Each year, thousands of people register with a service dog. These people use this animal as their lifeline. But, many people don’t know just how intelligent and important these animals are. Let’s talk about it.

Let’s begin with what a service dog is. According to the ADA, a service animal is a working animal that’s been trained to assist and perform tasks for the disabled. Some examples include: those who are blind, deaf, seizure-prone, or suffer from intense mental health issues. 

What do service dogs do? Well, each service dog is trained to perform specific tasks for specific people and their disabilities. 

A good example would be people who suffer from seizures. The dog is trained to be able to detect oncoming seizures, in addition to laying on or near their owners to prevent them from hitting their head on a hard object. When the animal alerts the person of an oncoming seizure, that person may have enough time to get into a safe position, thus reducing the risk of getting injured. 

A second good example of the diversity and intelligence of service dogs are guide dogs. Guide dogs, hence the name, are service dogs given to the blind. These dogs are trained to lead blind people around the house, in public, or in a building. Many guide dogs have learned what a crosswalk is, and they help their owner cross the street. They stop when there’s traffic, they alert the owner when there’s a door, they avoid objects, ect. To the blind, their guide dogs are a necessity when going in public. 

The abilities of service dogs are so diverse and impressive. They’ve become a lifeline for so many people and those people would be struggling so much more without them.

Now, let’s get into the misconceptions surrounding service dogs, because there’s quite a few.

Firstly, the most common misconception is that service dogs don’t live quality lives because they are working. Well, if that’s the case, then wouldn’t all humans live bad lives? Exactly, it’s no different than us humans. Not only is this idea incorrect, but it’s almost the exact opposite. Dogs enjoy being with their owners, and enjoy the stimulation of working and using their brains. Plus, they often get rewarded after or during their work, and what animal wouldn’t enjoy a treat?

Some may say service dogs cause disturbances in public places and shouldn’t be allowed. This misconception is often thought by those who aren’t very knowledgeable in this area.  Many places aren’t pet friendly, but allow service animals. These people often know little to nothing about service animals and the laws surrounding them, so they end up causing problems with people who do own one. They’ll yell, harass, and bother the owners and the animal. Usually, it ends after a worker is called over and has to pull away the person. Because of interactions like this, the owner may dread and put off doing things like shopping, because they’re scared of being harassed.

Other people may think that pitbulls and other “dangerous” breeds cannot be service dogs. Again, this is incorrect. Any breed of dog is eligible to become a service dog with the correct training.  

What about therapy dogs? Therapy dogs are often seen in therapy offices or some schools. They are trained to be calm and non-aggressive animals. Therapy dogs are not considered service dogs by the ADA, so they aren’t allowed everywhere in public. Therapy dogs are required to perform a minimum of 120 hours over a 6 month period to become a registered therapy dog. Once registered, they are then able to sign up to become a place’s official therapy dog, and are then allowed within that building or organization. 

According to nassp.org, therapy dogs in schools show only positive results. Before covid, Oakmont itself had a therapy dog who would visit the school a couple days a week. The dog’s name was Cully and she was in training to become a therapy dog. Coming to Oakmont helped fulfill some of those hours. Everyone knew Cully and looked forward to seeing her on days she was scheduled to come. Students, especially high schoolers, experience very high amounts of stress and it’s not uncommon to develop mental disorders. Having a school therapy dog that hangs out in guidance or visits the school a few days a week will overall make high school a better and more positive experience. It’s been scientifically proven that petting a dog can reduce stress and increase the happy chemicals in your brain, which sounds ideal for students.  I know if I was having a rough day in school, petting a cute dog would make me feel so much better.

Service animals and what they do needs to be more well known, not only for your benefit, but for those who suffer from disabilities. If you feel as though you may need a service animal, or you just want to learn more, visit ada.gov. 

If you feel strongly about service animals and wish to donate to help people get paired with their perfect service dog, visit freedomservicedogs.org. They’ve helped pair service dogs to people who needed them and have made a huge positive impact on many people’s lives who once didn’t have hope.