What is a Service Dog?

And why do I want one?

A service dog is a dog that is trained to perform tasks that mitigate a handler’s disability.  A service dog handler may have all sorts of disabilities, a visual impairment, a hearing impairment, a mobility problem like multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy, a medical condition like a seizure disorder, a neurological disorder like autism, or a mental illness like post-traumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia.  Under a federal law called the Americans with Disabilities Act, disabled people that rely on service dogs must be permitted to take their dogs into most business and other public places, even when pets are not normally allowed.  That’s because a service dog is not a pet; it’s something entirely different.

In order to be covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), though, your condition must cause significant limitations in regard to at least one major life activity.  Major life activities include things like walking, hearing, seeing, communicating, thinking and breathing.  That means not everyone with conditions like multiple sclerosis, seizure disorders or PTSD would be considered disabled under the ADA.  Some people have those conditions but they are not very severe, or their symptoms are well-managed.  In that case, they would not be allowed to take service dogs into public places under the ADA.

It’s important to note that service dogs must be trained to perform specific tasks that mitigate the disabled handler’s disability.  For instance, I could train a dog to open my refrigerator, get out a bottle of water and bring it to me.  That sure would be convenient, but I have no trouble getting my own drink so it would not be mitigating my disability in any way.  Being trained to do that would not make my dog a service dog.

It’s also important to note that while a dog might make people with conditions like depression or anxiety feel better or provide companionship for them, those are not trained tasks and do not make a dog a service dog.  Those would be known as emotional support animals, not service dogs.

So now you know what a service dog is.  But why do I want one?

Primarily because I have major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  I have some other issues I think a dog could help me with, but those are the main ones.  I want to be able to be more independent, and I think a service dog could help me get there.  

At one time, my partner Mike worked from home so he was available to help me whenever I needed help.  Then he had a job outside of the home, but he had some flexibility.  He could usually arrange to take time off work if needed, and he was usually available by phone during the day if I needed a little help.  He has a different job now and his schedule is really strict.  I can’t reach him by phone when he’s at work, he can only phone me on his break.  When he calls during his break, he only has a limited amount of time he can talk before he must be back at his desk.  All of this means I must spend more time alone and I think a service dog could provide a lot of assistance.

What exactly would a service dog do for me?  I’ll tell you what I’m hoping a dog could do for me in my next post.