What are the Guidelines for Service Dogs in Public Places?

Service dogs play a vital role in assisting individuals with disabilities, enabling them to lead more independent and fulfilling lives. If you have a service dog, or are thinking about getting one for your disability, understanding the guidelines for service dogs in public places ensures that these essential companions can perform their duties, and keep you safe, without unnecessary obstacles.

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What is a service dog?

A service dog is a specially trained dog who performs tasks to assist individuals with disabilities, such as guiding someone who is visually impaired, alerting someone who is deaf to sounds, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, and performing other duties. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service dogs are granted public access rights, meaning they can accompany their handlers in most public places.

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What do service dogs do?

Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks that assist individuals with disabilities, enhancing their independence and quality of life. From guiding the visually impaired through bustling city streets to alerting the hearing impaired to vital sounds, these dogs are more than just pets — they are lifelines. Here are the different types of service dogs and their roles:

Guide dogs

Guide dogs help individuals who are blind or visually impaired navigate their environment safely. They are trained to lead their handlers around obstacles, stop at curbs and steps, await crosswalk signals, and guide them through complex environments.

Hearing dogs

Hearing dogs assist individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing by alerting them to important sounds such as doorbells, alarms, phone calls, and even their name being called. They provide their handlers with greater awareness of their surroundings.

Mobility dogs

Mobility dogs assist individuals with physical disabilities by performing tasks such as retrieving items, opening doors, pushing buttons, and providing balance and support while walking. 

Medical-alert dogs

Medical-alert dogs are trained to detect specific medical conditions and alert their handlers before or during an episode. For example, diabetic-alert dogs can detect changes in blood sugar levels, while seizure-alert dogs can sense an impending seizure and notify their handler to find a safe place. Seizure-alert dogs can also protect their handlers until the seizure has passed. 

Psychiatric service dogs

Psychiatric service dogs support individuals with psychiatric disabilities such as PTSD, anxiety, or depression. They perform tasks like interrupting harmful behaviors, providing deep pressure therapy, reminding their handlers to take medication, and creating a calming presence during episodes of distress.

Where is a service dog allowed to go?

The ADA mandates that service dogs must be allowed to go anywhere the general public is permitted to go. This includes all public accommodations, businesses, and government facilities, including but not limited to:

• Restaurants

• Waiting rooms

• Restrooms

• Airports

• Hotels

• Stores

• Public transportation

• Theaters

• Offices

• Hospitals

When is a service dog not allowed

Although the ADA mandates service dogs can accompany their handlers in a variety of public places and government buildings, service dogs must adhere to certain guidelines to ensure they do not disrupt the environment. To ensure access to these places and the ability to best assist their handlers, a service dog should be well-behaved and under the control of their handler at all times. This includes not barking, growling, or causing disturbances.

Service dogs should be kept on a leash or harness, unless the leash interferes with the dog’s ability to perform tasks, or if the handler is unable to use a leash or harness. Service dogs should be potty trained and should not interfere with other people or animals.

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Guidelines for service dogs in public places

Service dogs play a crucial role in assisting individuals with disabilities, and understanding the guidelines for their presence in public places is essential for anyone considering a service dog or for handlers who already have one. Here are some key tips to help service dogs and their handlers navigate public spaces with ease and dignity:

• Service dogs are allowed to accompany their handlers in all public places where the general public is allowed, such as restaurants, shops, hospitals, schools, and hotels.

• Even if a place has a “no pets” policy, service dogs are still allowed. Businesses and non-profits must make reasonable modifications to accommodate service dogs.

Staff may ask only two questions to determine if a dog is a service animal: 

• “Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?”

• “What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?”

• Service dogs do not need to be certified or wear a vest to be recognized. The ADA does not require service dogs to be professionally trained.

Can a restaurant ask for proof of service dog? 

If you have a service dog, remember that the ADA only allows businesses to ask two questions to verify a service dog’s status: (1) “Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?” And (2) “What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?”

Further, there are other specific rules that restaurants must follow: Service dogs are allowed in both indoor and outdoor seating areas. A restaurant cannot require a person with a service dog to sit outside. Restaurants cannot charge extra fees for service dogs. Businesses cannot require documentation or proof, nor can they ask about the nature of the person’s disability.

That said, your service dog must follow some guidelines of its own: They must be well-behaved and under the control of their handler at all times. This includes not barking, growling, or causing disturbances.

Do service dogs have to wear a vest?

Service dogs are not required to wear a vest under the ADA. While many service dogs do wear vests, harnesses, or special ID tags to identify them as working animals, it is not a legal requirement. The main requirement is that the dog is trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability.

Do service dogs have to be on a leash?

Under the ADA, service dogs are required to be on a leash, harness, or tether unless the handler’s disability prevents the use of those devices, or if the use of these devices would interfere with the service dog’s ability to perform their tasks. In such cases, the service dog must still be under the handler’s control through other means, such as voice commands, signals, or other effective methods.

Ensuring that the service dog is well-behaved and controlled is essential, whether or not a leash is used. The main goal is to maintain the safety and functionality of the service dog in assisting their handler.

References

• Winkle, M., Crowe, T. K., & Hendrix, I. (2012). Service dogs and people with physical disabilities partnerships: A systematic review. Occupational Therapy International, 19(1), 54-66. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21858889/

• U.S. Department of Justice. (2010). Service animals: 2010 requirements. Retrieved from https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements/?form=MG0AV3

• The Dog Alliance. Service dog training. Retrieved from https://thedogalliance.org/service-dog-training/