Different Types of Dogs

There is often lots of confusion about different types of dogs.  I'm going to try to do a "Reader's Digest" version of breaking it down.  Please realize none of these are "better" than the other!  ALL animals are VERY important!

PETS

A pet dog is the one you love on, you take for walks, is all happy when you come home.  You may NOT take your pet into No Animal Access places like stores, restaurants, hotels, taxis, airplanes.

ESAs (Emotional Support Animals)

ESAs may live with you, even in rentals that say NO PETS ALLOWED, *IF* you have a letter from your doctor saying you need your Emotional Support Animal with you.  You DO need paper work for ESAs for transportation and housing.  Emotional Support Animals MAY NOT go into stores or restaurants or any place animals are not allowed UNLESS it is for transportation or housing.

THERAPY DOGS

Therapy dogs do not take care of their handler.  The handler brings a therapy dog to nursing homes, hospitals, clinics, etc. to give others a distraction/feel better time while those people may not feel comfortable.  For example, my son's ear doctor's dog is a therapy dog and is at the doctor's office in the mornings to help calm patients.  These dogs are only allowed into these places if the nursing home, hospital, clinic, etc. allows.

SERVICE DOGS

A service dog is basically "medical equipment" for a certain individual.  It has been trained for public access.  It will never urinate/poop on the floor - unless a flight has been delayed, will not eat spilled food from anywhere, it will not bark unless trained to do so for alerting those with vision issues, AND most importantly, it has been TASK TRAINED to do specific task(s) to assist its handler with their disability.  The service dog handler MUST have a disability to have a service dog.  Service dogs do NOT have papers stating it is a service dog.  There is NO registration.  Service dogs do NOT have to wear a vest or any markings.  It is illegal to distract or harm a service dog.  

IT IS ILLEGAL TO PASS OFF A DOG AS A SERVICE DOG IF IT HAS NOT GONE THROUGH THE NEEDED TRAINING *OR* IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A DISABILITY!

To learn more, click HERE!
For an fun informational video, click HERE!

Thanks for Reading!