SERVICE DOG TRAINING GUIDE

You have a lot of different options if you need service dog training, but the problem is most of them are terrible.

Service Dog Training

HOW TO NOT GET TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS SERVICE DOG TRAINING

No one in their right mind shopping for service dog training wants to get on a multi-year waiting list. No one with a psychiatric or mental disorder wants to pay the same price for service dog training as someone who is blind.  No one wants to pay a lot of money for service dog training performed by volunteers, or get a service dog that is not actually trained. No one wants service animal training or a service dog with no off-leash service dog training.

 

Instructions for ‘How To Get A Service Dog’

1. Read our website.

2. Get to know us on Facebook and see 100’s of dogs we trained.

3. Submit a Service Dog Application

Service Dog School of America offers Public Access Training for Psychiatric Service Dogs, Emotional Support Dogs and Service Dogs For Sale. Our Service Dog Training School was created to provide Service Animals at a lower cost, and without clients having to wait 2 to 5 years to get their service animal.

The reason you should buy a service dog Training or from Service Dog School of America is:

1) We sell you a more well-trained dog than ones being sold for $50,000+;

2) You won’t have to wait 3 to 7 years;

3) You deal directly with the trainer, not cold mid-level bureaucratic administrators, and the volunteers getting paid minimum wage that actually train your dog.

Everyone is a nice person in The Service Dog Training Industry, BUT we are not going to rip you off by selling you a dog that is in actuality no more trained than a family dog trained at a pet store. 

Service Dog School of America is an ethical provider. We only train a few dogs a  year here at our 13-acre DogAnswers Ranch. We take a lot of pride in understanding what our clients want and providing them absolutely wonderful trained service dogs at an affordable price without all the headaches and grueling waiting times.  We are here to help you and get you the best-trained service dog ever.

Service Animal Training REAL SERVICE DOG TRAINERS, NO VOLUNTEERS
Service Dog Training FORGET THE 2 TO 5-YEAR WAIT

Service Animal Training THE ONLY OFF-LEASH SERVICE DOG TRAINER.
Service Dog Training AMERICA’S #1 SERVICE DOG TRAINING RESULTS

Service Dog Training 

Service Dog Training

service dog training NO BREED RESTRICTIONS. We can train a puppy or dog bred for service we obtain, or a rescue dog, or a dog you already own.

Service Dog Training

Service Dog Training PSYCHIATRIC SERVICE DOG TRAINER FOR PUBLIC ACCESS  Get Psychiatric Service Dog Training without paying a premium for unnecessary tasks like your dog getting your medicine for you when you can get your medicine yourself.

Who spends $38,000 on anxiety service dog training to teach their dog to turn the lights off or answer the door anyway?  Most people who get Psychiatric Service Dogs and train them have horrible disabilities like anxiety, depression, nightmares, obsessive-compulsive behavior and dissociative disorder.  For many disabled people, just having a dog makes it possible for them to live independently, leave the house, go to work, be in crowds of people.  A service dog to many disabled people can be an alternative to Xanax and other medications like alcohol, cocaine, opiod painkillers and marijuana.

What is Public Access Training?

The only dogs that can be Psychiatric Service Dogs are Assistance Animals, dogs trained for Public Access:

  • Controlled approach to strangers and objects
  • Off-Leash Control even with other dogs present
  • Heeling off-leash through a crowd or building
  • Heel off-leash with distractions like cats
  • Down on command in all situations
  • Control in a restaurant, hotel, classroom or airplane
  • Under control and trained to listen off-leash

Service Dog Training

Service Dog TrainingBEHAVIORAL SERVICE DOG TRAINERS.  Service Dog Training that makes dogs pleasant, calm, friendly, loyal and loving.  Service Dog Training that focuses on temperament and quality of interactions.

LOVE  AFFECTION  RESPECT  TRUST  FRIENDSHIP
Service Dog Training

AMERICA’S #1 ON & OFF-LEASH SERVICE DOG TRAINING.  There won’t be anymore service dog or emotional support if your dog runs down the street, or sees a dog and takes off because it did not have Off-Leash Dog Training.  
Notice how almost all Service Dog websites only show dogs on leashes.  If the dogs are really trained, why are all of them on leashes?  We are renowned for getting all breeds of dogs Off-Leash Obedient without using shock collars.  Service Dog School of America has the only service dog training in the United States where the dogs are all off-leash obedient.  

Everyone has a camera on their cellphone.  We are BEHAVIORAL TRAINERS specializing in Off-Leash Obedience.  What you see in our photos and videosis what you get.  

BE CAREFUL not to buy thin air.  Being a 501(c) charity or pontificating at length and pointing to authorities and State and Federal laws is different than showing dozens of dogs you trained to substantiate the efficacy of your Service Dog training.  Well-meaning is different than well-qualified.  In the dog training profession, like many professions, 5% of the dog trainers are getting 95% of the results.  If someone was proud of their dog training, they would show dozens of dogs they trained.  Either someone has photos of dogs they trained or they do not, there is no in-between.

None of the other Service Dog Training websites have dogs off-leash, do they?

Service Dog Training

Service Dog TrainingSKIP THE BUREAUCRATIC RUNAROUND.  Deal directly with the trainer for better service dog training and lower cost.  No waiting 2 to 5 years to get a service dog from an agency that was “trained” by well-meaning amateur volunteers. Forget that, look at how much better our dogs are trained.  Everyone says they are a service dog trainer.  We have more photos of service dog training to prove it.  Ours works.  What you see in the pictures is what you get.

Service Dog Training For Anxiety

service dog trainingEMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG TRAINERS.  Have a dog that makes you feel better that you can take anywhere pet dogs are normally allowed with Public Access Service Dog Training.

Service Dog Training Service Animals
Service animals are sometimes referred to as assistance animals, assist animals, support animals, or helper animals.

For a person to legally qualify to have a service dog, he/she must have a disability that substantially limits his/her ability to perform at least one major life task without assistance.

To qualify as a service dog, the dog must be individually trained to perform that major life task. All breeds and sizes of dogs can be trained as service animals.

Service Dog Training

Service training Dog Emotional Support Animals
An emotional support animal (ESA) is a person’s pet that has been prescribed by a person’s licensed therapist, psychologist, or psychiatrist (any licensed mental health professional). The animal is part of the treatment program for this person and is designed to bring comfort and minimize the negative symptoms of the person’s emotional/psychological disability.

ESAs are also sometimes referred to as comfort animals, comfort pets, or companion animals. Dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, mini-pigs, hedgehogs, and many more species may qualify as an ESA. These animals do not require specific task-training because it is the very presence of the animal that mitigates the negative symptoms associated with a person’s disorder. An ESA can be any age.

Psychiatric Service Dog Training

What Animals Qualify To Be An ESA?

All domesticated animals may qualify as an ESA (cats, dog, mice, rabbits, birds, snakes, hedgehogs, rats, mini pigs, ferrets, etc.) and they can be any age (young puppies and kittens, too!). These animals do not need any specific task-training because their very presence mitigates the symptoms associated with a person’s psychological/emotional disability, unlike a working service dog. The only requirement is that the animal is manageable in public and does not create a nuisance in or around the home setting.

Service Dog training Therapy Animals
Many people confuse Therapy Animals with Service Dogs. A therapy animal is normally a dog (but can be other species) that has been obedience trained and screened for its ability to interact favorably with humans and other animals. The primary purpose of a therapy dog is to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas, and to people with learning difficulties.

Service Dog Training

Therapy animals may be classified into three different types:

Service Dog training Therapeutic Visitation
The first (and most common) are “Therapeutic Visitation” animals. These dogs are household pets whose owners take time to visit hospitals, nursing homes, detention facilities, and rehabilitation facilities. Visitation dogs help people who have to be away from home due to mental or physical illness or court order. These people often miss their own pets, and a visit from a visitation animal can brighten the day, lift spirits, and help motivate them in their therapy or treatment with the goal of going home to see their own pets.

Autism Service Dog Training

Service Dog training Sacramento Animal Assisted Therapy 
The second type of therapy animal is called an “Animal Assisted Therapy” animal. These animals assist physical and occupational therapists in meeting goals important to a person’s recovery. Tasks that a dog can help achieve include gaining motion in limbs, fine motor control, or regaining pet care skills for caring for pets at home. Animal Assisted Therapy animal usually work in rehabilitation facilities.

Service Dog Training For Autism

Service Dog training Sacramento Facility Therapy 
The third type of therapy animal is called a “Facility Therapy Animal”. These dogs primarily work in nursing homes and are often trained to help keep patients with Alzheimer’s disease or other mental illness from getting into trouble. They are handled by a trained member of the staff and live at the facility.

Anxiety service dog training

1. Service Dogs Can Be Any Color, Size or Breed

There’s nothing that says Service Dogs can only be Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers or German Shepherds. While those 3 breeds are some of the most commonly seen Service Dogs, absolutely any dog with the proper temperament, good health and structure, and the physical capability to do the job their person needs them to do (as an example, a 30 pound dog cannot do brace and mobility support work) can be a Service Dog, regardless of color, size or breed.

Dissociative Disorder Service Dog Training

2. Service Dogs Come In Multiple Varieties

Everyone knows what guide dogs are, and most people have heard of hearing dogs. People often know immediately that a dog wearing a special harness and partnered with an individual in a wheelchair is a Service Dog, although they may not know exactly what that dog does for its person. However, there are well over a dozen distinct varieties of Service Dogs, including, but not limited to:

  • Allergy Alert Dogs
  • Autism Assistance Dogs
  • Brace and Mobility Support Dogs
  • Emergency Medical Response Dogs
  • Diabetic Alert Dogs
  • Hearing Dogs
  • Guide Dogs
  • Medical Alert Dogs
  • Medical Assistance Dogs
  • Medical Response Dogs
  • Psychiatric Service Dogs
  • Seizure Alert Dogs
  • Seizure Assistance Dogs
  • Seizure Response Dogs
  • Visual Assistance Dogs
  • Wheelchair Assistance Dogs

Bipolar service dog training

3. Service Dogs Aren’t Just For Emotional Support

Service Dogs don’t just offer companionship and emotional support to their people. In fact, any dog that does that and only that isn’t a Service Dog — it’s an Emotional Support Dog. In order to be a Service Dog, a dog has to possess specialized training that mitigates some part of their handler’s disability. It can’t be a behavior the dog offers naturally, either, since that isn’t a trained behavior. It must be a specific, predictable behavior tied to a cue or trigger that the dog performs reliably in order to be considered trained task work.

PTSD Service Dog Training

4. Service Dogs Perform Specialized Work and Tasks For Their Person

Service Dogs possess specialized training that mitigates their person’s disability.  Some examples of Service Dog tasks include:

  • Waking Someone With PTSD From a Nightmare
  • Licking a Seizing Person to Help End the Seizure Via Tactile Stimulation
  • Bracing an Unsteady or Unbalanced Handler
  • Respoding to changes in the environment or handler physiology
  • Guide a disoriented handler.
  • Find a person or place. 
  • Room search.
  • Signal for certain sounds.
  • Interrupt and redirect.
  • Balance assistance. 
  • Bring help. 
  • Clear the airway. 
  • Identify hallucinations. 

how to train a service dog

5. Service Dog Handlers May Not Be Visibly Disabled 

Lots of disabilities aren’t visible, including neurological disorders, psychiatric illnesses, diabetes and hearing loss. A person partnered with a Service Dog who doesn’t appear to have a visible disability still has a right to their Service Dog, and to not be questioned about their private medical history or diagnoses. A common question asked of people with invisible disabilities is “Are you training her for someone?” If the answer is, “No, she’s for me,” then it’s polite to not inquire further unless the handler clearly welcomes additional inquiries or offers additional information.

Service Dog Training For Dissociative Disorder

6. Service Dogs Aren’t Allowed “Everywhere”

Legally, Service Dogs don’t have public access rights. Their handler, who must have a disability in order to be partnered with a Service Dog, has the right to access “places of public accommodation” with their Service Dog. There is a difference — it’s the person with rights, not the dog. The person has the right to not be discriminated against based on the fact they have a Service Dog. However, having a Service Dog does not magically grant a handler access to places where members of the public aren’t allowed. Exceptions to “everywhere” include churches and other places of worship, private/exclusive clubs, certain areas of zoos, aquariums and refuges where the dog’s presence could cause danger or stress to the animals within, and places where other people can be excluded, like MRI rooms and radiology, sterile laboratories or factory floors, and the ICU, cardiac and burn units.

Service Dog Training For Anxiety

7. Service Dog Handlers Can Only Be Asked Two Questions

When in a business or place of public accommodation, if it isn’t readily apparent that a dog is a Service Dog, the employees or person in charge may only ask two questions of the team:

  1. Is the animal required because of a disability? (This often takes the form of “Is that a Service Dog?”)
  2. What work or tasks has the dog been trained to perform? (This often takes the form of “What does the dog do for you?”)

Therapist Recommended Service Dog Training

8. Service Dogs Aren’t Required To Wear Gear

In the United States, there is no required gear for Service Dogs. A Service Dog is a Service Dog regardless of what they are or are not wearing, and their handlers possess the exact same access rights with or without their dog in gear. Vests, harnesses and jackets are very commonly seen on working Service Dog teams, but by law, the dog isn’t required to wear anything in order to work in public.

how to train a service dog

9. Service Dogs Aren’t Required To Have “Paperwork”

There is no required documentation, registration, certification or paperwork required in order for a dog to be a Service Dog. All of the above is strictly optional, and while offered by many Service Dog programs, it is not necessary by law. A Service Dog team does not have to provide proof of Service Dog status. If their legitimacy is in doubt, the dog’s outstanding behavior and obvious training, combined with the handler’s answers to the questions “Is that a Service Animal?” and “What tasks is your Service Animal trained to perform for you?” should solve the access challenge promptly.

Emotional Support Service Dog Training

10. Service Dogs Should Have Excellent Manners and Obvious Training

Service Dogs in public should never be obtrusive, rude, disorderly or out of control. In fact, if a dog is any of the above, and the handler is not taking appropriate action to rectify the issue, the business or place of public accommodation may ask the handler to remove the dog and return for services alone. People with a disability have a right to have their Service Dog with them, but businesses and other places where Service Dogs are allowed have a right to not have their day to day operations interrupted by a dog who isn’t ready or who shouldn’t be working in public.

Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals & ADA

U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section
DEFINITION OF A SERVICE ANIMAL

Q1. What is a service animal?

A. Under the ADA, a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability.  The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.

Q2. What does “do work or perform tasks” mean?

A. The dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed to assist the person with a disability. For example, a person with diabetes may have a dog that is trained to alert him when his blood sugar reaches high or low levels. A person with depression may have a dog that is trained to remind her to take her medication. Or, a person who has epilepsy may have a dog that is trained to detect the onset of a seizure and then help the person remain safe during the seizure.

Q3. Are emotional support, therapy, comfort, or companion animals considered service animals under the ADA?

A. No.  These terms are used to describe animals that provide comfort just by being with a person.  Because they have not been trained to perform a specific job or task, they do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.  However, some State or local governments have laws that allow people to take emotional support animals into public places.  You may check with your State and local government agencies to find out about these laws.

Q4. If someone’s dog calms them when having an anxiety attack, does this qualify it as a service animal?

A. It depends. The ADA makes a distinction between psychiatric service animals and emotional support animals. If the dog has been trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact, that would qualify as a service animal. However, if the dog’s mere presence provides comfort, that would not be considered a service animal under the ADA.

Q5. Does the ADA require service animals to be professionally trained?

A. No. People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog training program.

Q6. Are service-animals-in-training considered service animals under the ADA?

A. No. Under the ADA, the dog must already be trained before it can be taken into public places. However, some State or local laws cover animals that are still in training.

GENERAL RULES

Q7. What questions can a covered entity’s employees ask to determine if a dog is a service animal?

A. In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.

Q8. Do service animals have to wear a vest or patch or special harness identifying them as service animals?

A. No. The ADA does not require service animals to wear a vest, ID tag, or specific harness.

Q9. Who is responsible for the care and supervision of a service animal?

A. The handler is responsible for caring for and supervising the service animal, which includes toileting, feeding, and grooming and veterinary care. Covered entities are not obligated to supervise or otherwise care for a service animal.

Q10. Can a person bring a service animal with them as they go through a salad bar or other self-service food lines?

A. Yes. Service animals must be allowed to accompany their handlers to and through self-service food lines. Similarly, service animals may not be prohibited from communal food preparation areas, such as are commonly found in shelters or dormitories.

Q11. Can hotels assign designated rooms for guests with service animals, out of consideration for other guests?

A. No. A guest with a disability who uses a service animal must be provided the same opportunity to reserve any available room at the hotel as other guests without disabilities. They may not be restricted to “pet-friendly” rooms.

Q12. Can hotels charge a cleaning fee for guests who have service animals?

No. Hotels are not permitted to charge guests for cleaning the hair or dander shed by a service animal. However, if a guest’s service animal causes damages to a guest room, a hotel is permitted to charge the same fee for damages as charged to other guests.

Q13. Can people bring more than one service animal into a public place?

A. Generally, yes. Some people with disabilities may use more than one service animal to perform different tasks. For example, a person who has a visual disability and a seizure disorder may use one service animal to assist with way-finding and another that is trained as a seizure alert dog. Other people may need two service animals for the same task, such as a person who needs two dogs to assist him or her with stability when walking. Staff may ask the two permissible questions (See Question 7) about each of the dogs. If both dogs can be accommodated, both should be allowed in. In some circumstances, however, it may not be possible to accommodate more than one service animal. For example, in a crowded small restaurant, only one dog may be able to fit under the table. The only other place for the second dog would be in the aisle, which would block the space between tables. In this case, staff may request that one of the dogs be left outside.

Q14. Does a hospital have to allow an in-patient with a disability to keep a service animal in his or her room?

A. Generally, yes. Service animals must be allowed in patient rooms and anywhere else in the hospital the public and patients are allowed to go. They cannot be excluded on the grounds that staff can provide the same services.

Q15. What happens if a patient who uses a service animal is admitted to the hospital and is unable to care for or supervise their animal?

A. If the patient is not able to care for the service animal, the patient can make arrangements for a family member or friend to come to the hospital to provide these services, as it is always preferable that the service animal and its handler not be separated, or to keep the dog during the hospitalization. If the patient is unable to care for the dog and is unable to arrange for someone else to care for the dog, the hospital may place the dog in a boarding facility until the patient is released, or make other appropriate arrangements. However, the hospital must give the patient the opportunity to make arrangements for the dog’s care before taking such steps.

Q16. Must a service animal be allowed to ride in an ambulance with its handler?

A. Generally, yes.  However, if the space in the ambulance is crowded and the dog’s presence would interfere with the emergency medical staff’s ability to treat the patient, staff should make other arrangements to have the dog transported to the hospital.

CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION

Q17. Does the ADA require that service animals be certified as service animals?

A. No.  Covered entities may not require documentation, such as proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal, as a condition for entry.

There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal.

 

Q18. My city requires all dogs to be vaccinated.  Does this apply to my service animal?

A. Yes.  Individuals who have service animals are not exempt from local animal control or public health requirements.

Q19. My city requires all dogs to be registered and licensed.  Does this apply to my service animal?

A. Yes.  Service animals are subject to local dog licensing and registration requirements.

Q20. My city requires me to register my dog as a service animal. Is this legal under the ADA?

A. No.  Mandatory registration of service animals is not permissible under the ADA.  However, as stated above, service animals are subject to the same licensing and vaccination rules that are applied to all dogs.

Q21. My city / college offers a voluntary registry program for people with disabilities who use service animals and provides a special tag identifying the dogs as service animals. Is this legal under the ADA?

A. Yes.  Colleges and other entities, such as local governments, may offer voluntary registries.  Many communities maintain a voluntary registry that serves a public purpose, for example, to ensure that emergency staff know to look for service animals during an emergency evacuation process.  Some offer a benefit, such as a reduced dog license fee, for individuals who register their service animals.  Registries for purposes like this are permitted under the ADA.  An entity may not, however, require that a dog be registered as a service animal as a condition of being permitted in public places.  This would be a violation of the ADA.

BREEDS

Q22. Can service animals be any breed of dog?

A. Yes.  The ADA does not restrict the type of dog breeds that can be service animals.

Q23. Can individuals with disabilities be refused access to a facility based solely on the breed of their service animal?

A. No.  A service animal may not be excluded based on assumptions or stereotypes about the animal’s breed or how the animal might behave.  However, if a particular service animal behaves in a way that poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others, has a history of such behavior, or is not under the control of the handler, that animal may be excluded.  If an animal is excluded for such reasons, staff must still offer their goods or services to the person without the animal present.

Q24. If a municipality has an ordinance that bans certain dog breeds, does the ban apply to service animals?

A. No.  Municipalities that prohibit specific breeds of dogs must make an exception for a service animal of a prohibited breed, unless the dog poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.  Under the “direct threat” provisions of the ADA, local jurisdictions need to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether a particular service animal can be excluded based on that particular animal’s actual behavior or history, but they may not exclude a service animal because of fears or generalizations about how an animal or breed might behave.  It is important to note that breed restrictions differ significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.  In fact, some jurisdictions have no breed restrictions.

EXCLUSION OF SERVICE ANIMALS

Q25. When can service animals be excluded?

A. The ADA does not require covered entities to modify policies, practices, or procedures if it would “fundamentally alter” the nature of the goods, services, programs, or activities provided to the public.  Nor does it overrule legitimate safety requirements.  If admitting service animals would fundamentally alter the nature of a service or program, service animals may be prohibited.  In addition, if a particular service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, or if it is not housebroken, that animal may be excluded.

Q26. When might a service dog’s presence fundamentally alter the nature of a service or program provided to the public?

A. In most settings, the presence of a service animal will not result in a fundamental alteration.  However, there are some exceptions.  For example, at a boarding school, service animals could be restricted from a specific area of a dormitory reserved specifically for students with allergies to dog dander.  At a zoo, service animals can be restricted from areas where the animals on display are the natural prey or natural predators of dogs, where the presence of a dog would be disruptive, causing the displayed animals to behave aggressively or become agitated.  They cannot be restricted from other areas of the zoo.

Q27. What does under control mean?  Do service animals have to be on a leash?  Do they have to be quiet and not bark?

A. The ADA requires that service animals be under the control of the handler at all times. In most instances, the handler will be the individual with a disability or a third party who accompanies the individual with a disability. In the school (K-12) context and in similar settings, the school or similar entity may need to provide some assistance to enable a particular student to handle his or her service animal. The service animal must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to maintain control of the animal. For example, a person who uses a wheelchair may use a long, retractable leash to allow her service animal to pick up or retrieve items. She may not allow the dog to wander away from her and must maintain control of the dog, even if it is retrieving an item at a distance from her. Or, a returning veteran who has PTSD and has great difficulty entering unfamiliar spaces may have a dog that is trained to enter a space, check to see that no threats are there, and come back and signal that it is safe to enter. The dog must be off leash to do its job, but may be leashed at other times. Under control also means that a service animal should not be allowed to bark repeatedly in a lecture hall, theater, library, or other quiet place. However, if a dog barks just once, or barks because someone has provoked it, this would not mean that the dog is out of control.

Q28. What can my staff do when a service animal is being disruptive?

A. If a service animal is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it, staff may request that the animal be removed from the premises.

Q29. Are hotel guests allowed to leave their service animals in their hotel room when they leave the hotel?

A. No, the dog must be under the handler’s control at all times.

Q30. What happens if a person thinks a covered entity’s staff has discriminated against him or her?

A. Individuals who believe that they have been illegally denied access or service because they use service animals may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice.  Individuals also have the right to file a private lawsuit in Federal court charging the entity with discrimination under the ADA.

MISCELLANEOUS

Q31. Are stores required to allow service animals to be placed in a shopping cart?

A. Generally, the dog must stay on the floor, or the person must carry the dog.  For example, if a person with diabetes has a glucose alert dog, he may carry the dog in a chest pack so it can be close to his face to allow the dog to smell his breath to alert him of a change in glucose levels.

Q32. Are restaurants, bars, and other places that serve food or drink required to allow service animals to be seated on chairs or allow the animal to be fed at the table?

A. No.  Seating, food, and drink are provided for customer use only.  The ADA gives a person with a disability the right to be accompanied by his or her service animal, but covered entities are not required to allow an animal to sit or be fed at the table.

Q33. Are gyms, fitness centers, hotels, or municipalities that have swimming pools required to allow a service animal in the pool with its handler?

A. No.  The ADA does not override public health rules that prohibit dogs in swimming pools.  However, service animals must be allowed on the pool deck and in other areas where the public is allowed to go.

Q34. Are churches, temples, synagogues, mosques, and other places of worship required to allow individuals to bring their service animals into the facility?

A. No.  Religious institutions and organizations are specifically exempt from the ADA.  However, there may be State laws that apply to religious organizations.

Q35. Do apartments, mobile home parks, and other residential properties have to comply with the ADA?

A. The ADA applies to housing programs administered by state and local governments, such as public housing authorities, and by places of public accommodation, such as public and private universities.  In addition, the Fair Housing Act applies to virtually all types of housing, both public and privately-owned, including housing covered by the ADA.  Under the Fair Housing Act, housing providers are obligated to permit, as a reasonable accommodation, the use of animals that work, provide assistance, or perform tasks that benefit persons with a disabilities, or provide emotional support to alleviate a symptom or effect of a disability.  For information about these Fair Housing Act requirements see HUD’s Notice on Service Animals and Assistance Animals for People with Disabilities in Housing and HUD-funded Programs.

Q36. Do Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, have to comply with the ADA?

A. No.  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is the Federal law that protects the rights of people with disabilities to participate in Federal programs and services.  For information or to file a complaint, contact the agency’s equal opportunity office.

Q37. Do commercial airlines have to comply with the ADA?

A. No.  The Air Carrier Access Act is the Federal law that protects the rights of people with disabilities in air travel.

Service Dog School of America offers Public Access service dog training. Our Service Dog Training School was created to provide Service Animals at a lower cost, and without clients having to wait 2 to 10 years to get their service dog.