Many blind, deaf, or physically disabled Americans rely on dogs
for assistance. These dogs provide the perfect combination of
companionship, obedience, usefulness and affection. They provide
practical aide and help maintain an individual's independence.
WHAT IS
ASSISTANCE DOGS FOR LIVING (ADL)?
WHAT ARE ASSISTANCE DOGS?
Assistance dogs are trained to perform tasks that assist a life-functioning
need. Guiding, signaling,
performing physical tasks, alerting
to seizures, alerting to psychological/psychiatric
disabilities and providing therapeutic
companionship, are typically some
of those tasks.
An individual need not have
a visible or discernible disability in order to be partnered
and benefit from the use of an Assistance Dog.
All categories of Assistance
Dogs are granted access by Federal and State Laws.
Assistance Dog definition will
vary from state to state. Assistance Dogs are defined as Service
Dogs in the Federal American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).
ASSISTANCE DOGS CATEGORIES
Guide Dog Category
- a dog which has been or is being specially trained to lead
in harness and serves as aide to the mobility of a particular
blind or visually impaired person. A guide dog will usually lead
in harness.
Hearing
Dog Category - a dog which has
been or is being specially trained to alert a particular deaf
or hard of hearing person to certain sounds. A hearing dog may
wear a blaze orange collar and leash, cape, vest or harness.
Service
Dog Category - a dog which has
been or is being specially trained to the individual requirements
of a physically disabled person to:
Pull a wheelchair
Provide
counterbalance as a “walker dog”
Fetch
dropped items; or
Provide other support services
to the person.
A service dog may be in harness,
backpack or vest.
Alert/Response
Dog Category - sometimes referred
to as "seizure response dogs", or "seizure alert
dogs", involves the training of dogs to work with individuals
who have epilepsy or any of a variety of other seizure disorders.
Alert/Response Dogs are also trained to work with individuals
who have psychological/psychiatric disabilities. An alert/response
dog may be in harness, backpack or vest.
Therapeutic
Companion Dog Category - a dog
that will provide companionship to therapeutically benefit the
life of a person with a disability. These dogs usually have a
basic skill level and not all dogs in this category are utilized
in public. This category includes dogs for children with disabilities,
utilized as a parenting tool for the therapeutic benefit to the
child.
Therapeutic
Companion Animal Category - an
animal other than a dog that provides companionship to therapeutically
benefit the life of a person with a disability. Not all dogs
in this category are utilized in public.
Although public identification
is not required, most dogs wear some form of visible identification
to represent them as Assistance Dogs. You may see equipment such
as a tag, vest, coat, harness, or backpack. Dogs can be mixed
or purebred and of any size.
ASSISTANCE DOG ETIQUETTE
The following information listed below are suggestions that Assistance
Dogs For Living recommends when meeting or interacting with an
Assistance Dog team in public. This same etiquette applies to
Assistance Puppies in training.
DO’S and DON’TS
DON’T…distract the dog from their working position
by calling, clapping, or offering food.
DO…allow the Assistance
Dog to serve as a working partner without distraction.
DON’T…attempt to pet
or touch an Assistance Dog…this also applies to your children
and dogs;
DO…speak to the
person…not to the dog when greeting an Assistance Dog team.
DON’T…be insulted
if your request to pet the Assistance Dog is not granted;
DO…understand
that releasing the dog to greet you might distract the dogs attentiveness
to their partner.
DON’T…automatically
tell the person that there are no dogs allowed.
DO…ask if the
dog with them is an Assistance Dog. If they say yes…no further
access questions are necessary.
DON’T…assume that
the dog is not an Assistance Dog because the person doesn’t
look disabled;
DO… observe the
conduct and interaction between the person and the dog. If the
dog is being attentive to his or her partner and functioning
close to them, you are looking at the main characteristics of
an Assistance Dog.
