Dog Ownership & Training

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Emotional Support, Therapy, and Service dogs are all used to aid with humans' physical and/or mental health, but each requires a different level of training and receives a different level of public access rights and privileges. Emotional Support and Service dogs are regulated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), but Therapy dogs are not regulated by any government organization.

Emotional Support Animals

ESAs don't really require any training or have any public access rights, but no company or landlord can deny you housing because of your ESA, even if it is a breed or species that is against the rules of the housing administration or landlord. In other words, if you have anxiety, depression, or any other mental health issue, you can get a letter from your doctor stating that your condition justifies having an ESA and your ESA is (name & breed/species of pet), and your landlord or HOA cannot evict you or make you get rid of (or pay extra for) your pet. Whether you can bring your ESA with you in the passenger area of an airplane, however, is up to the airline's discretion.

Therapy Animals

Therapy dogs don't need to know any special skills, but they do need to have basic manners and obedience training, essentially equivalent to CGC (which is often the first step to registering them as a therapy dog), and they should have a stable temperament and genuinely love humans (rather than being trained to accept their affection). Therapy dogs are allowed in some public and private spaces (typically up to the agency's discretion), and some places will not call you out if the dog is still in training (and wearing a therapy dog vest), but generally speaking they are only allowed in public places during therapy dog events (in schools, malls, nursing homes, etc.). Technically, because they are not regulated by the ADA, therapy dogs do not have any legal rights beyond those of a regular pet dog. They exist to aid humans by providing stress relief during stressful times (natural disasters, tragic events, confronting death, etc.), and the organization insuring them (typically a nonprofit) calls all the shots. Big fluffy dogs tend to make good therapy dogs (provided they have the temperament for it) because many people find it soothing to pet and hug them. Therapy dogs are not allowed to fly in the cabin on a plane any more than a regular pet dog is.

Service Dogs

Service dogs are allowed in practically all public spaces, but they are required to have special training to interact with the public and aid their handler. Special tasks performed by service dogs include guiding blind people, seizure detection, panic attack detection, blood glucose detection, mobility aid (meaning pulling their handler forward out of their chair, NOT supporting their weight), and many other jobs. Because a service dog has to have an extremely stable ("bombproof") temperament as well as special skills, most service dogs are one of the "Fab Four" breeds—Labrador, Golden Retriever, Poodle, or Collie (Smooth or Rough). All four of these breeds (when bred ethically and to standard) are extremely stable, very intelligent and trainable, and generally love other dogs and humans. Many other breeds have been used as service dogs in the past, but the "wash" rate is very high in service dogs so the Fab Four are by far the most popular breeds. For more information on service dogs, click here.