Here's The Difference Between Therapy, Service And Emotional Support Dogs

Do you know the difference between therapy dogs, service dogs, and emotional support animals? If not, read on! A service or assistance dog, like Finnegan McNeil, helps his dad by alerting him to sounds like sirens, doorbells, alarms, and when the cell phone rings.

Finnegan, a toy schnauzer, pushes his nose into his dad’s hand to tell him about the sounds. Finnegan’s dad suffers from Meniere’s disease and has hearing loss. Finnegan was in training for two years and helps keep his dad safe at home and when they are out in public. Service dogs can help people with physical, sensory, intellectual, psychiatric, and mental disabilities.

The dogs are trained to turn on (or off) the lights, push elevator buttons, pull wheelchairs, and open doors. Service dos are all protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), unlike other working animals. This means they can go into libraries, churches, schools, and grocery stores. Emotional support dogs help their parents with anxiety. Apollo, a corgi, and emotional support animal help his dad just by being near him. Emotional support dogs offer comfort to people who have emotional or mental disorders and do not usually require any training.

Just being there for their parent is all they need to do! Lady Darci is a therapy dog and a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. She visits hospitals in New South Wales, Australia and gives kisses and love to patients! Therapy dogs have to be well-behaved, people-loving, and calm. Visiting high-stress places like a hospitals, airports, and nursing homes is not something every dog can do!

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