Service, Therapy, and Emotional Support Animals

Tim Steele of Behavior Matters Academy does a deep dive into the difference between service, therapy, and emotional support dog status.

Dogs Allowed

By Nikki Phillips

Tim Steele of Behavior Matters Academy trains dogs so they are happy and safe and so you are happy with your dog. This includes everything from puppies to fear, aggression, and separation anxiety. He has worked all over the United States and in five continents. Steele provides helpful information about the distinctions between service, therapy, and emotional support dogs.

Service Dogs

When a person has a recognized disability a service dog will help by performing task or notifying them to a health concern. A recognized disability does not mean the medical issue is visible, for example a service dog may help someone who has a heart condition. Typically, these dogs learn to perform specific services for their handler such as opening a door, reminding them to take medication, or picking up dropped objects. Service dogs must be well-mannered and usually go through training that often takes two or more years. These dogs can be trained by you or a professional.

There is no requirement for a certification or specialty identification card for this type of dog because the they are covered under the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA). This gives them the right to go into spaces a dog may not otherwise be allowed to occupy such as stores, theatre, museums, and restaurants.

Pro Tip: The only other animal allowed to serve as an official service animal is a miniature horse.

Emotional Support Animals (ESA)

ESA’s are entirely different from service dogs. One of the biggest differences is that ESA’s can be a dog, but truly any other animal can fulfill this role. Their goal is to provide comfort and support to a person with a mental disability or ailment that is officially documented by a mental health professional. This does not mean the animal has public access rights, there are limitations on their access to public places.

Any place your pet is allowed, the ESA’s is also permitted. This means they are not allowed in grocery stores, theatres, and museums. In contrast to service dogs, there is no required training for ESA animals who hold this role.

Pro Tip: Even if a location allows pet dogs, they are not required by law to allow you bring in your ESA pet bird.

Airlines in the United States recently changed their rules, so ESA’s are not allowed on planes. ESA’s are allowed in housing, where pets may not be permitted but only if you have the doctor’s note. If the animal is disruptive and does damage to the dwelling, they can be evicted.

Therapy Dogs

Therapy dogs are also carefully trained and selected to serve in this role. Once properly and thoroughly trained they are taken into schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and other places by invitation only. This means they do not have a right to go to those places, like a service dog. Their goal is to make the residents, patients, and students feel better.

Pro Tip: There is more to it than just bringing your dog to the hospital and walking around cheering people up.

To serve in this role, you and your dog would find a therapy dog organization in your area who will test your dog. They might provide the dog, and you, with training. Some organizations provide the training, while others describe the training they require, leaving the responsibility of completing the training up to you. According to Steele, these dogs have to be “pretty bombproof” because they will encounter all kind of smells and fairly invasive body handling. These dogs cannot be noisy, jump on people, or act in a way that could be disruptive or dangerous. Their goal is to comfort the people they are visiting, not their owners.
The biggest difference between these three types of dogs are where they are allowed to go and the amount of training required to properly fill their role.

This information is intended solely as a general educational aid and is not a substitute for medical or other professional advice.

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