Service Dogs vs Therapy Dogs vs Emotional Support Dogs: Understanding the Difference
Dogs play many important roles in human lives, offering companionship, comfort, and even life-changing assistance. However, not all working dogs serve the same purpose. The terms service dog, therapy dog, and emotional support dog are often used interchangeably, but they refer to distinct types of support animals with different training, legal rights, and responsibilities. Whether you're considering a support animal for yourself or training your dog as an support animal, this guide will help you understand the crucial differences, what sets these three categories apart, what training and benefits are involved, and how each one improves the lives of the people they assist.
What is a Service dog?
A service dog is a highly trained canine companion that performs specific tasks to assist individuals with disabilities. These disabilities may include physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other impairments. Service dogs are meticulously trained to perform tasks tailored to the individual's needs, such as guiding the visually impaired, alerting the hearing impaired to sounds, retrieving items, providing balance support, or even detecting impending seizures or changes in blood sugar levels for individuals with medical conditions. These dogs undergo extensive training to ensure they can perform their duties reliably and safely in various environments. Service dogs play a crucial role in enhancing the independence, mobility, and quality of life of their handlers.
What is a therapy dog?
A therapy dog is a specially trained canine companion that provides comfort, support, and affection to individuals in various settings such as hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and rehabilitation centers. Unlike service dogs, which assist individuals with disabilities, therapy dogs offer comfort & support to people in need, promoting relaxation, happiness, and well-being. These gentle and well-trained dogs undergo rigorous training to ensure they are calm, obedient, and adaptable to different environments and situations. Through their loving presence and demeanor, therapy dogs bring joy and companionship to those they visit.
What is an Emotional Support Animal (ESA)?
An emotional support animal, often abbreviated as an "ESA," is a companion animal that provides comfort, affection, and emotional support to individuals experiencing mental or emotional challenges. Unlike service dogs, which are trained to perform specific tasks for individuals with disabilities, emotional support dogs offer therapeutic benefits through their presence and companionship alone. These dogs are prescribed by mental health professionals to individuals with conditions such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, or other emotional disorders, to help alleviate symptoms and provide a sense of calm and stability. While emotional support dogs do not have the same legal rights as service dogs, they may be permitted to accompany their owners in certain housing or travel situations with proper documentation.
The Benefits of Support Animal Training
There are several benifits to training your dog as a support animal. Here’s just a few:
Providing Support: Therapy dogs and ESDs offer invaluable emotional support, companionship, and assistance to individuals in need, enhancing their overall well-being and quality of life.
Improving Mental Health: A therapy dog or ESD can be calming and uplifting, reducing stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression in their handlers or those they interact with.
Enhancing Emotional Regulation: Therapy dogs and ESDs can help regulate emotions, provide comfort during times of distress or crisis, and offer a sense of security and stability to their handlers.
Opportunities for Community Engagement: Training your dog as a therapy dog or ESD opens up opportunities for meaningful engagement with community service activities, volunteering, and outreach programs
Building Stronger Bonds: The training process for therapy dogs and ESD’s fosters a deep bond of trust and companionship between the dog and their handler
Increased Mobility in Society: In order to offer crucial support to their handlers, Therapy Dogs, Service Dogs, and ESDs have greater mobility throughout society, such as in public spaces like restaurants, commercial flights, and dog-controlled apartments.
Can any dog become a Support animal?
No, not all dogs are fit to become support animals. It’s important to have your dog asessed by a professional dog trainer to see if they are a good fit for the job, as well as help you understand what you need in a service animal. Here are just a few things your dog may need to be well suited for service dog, therapy dog, or ESD training.
Temperament: Service animals must have a calm, obedient, and friendly temperament. They should be well-socialised and comfortable in various environments, including crowded or noisy settings.
Health: Service animals must be in good physical health and free from any conditions that could prevent them from performing their tasks effectively. Regular veterinary check-ups are essential to ensure their well-being.
Up-to-Date Vaccinations: Service animals need to be properly vaccinated, for their own health and safety, as well as that of the individuals they assist and the general public.
Documentation: Service animals may need documentation, especially in settings like commercial flights.
What Support Animal Training Will teach your dog
Obedience: Service animal training will give your dog a solid foundation in basic obedience. They should walk politely on a leash, refrain from jumping or barking, and exhibit appropriate behavior in various social situations.
Good Manners & Social Skills: We’ll teach your therapy animal how to greet others calming and politely, and how to be friendly, sociable, and well-behaved in various social settings including crowds or busy environments.
Responsive to Commands: We’ll teach your service animal to be responsive to commands. Handlers need reliable control over their dog's behavior to ensure safety and effectiveness of support.
Public Access Training: We’ll train your service animal to know how to behave appropriately in different settings. These including restaurants, stores, public transportation, and other places where their handler may need their assistance. They should remain calm and focused despite distractions.
Calm Temperament: Though service dogs should have a naturally calm and even-tempered demeanor, we’ll teach your dog how to control their energy and excitement. They should remain composed and relaxed in various environments
Resilience to Stress: We’ll teach your service dog to be resilient to stress and able to cope with challenging or emotionally charged situations. They’ll be able remain stable and composed, providing comfort and support without becoming overwhelmed themselves.
Adaptability: We’ll teach your service animals to be adaptable to different environments and situations, including travel, visits to healthcare facilities, or changes in routine. They should remain calm and composed despite changes or disruptions.
Empathy and Sensitivity: We’ll teach your service animals to be intuitive and sensitive to their handler's emotional state. They should be able to pick up on subtle cues and provide comfort and support accordingly.
how to choose the right trainer for service animal training
Choosing the right trainer for service animal training is crucial to ensuring your dog develops the skills and reliability needed to assist you effectively. A qualified trainer should have experience in service dog training, a deep understanding of task-specific training, and a positive, science-based approach. Look for certifications, client testimonials, and a structured training program tailored to your needs. Additionally, if you require proper documentation for housing or travel, ensure your trainer can guide you through the legal requirements and help you obtain the necessary paperwork. Whether you're training a service dog, therapy dog, or ESA (emotional support animal), the right trainer will make all the difference in your service animal’s success.
If you’re in Denver, Colorado and need support or guidance, or recommendations for training, please dont hesitate to contact us
