There seems to be much confusion regarding the labels that dogs can carry and we’re here to educate so that the correct terminology is used when speaking about all the wonderful capabilities that our dogs have. We’re here to bring out the best in each and every dog with the vision of sharing them with the world. Through our experience in the Therapy Dog realm with various organizations over the years (and Dog B.O.N.E.S. Therapy Dogs of Massachusetts as our consistent, world class organization that we’re humbled to volunteer with) we can confidently launch Om’s Comfort Dog Certification program.
What is a Service Dog?
Simply put, service dogs are defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” In the United States, they are allowed in areas of public accommodation, even where pets are generally forbidden. To be a service dog, a dog must be brave enough, large enough, and intelligent enough to do the job. They can NEVER pose a safety threat to the public and are required to be able to perform their duties 90% of the time. There are 2 questions that can be asked according to the ADA regarding a service dog’s presence: Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? What task has the dog been trained to perform?
An appropriately trained service dog has had hundreds of hours of training put into them from a socialization perspective as a young puppy, hundreds of hours of training from an obedience perspective, and even more hours of task training.
*Important side note: We get tons of requests, “Can you train my dog to be a service dog?” And the answer is usually NO. And it’s not that we can’t, it’s that we won’t. We won’t partake in cheating the system so that your dog can fly on a plane with you. We won’t partake in putting out a dog to the world that hasn’t had FULL, THOROUGH, SIGNIFICANT TRAINING to earn the status of Service Dog. We thoroughly explain that before a puppy can be task trained, it must be properly socialized and work through the levels of training past the Canine Good Citizen Advanced level. We’re talking about weeks, months, years of consistent training. And most people don’t/won’t/can’t commit to that or even better, EXPECT it to be free. The dogs that we have trained to be service dogs (and their owners) have become family and we are always here to support them. There are not nationally or legally recognized service dog training, certification, or identification standards, and both professional trainers/organizations and laypersons may train and provide service dogs.
What is an Emotional Support Animal (Dog)?
ESA’s (Emotional Support Animals) are pets and NOT Service Dogs. They are prescribed by mental health professionals to patients with disabling mental illnesses to provide emotional support, companionship, and comfort to help people deal with challenges that might otherwise compromise their quality of life. ESA’s are covered under the Fair Housing Act so that people cannot be discriminated against due to a disability when obtaining housing. They are not service dogs and are not covered under the ADA. Airlines are no longer required to accommodate ESA’s as of the Air Carrier Access Act of 2020.
*Important side note: The amount of people misrepresenting their pets as service animals is staggering and completely undermines important accommodations that are necessary for individuals with a legitimate need.
What is a Therapy Dog?
A Therapy Dog is a privately owned canine who has been trained, is certified (and insured) by a non-profit to provide comfort, affection, and healing to people in clinical settings such as hospice, disaster areas, retirement homes, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, churches, libraries, etc. Their owner/handlers are VOLUNTEERING their services and visits must be conducted on a 4’ leash or shorter that is held at all times by the certified handler. Dogs who are suitable for therapy dog work must LOVE people, be comfortable being handled, have calm demeanors, and a high level of obedience equivalent to the Advanced Canine Good Citizen. THIS IS WHERE OUR PASSION LIES. We strive to make the world a better place and absolutely LOVE when clients have the goal of training their dogs to become therapy dogs and share their love with the world. We will always participate in the Therapy Dog Community. There is nothing better than wholehearted volunteering.
You can absolutely train your dog to be a therapy dog. It takes consistency and group class training so that they learn to be able to handle anything that comes their way and maintain calmness and attentiveness around others. We offer 6 levels of Obedience Classes as well as Enrichment Courses to set you dog up for success. We will also advise you when your dog is ready to successfully pass as a Therapy Dog. The median age is 6, although most of our clients accomplish is prior to 3 years of age. A puppy has to grow and mature into a confident dog.
What is a Comfort Dog?
A Comfort Dog is a Therapy Dog that has a handler in a professional role. They are “working” Therapy Dogs, which means that their handlers are being paid for a job and must carry additional insurance with their employer. Comfort dogs are dogs who work for police departments, in residential homes, for therapists, etc. Most will dually be certified with a Therapy Dog Organization so that their handlers can volunteer as well in their free time.
You can absolutely train your dog to be a comfort dog. It takes consistency - group class training as well as private lessons (ie on the job training and observation) so that they learn to be able to handle anything that comes their way and maintain calmness and attentiveness around others. We offer 6 levels of Obedience Classes as well as Enrichment Courses to set you dog up for success. We will custom tailor a training program to your dogs needs and will also advise you when your dog is ready to successfully pass as a Comfort Dog. You must provide proof of insurance prior to receiving certification .
We’re honored to introduce the Comfort Dogs that we’ve had the privilege of training:
Miss Lola
I met Miss Lola during the Summer of 2020 when she was newly adopted and knew absolutely nothing other than how to wiggle and make us laugh! This sweet girl couldn’t physically keep her propeller rear end on the ground to lie down. She is simply phenomenal and worked hard through all the levels of obedience, starting in Elementary, on through Intermediate I and II and Canine Good Citizen Prep (earned her CGC title), and Advanced Canine Good Citizen (earned her CGCA). In addition to group training, we had a few private sessions in the office speficically tailored to greeting patients and learning her job during therapy sessions. She is also a Certified Therapy Dog with Dog B.O.N.E.S. Therapy Dogs of Massachusetts and makes volunteer visits to local colleges.