There are many hot-button issues that tend to spark a debate, anytime they come up in conversation. Perhaps one of the newest to arrive on the scene is the conversation about service dogs. Most of us are able to identify a service dog because they wear special vests and sometimes they will have an ID tag. There is a new trend that is being fueled online, however, and we often see more fake service dogs in public than real ones.
When you have a true service dog, they are trained for a specific task. They may help a disabled individual by providing balance, supporting them, watching for problems such as seizure or blood sugar problems and perhaps guiding somebody who is visually impaired. Service dogs go through very special training to teach them how to do these things. The training also teaches them that they are expected to behave in specific ways, including not jumping, barking or distracting others.
Because service dogs are able to perform certain tasks to help people, they are protected when it comes to going to public places. Business owners may be able to question the owner of the service dog but they can only ask two questions: Is that a service dog, and what service does this dog provide? Store owners cannot ask the owner of the service dog about their disability under federal law.
There is an issue, however, some people are passing off their family pet as a service animal and it is getting easier to certify a dog as an emotional support animal. You can learn more from this video:
There are a number of issues associated with fake service dogs. They stop a real service dog from helping their owners without having to jump through a bunch of hoops in public. They may also attack service dogs, which are trained to be submissive. Those fake service dogs may also show negative traits in public that includes jumping on people and barking. Some of them may even be aggressive.
If there is a need for a legitimate service dog, you can go with any number of different programs. Some of them will train a pet for you but it can take years, so it is often a dog that was trained since they were a puppy. Some programs will also match a trained dog with an applicant. Your doctor can help you to find the program that you need.
Nobody is denying that there are is sometimes a need for emotional support dogs. They can help people with posttraumatic stress disorder and a variety of mental illnesses. There are also requirements and benefits for pet owners. As long as fake service dogs exist, however, they put the needs of those who have trained service dogs at risk.