A service dog is a highly trained dog with excellent on lead obedience and manners. They can never be shy, overly protective or aggressive to any other person or animal. They must always be friendly and accepting of others without soliciting attention. They must have a great work ethic and focus so that they are able to do their job in any situation even if the sky is falling in. They must have a specific skill set that actually mitigates the challenges of a disability such as a guide dog leads people with visual impairments, a hearing assistance dog alerts people that are deaf, assists with the challenges of PTSD, seizure or diabetic alert, etc. An emotional support dog is not recognized as a service dog.
While Guardian Angels trains for a great number of other disabilities, there are specific organizations that specialize in leader dogs for the visually impaired.
We require any person who receives one of our service dogs to have the ability to physically and cognitively work with and care for their service dog.
From time-to-time, we have emotional support dogs available to the public. This means the dog will be very well-suited to work for the recipient at home, but by law, will not be allowed to go into public venues.
There are multiple reasons why other pets in the home can make it a more difficult environment for your working service dog. While we have paired many service dogs successfully in homes with other pets, keep in mind that it will delay the process. Other pets can be a distraction to your service dog, and limit your service dog’s ability to focus on the task at hand. The sole responsibility of the recipient would be the service dog, while other family members focused on caring for the pets.
