WHAT IS A SERVICE ANIMAL?

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. 

Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

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ADA REQUIREMENTS

For more information, visit ADA website
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This definition does not affect or limit the broader definition of “assistance animal” under the Fair Housing Act or the broader definition of “service animal” under the Air Carrier Access Act.

Types of
Service Animals

There are many types of service animals, such as psychiatric service animals, Hearing impaired, Seizure alert & Response dogs, Visually Impaired, Mobility assistance dogs, Autism Service Animals, Diabetic Alert dogs, and Allergy Detection Dogs.

Psychiatric
Service Animals (PSA)

Psychiatric Service Animals (PSA) are dogs trained to work or perform tasks for people with mental illness or learning disabilities.

Who can get a PSA?

PSA Psychiatric Service Animals  are trained dogs to help the person with the mental illness such as:

  • Post – traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Social Phobias
  • Depression
  • Schizophrenia
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder
  • Panic Attacks
  • Agoraphobia

Your mental illness must prevent you from living your life independently to qualify for PSA. If it doesn’t pose limitations on your daily life, you probably won’t be able to get a PSA.

Task examples for PTSD:

  • “Block” or “Behind” command tells the dog to stand or lay down in front or behind the person to create a secure space.
  • “Sweep” The dog is trained to enter the room or building ahead of the veteran and “sweep” and alert his handler of any person inside.
  • “Lights,” The dog is trained to flick on the light switch.
  • “Find” and “bring” the medication needed.
  • Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) – Laying down on the person’s lap or across his legs.
  • Wake up the owner if he is having nightmares.
  • Retrieve an emergency phone and call with the K9 telephone to get help
  • Provide medication reminders
  • Interrupt Flashbacks
therapy-dog

The more common psychiatric service animals are those for PTSD. As you may know, many military service men and women have PTSD. A service animal can be highly trained for these individuals based on their needs and the severity of their illness.

At WooF Dogs, we train and test dogs for PTSD. Either we can help provide the dog and prepare it for the person with the disability, or we can test your dog and train it to become a service animal for you.

TRAINING PROCCESS

DOCTOR’S LETTER 

A Doctor’s letter prescribes a service animal to help you with your disability

 EVALUATE YOUR DOG 

Consultation with our experienced trainers to discuss your options and qualifications to get or train a service animal

OBEDIENCE TRAINING

Basic & Advanced Obedience training, focusing on your disability

PUBLIC ACCESS TRAINING

So the dog can perform and behave in a public setting, including slippery floors, Elevators, and escalators, as well as high traffic and distracting environments.

SPECIFIC TASK TRAINING

Matching your disabilities

PASSING C.G.C

Canine good citizen

PASSING ACGC

Advance Canine Good Citizen

PASSING WDSAT

WooF Dogs Service Animal Test usually includes all the training the dog had as a service dog

ID Card

We will provide proof of training as an ID card that will expire every year, and the dog and his owner will need to pass WDSAT to renew their ID card.

SUCCESS

Those requirements might be higher than the ADA requirements and created by WooF Dogs experts to provide sufficient training for the service animal

Service Animal for diabetes

Diabetic Alert Dogs are trained to alert diabetic owners in advance of low (hypoglycemia) or high (hyperglycemia) blood sugar events before they become dangerous. That way their handlers can take steps to return their blood sugar to normal such as using glucose sweets or taking insulin.

Service animal for mobility

On this Collar of Duty episode you will see how can a service animal change the life of his owner. Atlas is a service animal trained by us to provide his owner mobility and confidence on his daily life. Skip to minute 13:00 to watch us. 

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 Evaluation