Service Dog Training

The definitions between “service dogs,” “therapy dogs,” and “emotional support dogs” can get blurry and sometimes confusing. Most people refer to all these roles as “service dogs,” but there are legal definitions and important differences between them.

A service animal is defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” Examples of qualifying work are guiding the blind, assisting with mobility, or alerting for seizures. Service dogs are protected under the ADA and are permitted public access. Currently, there is no official national ADA test to certify service dogs. Although there is no official test, certain types of service dogs such as seeing eye dogs take years to train and should be obtained by a reputable company specializing in service dogs. Most of these types of service dogs are carefully bred or selected. As service dogs do have public access, they should be well-behaved and reliable. Undesirable behavior in public can cause difficult or embarrassing situations as well as challenges to the validity of a dog’s service status.

At Cosmic Canine, we provide the groundwork for excellent behavior in a service dog so they can more easily do their jobs in any setting. Other skills can be discussed on a case-by-case basis. However, we’re not able to provide training on specific tasks for a disability such as seeing eye or seizure alert training. If you have a personal dog that is assisting you with your disability and you are struggling with behavior problems in public, we are more than happy to help.

Assistance dogs are not given public access under the ADA, however, they are granted additional rights under the Fair Housing Act. Emotional Support Animals are classified as an assistance dog and can be granted access to housing that otherwise would not allow pets. While Emotional Support Animals do not require specialized training, they should be well-behaved and under control. In order for your dog to qualify as an ESA for housing, you must consult a licensed mental health professional and receive an ESA Letter. We assist with evaluating and training your dog in basic obedience and provide a referral to seek an ESA Letter in Texas. In our program, your dog will be trained in basic obedience skills to pass the Canine Good Citizen exam and proper manners and control in public. Dogs wearing service dog vests should be well-behaved and under control in public at all times. At the end of your program, you can schedule your Canine Good Citizen exam at our facility to get your dog’s Canine Good Citizen certificate. Any dog seeking to be an assistance animal should, at minimum, be able to pass the Canine Good Citizen exam.