service dog is to assist one individual by performing specific tasks

The job of a therapy dog is to interact with people

What is a Companion Dog?

I receive a number of calls from people asking how they can certify their pet as a "companion dog." A companion dog is a non-working dog - a pet. While we might all like to take our dogs with us wherever we go, this privilege is reserved under the law for individuals with disabilities whose dogs assist them in performing specific tasks in order to help them function more independently.

Very Different Roles

Therapy dogs and service or assistance dogs are working dogs, but with very different roles.

While the role of a therapy dog is to provide comfort and companionship by interacting with groups of people, a service or assistance dog assists or serves just one individual for whom the dog has been specially trained.

Therapy dogs are not permitted public access under federal law, while service (assistance) dogs are allowed to accompany their human partners in most places of business.

Federal law allows service dogs to accompany their handlers in public places where dogs are not normally allowed

Ginger, therapy dog, providing comfort and companionship to a resident in a long term care facility

Service dogs assist their handlers by performing specific tasks their handlers are not able to do themselves or can only do with great difficulty

Both therapy dogs and service dogs perform important work, and when they are not working, they are just pets and enjoy all the things that every other dog enjoys!

When not working in their respective roles, Opal and Ginger enjoy just being dogs!