OUR ASSISTANCE DOGS
ASA Service Dogs offers placement and training for a variety of different assistance dogs, including service dogs, therapy dogs, and emotional support dogs.
A Service Dog (SD) is a dog that is individually trained to perform work or tasks that directly assist a person with a disability. These trained tasks help mitigate the effects of the individual's disability and provide increased independence, confidence, safety, and support in daily life.
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In the United States, Service Dogs are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are generally permitted to accompany their handler in public places, including restaurants, stores, hotels, airports, hospitals, and other publicly accessible locations.
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At ASA Service Dogs, we customize the training of every Service Dog to meet the unique needs of each recipient. No two recipients are exactly alike, and neither are their service dogs.
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Some of the most common types of Service Dogs provided by ASA Service Dogs include:
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Autism Service Dogs
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PTSD Service Dogs
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Medical Alert Service Dogs
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Seizure Response Service Dogs
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Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSD)
The specific tasks and training provided will vary depending on the recipient's disability, goals, and daily lifestyle.
Therapy Dogs work alongside their handlers to provide comfort, encouragement, and positive interactions for others. Unlike Service Dogs, Therapy Dogs are not trained to perform tasks for a specific individual with a disability. Instead, they work as part of a Therapy Dog team to positively impact the people they visit.
Therapy Dog teams can be found in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, libraries, counseling offices, children's programs, community events, and even crisis or disaster response situations.
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Many Therapy Dogs receive training similar to Service Dog standards because of the importance of safety, reliability, manners, and handler control when working with the public.
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ASA Service Dogs provides Therapy Dog training, handler education, testing preparation, and certification assistance.
Warning: Therapy Dogs may cause smiling, laughter, and an increased number of people asking to pet your dog!
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that provides companionship, familiarity, and comfort to its owner. ESAs are protected under the Federal Housing Act (FHA), which allows qualified individuals to request reasonable housing accommodations for their Emotional Support Animal.
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Unlike Service Dogs, ESAs do not have public access rights and are generally not permitted in non-pet-friendly businesses or public places.
While formal task training is not required for an ESA, many individuals benefit from having a well-trained Emotional Support Dog at home. A well-trained dog can help provide routine, responsibility, companionship, familiarity, confidence, and consistency in daily life. Some individuals also find that a trained dog can assist with reminders, grounding exercises, Deep Pressure Therapy, and other home-based skills that contribute to overall well-being and quality of life.
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For many individuals, a well-trained Emotional Support Dog provides companionship, familiarity, stability, and a sense of comfort that can have a meaningful impact on daily life.
