Not All Dogs are CAPABLE of Being a Service Dog
Every website, every internet page I am on, I see ads: “Take Your Dog ANYWHERE!” looking to sell you a real “National Service Dog Registration,” or an “Official” vest so you can take your dog into any pubic place. Or, you say you have a note from your doctor which automatically makes your dog a “Service Dog.”
The extremely UNFORTUNATE part of this is that very few dogs can handle the stress of the public atmosphere without having stress behaviors themselves. So, when your doctor says your dog can be a “Service Dog” or “Emotional Support Animal” your doctor most likely has never had any experience training or selecting dogs for this task to know exactly what is involved. While, yes, an ESA (emotional support animal) might be a good thing for you, is it a good thing for your pet DOG??
What we seem so focused on when we want to take our dog with us everywhere are our OWN needs instead of whether the dog can emotionally handle it or whether he has been properly and fairly prepared for service work or to be an emotional support dog. Statistics say that only one in 300 dogs has the right temperament to be able to handle the stress of the public atmosphere.
When we are wrapped up in our own emotional issues of fear, or anxiety, are we paying attention to the dog? Do we even know the signs of a stressed dog? Or how our dog will react in a stressful situation? Dogs display stress in such subtle ways that the average caring dog owner doesn’t even see those signals. Panting, sweaty feet, reactive barking, shaking, darting eyes, whale eyes, stiffness through their back, hackles, lip licking, yawning and elevated heart rate are only a few signs of a dog that is over stressed. When a dog is overstressed many will react with a bite, or a nip if they feel trapped or corned such has holding the dog. Many times, holding a small dog will entice the dog into “possessing” his owner and he becomes aggressive towards anyone that approaches. To the trained eye, even a wagging tail can indicate that a dog is stressed and ready to bite. Biting or what seems to be protective behavior in public is NOT appropriate.
A Service Dog as defined by the ADA is a dog that is specially trained to help their owner with the owner’s disability. A properly and FAIRLY trained Service Dog takes hundreds of hours in training and slow exposure and desensitization in public. Secondly, a Service Dog is also trained to behave in public with impeccable obedience skills so he doesn’t sniff someone’s butt, jump on people, strain at the end of a leash, trip someone, eat food off the floor, sniff the meat isle, lick the salad bar, or bark at other Service Dogs. A Service Dog should always be focused on their handler and not be influenced by people offering them food, or wanting to pet the dog. A Service Dog needs to have his mind on work and work only.
An Emotional Support Animal does not have to be specially trained to do any task to help his disabled handler. HOWEVER, an ESA does NOT have the same rights of access a Service Dog has. An ESA is ONLY allowed on certain airlines, and ONLY given access in a public housing situation. No other. BUT, an ESA MUST be emotionally equipped to handle the stress of new environments, AND have exceptional manners. Aggressive, reactive or over stressed dogs have no business being paraded around as an ESA. It is unfair to the PUBLIC as well as the DOG.
A note from your doctor does NOT automatically make your pet dog a good ESA. And most importantly, if your ESA OR SERVICE DOG bites someone, knocks someone down in public, or does any damage to a public establishment, YOU are responsible for the damages. So, imagine your dog takes a bite out of someone that ends up needing surgery! Do you have the financial ability to pay for that? And if this is an ESA, do YOU have the ability to cope with that stress?
Having an ESA on a plane or parading your pet around as a Service Dog is a responsibility, to others AND to your dog. You must provide safety to the public. Your over stressed dog that is not well trained or have the temperament to be either will become a liability to you. A fake service dog is also illegal in the state of Idaho.
Seek a dog training professional with experience with service dogs for guidance to see if your dog is in fact capable of being your ESA, even if your doctor write you a letter prescribing one. And remember, an ESA dog is NOT a Service Dog. And Service Dogs MUST be specially trained to mitigate YOUR disability ONLY if you have one.
