Service Dog and Therapy Dog Training

There is a huge difference between service dogs and therapy dogs. But we do train for both!

A service dog is trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. Service dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) giving them public access rights.

A therapy dog is trained to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, disaster areas. Therapy dogs are not service animals and are not afforded the same privileges.

What is a Service Dog (SD)?

A service animal is a dog as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A service dog has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the person’s disability.

The Americans With Disabilities Act protects the rights of people with disabilities to access public places, including stores, restaurants, hotels and hospitals, with their service dogs.

What is a Therapy Dog (TD)?

Therapy, support, comfort and emotional dogs are pets. Therapy dogs are often used to provide affection and comfort to people in hospitals, retirement homes, nursing homes, schools, hospices, and disaster areas. Though they may be trained and certified by reputable organizations, they do not fall under the protection of the ADA to access public places because they are not trained to perform a specific job or task for a person with a disability. When access is granted to therapy dogs, it is by courtesy or invitation only and at the discretion of the establishment.

SD Training & Requirements

TD Training & Requirements

Because a therapy dog's job is simply to be a dog for those in need, they don't have to undergo a lot of specialized training. They do, however, need to be proficient in basic obedience skills and be highly socialized and able to get along well with strangers.

Dogs of any breed, shape, or size can become therapy dogs. In order to be considered for therapy dog registration, a dog should be at least one year of age. They need to be friendly, confident, and well-mannered and not aggressive, anxious, fearful, or hyperactive. You must also be able to demonstrate that either you or the person who will accompany your dog on visitations are able to work well with the dog.

Black Pirate Pup Co. requires all our service dogs to be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) and pass their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and Urban Canine Good Citizen tests (CGCU). With this being said, all dogs in our therapy dog program will be required to go through basic training with us to ensure your dog is proficient in the basic and advanced training commands. Your dog will also undergo elaborate desensitization training so that they won't become rattled in situations involving boisterous children or noisy hospital machines. We consistently follow the Therapy Dog Standards set forth by Pet Partners and Therapy Dogs International. Your dog and you must comply with the basic health standards as follows:

Your dog needs to have had an annual health check performed by your veterinarian within the past 12 months.
He must be current on his rabies vaccination, and it must have been administered by a vet.
He must have received all of his core vaccinations, including for distemper, parvo, and hepatitis.
He must have received a stool exam within the past 12 months, with negative results.
He must also have tested negative for heartworm within the past year, or be on continuous heartworm prevention medication.

Training standards set forth by Black Pirate Pup Co, Pet Partners and Therapy Dogs International are the minimum as follows:

Meeting and greeting new people
Sit/stay and down/stay in a group situation
Coming when called
Visiting with a patient
Reactions to children and unusual situations
The leave-it command
Meeting another dog
Entering the facility
and more

After training is completed, you will register with one of the above accredited organizations.

In order to start service dog training, a doctor's letter stating the need for a service animal (not emotional support or companion animal) is required per our program. The day-to-day average person suffers from anxiety, but this does not prove that you have a disability and that you require the usage of a service dog. This is not as easy as going online to "register your dog" and getting an ID card because you have minor anxiety. This is an extensive process and requires a lot of specialized training.

“Disability” is defined by the ADA as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, including people with history of such an impairment, and people perceived by others as having such an impairment. The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications. A service dog is trained to take a specific action that helps mitigate an individual’s disability. The task the dog performs is directly related to their person’s disability.

We specialize in service dog training and testing. We train for civilians with multiple disabilities and traumas including but not limited to, psychiatric disabilities and diagnoses, other debilitating mental health disorders such C-PTSD, PTS, panic disorders, depression and more. Along with this type of work we also train service dogs for those that are domestic violence and abuse, human trafficking and mass shooting survivors. We also train service dogs for medical alert and response for minor diagnosis's such as debilitating migraines, minor seizures and more.

Our training process is extensive and requires hands on time working with our trainers and full commitment from you to put in the work with your dog. Our program ranges anywhere from 6 months to a year of training. Each service dog candidate will first be temperament tested to see if they are suitable for service work. If the temperament test is passed, they will enter the basic and advanced obedience portion of our program where they will learn manners and skills to work with and for their handler with ease. After basic and advanced obedience has been passed then the task work begins. Task work is what certifies our dogs as service dogs. These tasks will be discussed, planned and trained with our trainer per the handlers' specific needs and disabilities. Every handler is different and has different needs, but each of our dogs will learn a minimum of 3 tasks or more during the duration of our program.

After training is completed in our program, Black Pirate Pup Co. requires all our service dogs to be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) and pass their Canine Good Citizen (CGC) and Urban Canine Good Citizen tests (CGCU). Along with these test, we also test your canine on our personal service dog public access test to ensure that you dog can behave and task in any environment for you. Upon graduation, you will receive your AKC Titles, our Service Dog Program completion ribbon as well as our program vest to show that your dog completed their training with a reputable organization.

Therapy Dog Registration

Pet Partners Registration

Therapy Dogs International Registration

SD Behavior Standards

TD Behavior Standards

1. Is clean, well-groomed and does not have an offensive odor.
2. Does not urinate or defecate in inappropriate locations.
3. Must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered while in public places unless these devices
interfere with the service animal’s work or the person’s disability prevents use of these
devices. In that case, the person must use voice, signal, or other effective means to
maintain control of the animal.
4. Should be responsive to the first command of the handler 90% of the time.
5. Does not solicit attention, visit, or annoy any member of the general public.
6. Does not disrupt the normal course of business.
7. Does not vocalize unnecessarily, i.e. barking, growling or whining. However, some
service dogs are trained to give a notification bark to their owner in case of an impending
medical emergency.
8. Shows no aggression towards people or other animals.
9. Does not solicit or steal food or other items from the public.
10. Works calmly and quietly on harness, leash or other tether.
11. Can perform its tasks in public despite multiple distractions.
12. Must be able to lie quietly beside the handler without blocking aisles, doorways, etc.
13. Stays within 24″ (60 cm) of its handler at all times unless the nature of a trained task
requires it to be working at a greater distance.
14. Has 4 paws on the ground unless completing a specific task to aid the handler.

At a minimum, the therapy dog should have the ability to complete basic obedience such as:

Heeling or walking on a loose leash
Down
Sit
Come
Leave It
Walking past a neutral dog
Gently taking a treat or object

Dogs should be comfortable with:

handling of nails and paws
grabbing scruff
staring into the eyes
prolonged hugs
grabbing tail
brushing
yelling
jerky movements
several people crowding it at once

Dogs also learn how to respond to unsettling situations, unfamiliar sights, and sounds, such as:

equipment
loud noises
loudspeakers
crowds
unusual smells
hallways
wheelchairs
fire alarms

If your dog displays the following behaviors, he/she may not yet be suitable for therapy work:

Growling, barking, or other signs of aggression toward humans
Growling, barking, or other signs of aggression toward dogs or other animals
Shyness
Lack of house-training skills
Medical concerns (advanced age, fatigue, stiffness, excessive panting, signs of discomfort, etc.)

Head over to our services page to book your initial intake and behavior consult to get started with your service dog or therapy dog training.

Feel free to contact us to see if you and your dog qualify for service work and to discuss your options!