Does your dog qualify for a service dog certification? If you have a physical or mental disability, you may be able to get your dog registered as a service animal. Because many places and businesses in the country are not pet-friendly, service dog certification grants service animal owners everywhere the right to take their animal wherever they go to assist them as needed. And because some people understand that not all disabilities are visible, you may be surprised how flexible the requirements are. Still, not just anyone can get any dog certified as a service dog. There are a number of different steps and requirements for accomplishing this. With that said, check out these most frequently asked questions about service dog certification.
Certification for your service dog will make it easier for your service animal to gain entry to public places and use public transportation, as well as get your service dog accepted for private housing in which pets are not typically allowed. By certifying your dog, you’ll have the necessary documentation and identification to avoid conflicts in public places.
Certified service dogs can accompany you to most places where dogs are typically not allowed. For instance, you can take a service dog to the airport and bring them on the plane with you. Additionally, a service dog may go with you to stores, restaurants and motels as needed. However, emotional support animals may be brought on airplanes or be allowed to live with you in a no pets housing situation.
A number of physical disabilities will qualify you for a service animal. Physical conditions which many people suffer from such as asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy will all qualify you. Additionally, physical disabilities like, blindness, speech problems, mobility problems and deafness are just some of the other ways you can qualify.
As mentioned earlier, not all disabilities are visible. Those suffering from autism, social phobia, dyslexia, and separation anxiety are just some of the emotional disabilities that will qualify you. Other mental disabilities such as depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and dementia are eligible as well.
Deviant behavior that you engage in against society in relation to political, sexual or religious behavior does not qualify you as having a mental disorder. Additionally, certain “bad” behaviors such as having a quick temper or bad judgment does not make you disabled, and therefore you will not qualify for a service animal.
Not any dog will be accepted as a service animal. Certified service dogs are expected to be well-behaved and moreover, well-trained. Dogs should be able to obey your commands in public, follow you closely, and sit still without distraction. But these are just a few of the requirements. Dogs that are out of control or pose a threat to public health can be asked to leave.
Certification, for the most part, is not too expensive considering it doesn’t need to be repeated again and again. Certification for service dogs generally costs around $70 and includes all necessary documentation and patches that can be used to identity your dog as a service animal when in public so nobody asks questions.
The best places to get certification online for your service dog are the National Service Animal Registry, Service Dogs America and Service Dog Certifications. These places offer affordable and quick certification for your service dog with little hassle.