This post is part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™ which will run from March 1 through March 31. Follow along!
It was a quiet evening when I decided to watch a new show outside of my usual routine. This was unusual for me since my routine is important for me. It helps to maintain the chaos in the environment which could be sights, sounds, deadlines, stress, or medical issues. This night on Netflix a show caught my eye called “Dogs.” Episode featured a family that was receiving a service animal (a dog) to help detect seizures for one of the daughters who had been diagnosed with epilepsy. It hit close to my heart since I have a service dog and rely on her for many parts of my daily life.
The young girl who had epilepsy in the episode also had a sibling and some close friends. The idea was that the dog was going to be a “family pet.” I already knew how this was going to end for her sibling; it was sad and frustrating for both sides. I have written about service animals in the past but I wanted to delve a little further to get a better understanding to educate the public. My need to satisfy that itch again for reading, researching, and knowing all about a subject is coming again!
The acronyms in the field for service training are SA (service animal), ESA (emotional support animal), and TA (therapy animal). Generally, dogs are trained as a service animal but the regulations have recently changed to allow miniature horses. Service animals are trained to perform tasks for an individual with a disability or chronic illness in some way. These tasks can be recognizing low or high blood sugars for diabetics, helping to support a person during a seizure and getting help afterwards, opening doors, physical support for walking, mental support for anxiety, and so much more! Animals are wonderful beings that connect with humans on a different level. We do not speak the same language, yet we understand and love each other more than we love some people!
While service animals are covered under the American Disabilities Act (ADA), Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Animals are not protected under the ADA. However, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) does cover the Emotional Support Animals. Someone cannot be turned away from housing because of an animal that supports that in any way physically or mentally. So, you might be asking what is the difference between the three types? Here is the scoop in a nice visual because it is easier to see:
SA: Covered by ADA, Covered by FHA, Trained to do specific tasks for a person, not ok to pet. These animals will be seen in public anywhere. It is their right to be there since they are working.
ESA: Not covered by ADA, Covered by FHA, Provides emotional support only (specific tasks would be based on training and disability) to person, not ok to pet. These animals are out in public but please refrain from petting. They are also working and providing something for their person.
TA: Not covered by ADA, not covered by FHA, provides comfort to multiple people, ok to pet after asking. These animals are generally seen on farms such as goat therapy, equine therapy, or animals in hospitals/nursing homes to raise moral.
The part I came across in my research was there is no real organizational body that governs the regulations on these animals. I have seen multiple videos about people becoming angry because dogs were in a public space or because they were not allowed to pet the animal. In fact, I have had my fair share of angry looks and snarky comments from people when I told them they could not pet my dog since she was working. She is in a vest and wears a special tag that states she is a service animal. Recently, a dog became aggressive at someone in an airport biting them who was labeled as a service animal.
I decided to reach out to my friend and fellow autistic blogger Christa Holmans. She runs the page Neurodivergent Rebel and used to help train dogs to become service animals. I had always found this intriguing about her since I thought what a fun, cool job! She loves dogs and actually has four of her own who are very cute. But enough about her dogs.. The interview!
Me: What method of training is best for training animals?
Christa: Training methods that are positive and fun work best. You want your dog to be eager and excited to work.
Me: What animals/breeds do you find to be the best for service animals?
Christa: Temperament is everything – you want an animal who has low fear, is very calm, happy, and who enjoys human interaction. Working dogs make great service dogs because they WANT to have a job to do.
Me: Is there one certification process that is the standard for service animals to receive. Example- Doctors are part of the American Medical Association (AMA) and they are responsible for abiding those ethics for patient care. Do we have something like this for service animals?
Christa: In America, there is no requirement for you to register your service animal, in fact there are many organizations out there that “sell fake service dog papers”.
Me: Do service animals need continual training?
Christa: Yes! A dog’s training never ends. As dogs encounter new situations their training must be modified and adapted to compensate. Also, the dog’s handler’s needs may change and additional training may be added or adjusted to compensate.
The most shocking answer from her was organizations are out there making money selling fake papers when you DO NOT NEED them. This is scamming people who do not know about the department of justice enough to work through what is legal. I trained my dog so she is personalized to my seizures and my moves. My background is psychology science and biomedical sciences so I felt comfortable with my knowledge to train my dog, TeeTee. Training an animal to suite your needs of specific tasks is something that is complex and requires time, energy, and finances. Local trainers are available, like Christa before she retired. Remember, these animals want to work but sometimes they do not always graduate. Those who do not graduate make wonderful pets or therapy animals too! Canine Companions do provide free service dogs but the last time I checked the wait list, it was about 2-3 years.
If you are looking for a service animal, emotional support animal, or therapy animal, I suggest you do some research about breeds, laws, and check out the links I have provided below. Let’s start a movement to get more regulations. I would love to see more animals working to help others out there! Thank you TeeTee who recently saved my life… that is a story for later this month.
Momma Employee 3/10/2019
NEXT UP: Be sure to check out the next post by Teo at livingwellwithepilepsy.com for more on epilepsy awareness. You can check out any of the Epilepsy Blog Relay posts you may have missed.
References
American Disabilities Act (ADA). (2010, 2015). Frequently Asked Questions, Service Animals. Retrieved from https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html#cert and https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm
American Kennel Club (AKC). (2016). Service Dog Training 101-Everything you Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/service-dog-training-101/
Assistance Dogs International (ADI). (2018). ADI Standards. Retrieved from https://assistancedogsinternational.org/standards/adi-standards/
Canine Companions. (2019). Assistance Dogs FAQS. http://www.cci.org/assistance-dogs/assistance-dog-faqs.html
Holmans, Christa. (2019). Email Interview. https://neurodivergentrebel.com/
Healthy Wings Therapy 
Hello All,
There are three (3) basic areas of training for a service dog: manners, obedience with proofing (aka public access skills), and task training. This training typically takes 18-24 months.
A service dog must receive adequate training in three areas: obedience, tasks, and public access. He should be reliable in obeying commands at least 90% of the time on the first command.
He should sit, down, come, stay, and heel properly. Dogs must show manners including:
no aggression
no inappropriate barking
no biting
no snapping/growling
no inappropriate jumping on strangers
no begging
no inappropriate sniffing of people.
By federal law (the Americans with Disabilities Act), he MUST be reliably potty trained.
(NOTE: the ADA does not apply to dogs in training. You do not have ADA rights to inflict the dog on businesses in the name of training the dog.)
Many people don’t understand what proper heeling is, and it’s actually the hardest thing to train a dog to do properly. It doesn’t mean pulling a dog around on a leash. It means the dog knows where he is supposed to be relative to the person and maintains that position with a loose leash, or with no leash at all. Typically, this position is next to the handler’s left leg, with the dog’s ear at about level with the leg and without varying more than 24 inches in any direction from that position regardless of how the handler moves (starting, stopping, turning, stepping back, etc.).
By legal definition, he must be trained to perform tasks which mitigate his handler’s disability. In order to mitigate the disability, these tasks must be something the handler cannot do because of his disability. For example, opening doors for a person unable to use her hands. Any dog, no matter how well trained, who does not perform tasks that mitigate his disabled owner’s disability, is not a service dog. Note that the owner must be legally disabled. That means they have an impairment that substantially limits their ability to function in things considered to be of central importance to people’s lives, like seeing, hearing, thinking, walking, and using their hands.
Finally, the dog’s training must be proofed and generalized so that he continues to work reliably, obeying commands on the first command at least 90% of the time when working in distracting environments, such as stores or restaurants. Proofing (distraction training) is actually the bulk of service dog training and it starts at home and at the dog training facility with distractions like food, toys and noises. Once the proofing is solid the dog is taken to various venues for generalization, or learning to apply what he has learned in different locations.
Here are some resources for dog trainers you may find helpful. I recommend that you ask any organization about the experience they have training an “Assistance Dog” ? If you find an organization that you believe will be helpful, remember to investigate that organization online, plus with the “Better Business Bureau (BBB)” and have them provide you a list of clients that they have worked with, so you can contact them and investigate their experiences and satisfaction.
CCPDT Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers
http://www.ccpdt.org
National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors
https://nadoi.org
The Association of Professional Dog Trainers
https://apdt.com
The ADA does not give public access rights to trainers. That means that unless your state gives public access rights to trainers and also recognizes private trainers or owner-trainers (as opposed to trainers for recognized programs), then you must ask permission of a store or restaurant before entering with a service-dog-in-training. See link below for information on state laws concerning service animals.
Here are some helpful resources to review:
What are the IAADP Minimum Standards for Public Access? IAADP Minimum Standards for Public Access
http://www.iaadp.org/iaadp-minimum-training-standards-for-public-access.html
What kind of training does a dog need to become a service dog? http://servicedogcentral.org/content/node/154
I hope you find this information helpful. Best of luck to you.
Regards,
Edward Crane
Founder & President,
My Assistance Dog Inc.
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Awesome! This is so helpful. Thank you for providing some resources. 👍
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I send my best wishes.
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I would like to add as an autistic and epileptic, there are many tasks my dog does for me because of my invisible disabilities. She is provides calling for help after a seizure, comfort when having erratic moods, licking/standing on me when I have a meltdown.
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