Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by PaulaO on September 16, 2012 at 11:34am

If you are in the US, there is no certification. All the dog has to do is at least one trained task that assists you as the person with a disability. Some states have Service Dog in Training laws that allow you the same rights with a dog in training.

Permalink Reply by Trudy on September 16, 2012 at 11:42am

Hi PaulaO. I am a little confused. If you simply state that your dog is a Service Dog, can you fly with the dog next to you in the cabin? Take the dog into restaurants with you?

Permalink Reply by PaulaO on September 16, 2012 at 3:08pm

Yes, you say it is your Service Dog and they have to believe you.

Public accommodation (restaurants) are covered under the ADA
http://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm

Airplanes are covered under the Air Carriers Access Act
http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/rules/20030509.pdf
http://www.disabilitytravel.com/airlines/air_carrier_act_details.htm

Housing is under the Fair Housing Act

The first thing you need to do is read, read, read, about your rights and understand them.

The second thing is to get your dog a cape with a service dog patch. There's a bunch of different ones out there. I always get mine from Sitstay.com. A cape is not required but is expected. It really helps.

Permalink Reply by Sweetgirl on September 16, 2012 at 2:15pm

You will need I.D. for the puppy. There are a lot of folks in the USA selling vests, tags, etc. The most effective I have found is a SERVICE DOG vest with a top ring for the leash. One guy I consult is blind and has a seeing-eye dog. He says that your service dog is ALWAYS in training, and he believes you don't need the "in training" label.

Tags are great, but not visible to the public. AND, some vests aren't visible enough. So, make sure you choose a vest that is appropriately recognizable. This will save you a ton of hassle.

Best wishes on your journey.
Mary

Permalink Reply by Jeff Dempsey on December 11, 2012 at 5:51am

I suggest the ActiveDogs 707552-R vest. Cooper has the one with the under-vest and saddle bags that hold the glucose tablets and a meter (be sure to keep the meter in the case, as the vest gets a lot of use/abuse). I also asked them to sew velcro on the vest and patches, so I could change out the patches from "Service Dog" on one side and "Please ask to pet me" (which about 50% of the population actually does...)

Now that Cooper is better trained at getting my lows (about 96%), I changed out the "Please ask to pet me" to "Medical Alert Dog"

One other bit of advice is to educate, and be prepared for the "jerks of the world" who know everything about service dogs from their Aunt Flossie. It sounds like this manager didn't know. I had a bit of a hard time with the door checker at Costco, who insisted that I hold Cooper's leash while fumbling to get my Costco card out, manage 3 kids (7 and under), and push the cart. Good ol' Cooper just stood by me and when I told him to walk, he paced me nicely.

Permalink Reply by Biedronk on September 16, 2012 at 4:51pm

Thanks to all for the answer to my Qs. I am sorry for two copies of the discussion, I am not sure why it showed like this. I guess a glitch.