Service Dogs: How Accredited Programs Work and How to Apply

To get a service dog, you either apply to a nonprofit program that trains and places dogs, or you train your own dog to do specific tasks for your disability. Under the ADA, a service dog must be individually trained to do work or tasks tied to a person's disability. No certificate or registry is required, and online certificates give you no legal rights. Assistance Dogs International recommends starting with an accredited program.

What counts as a service dog under the ADA

The ADA website, ada.gov, gives a short definition. "Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities." The task has to be directly related to the person's disability.

The ADA FAQ gives examples of tasks. A dog might alert a person with diabetes when their blood sugar gets too high or too low. Another dog might remind a person with depression to take their medication. A dog can also be trained to detect the start of a seizure and help keep the person safe during it.

The ADA also covers miniature horses in some cases. Businesses must change their policies to allow a miniature horse where that's reasonable. This guide focuses on dogs.

What staff can and can't ask

When it isn't obvious that a dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two questions. They can ask if the dog is required because of a disability. They can also ask what work or task the dog has been trained to perform.

Staff can't ask about your disability or ask for medical documents. They also can't require an ID card or training papers, and they can't ask the dog to show its task.

Rules the handler must follow

A service dog must be under your control at all times. The ADA says it must be "harnessed, leashed, or tethered" unless your disability prevents using those devices. In that case you keep control in other effective ways, such as voice commands or hand signals.

A business can ask you to remove the dog in two situations. One is when the dog is out of control and you don't take effective action to control it. The other is when the dog isn't housebroken. Breed alone is not a reason to exclude a service dog, according to the ADA FAQ.

Service dogs, emotional support animals and therapy dogs

These three terms get mixed up a lot. The table below shows how ada.gov, Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and the American Kennel Club describe each one.

| Type | What it does | ADA public access? |
|-|-|-|
| Service dog | Trained to do specific tasks for one person's disability | Yes |
| Emotional support animal | Provides comfort just by being with a person | No |
| Therapy dog | Visits places like nursing homes and schools to comfort many people | No |

The ADA FAQ says animals that only provide comfort, including emotional support and therapy animals, "do not qualify as service animals under the ADA" because they haven't been trained to perform a specific task. Some state and local governments have their own laws that allow emotional support animals in public places, so check with your state.

There's an important line between a psychiatric service dog and an emotional support animal. ada.gov explains that a dog trained to sense an anxiety attack and take a specific action to help would qualify as a service animal. A dog whose presence alone is calming would not.

Therapy dogs are a separate role. The AKC states plainly that "Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs." ADI adds that therapy dogs aren't covered by the ADA, so they don't have the public access rights that service dogs and their handlers have.

What Assistance Dogs International accreditation means

Assistance Dogs International is a coalition of nonprofit programs that train and place assistance dogs. ADI itself "does not provide or train assistance dogs." Every ADI membership category is limited to nonprofit or charitable organizations.

ADI uses "assistance dog" as an umbrella term. Its glossary defines each type this way:

• Guide dog: guides people who are blind or visually impaired.
• Hearing dog: alerts people who are deaf or hard of hearing to specific sounds.
• Service dog: works for people with disabilities other than blindness or deafness.
• Facility dog: works with a volunteer or professional in a residential or clinic setting.

Under ADI standards, an assistance dog is trained to do three or more tasks that ease the effects of a person's disability.

How a program earns accreditation

ADI accreditation is a peer review process. A program sends in written paperwork first. Then a trained ADI assessor does an onsite survey that lasts several days.

During the visit, the assessor interviews people involved with the program, from staff and clients to volunteers and board members. The assessor also reviews files and watches dog training and client work. The areas ADI checks include:

• humane training methods for the dogs
• dog health care
• how clients are screened and matched with dogs
• legal compliance
• facility safety and cleanliness

Accredited programs must be reaccredited every five years. A program that's working toward accreditation is called a candidate. To apply for an assessment, a candidate needs at least two years as a candidate and at least ten placed assistance dog teams.

Why accreditation matters to you

ADI says, "It is a buyer beware market for consumers looking for a reputable assistance dog program." For that reason, ADI recommends choosing an accredited program. You can read more about ADI and other credentials on our resources page.

Our directory includes ADI member programs pulled from ADI's own member search. You can browse them on our dog trainers page and filter by state.

How to apply to a service dog program

Every program sets its own rules. ADI says each organization has its own requirements, which depend on things like how the program is set up and how it's funded. The steps below are examples from two programs. They show what the process can look like, and they aren't a promise about any other program.

Step 1: Find programs that serve your area

ADI suggests using its member search to find an accredited program that serves your area. Each program has its own service area. Contact the program directly and ask what types of dogs it trains and places.

The ADI member search also has filters. You can look for programs that work with veterans. You can also look for programs that will "consider working with an owner and their personal dog."

Step 2: Send a first request or preliminary application

Both programs we looked at start with a short form. Canine Companions says its basic request form is "the first step of the application process for all applicants," and staff review typically takes four to six weeks. If the program fits your goals, you get a full online application by email.

Canine Assistants, a program in Georgia, works in a similar way. You send a preliminary application. If a dog may help you, the program sends a link to a more detailed application.

Step 3: Interview and review

At Canine Assistants, the next step is an interview. Staff will contact you "within a few months" for an interview. If the team still sees a good fit, you go on the waiting list.

Step 4: The waiting list

Wait times vary a lot. Canine Companions says the "wait time varies greatly between categories" and that service dog applicants usually wait the longest. Canine Assistants says your place on its list depends on how much a dog can help you and how a dog would fit your living situation.

Step 5: Team training

When a dog is ready, you train together in person. Canine Companions matches people and dogs during a two week group class at a regional training center. Canine Assistants holds a two week recipient camp at its facility in Milton, Georgia. Someone close to you, such as a caregiver or family member, must attend with you.

Step 6: Staying in touch after placement

The work doesn't end at graduation. Canine Companions asks graduates to send veterinary updates every year and meet with staff in person at least every one to two years.

What it costs

Costs depend on the program. ADI says many programs are funded by donors and place dogs at low or no cost, but fees may apply. ADI tells you to "ask each organization for their fees to receive an assistance dog." ADI itself says it doesn't have the funding to pay for clients.

Canine Companions and Canine Assistants both say their dogs are placed free of charge. At Canine Companions, recipients pay for their own travel and meals during team training. After placement, they pay for the dog's daily care, including food and routine vet visits.

Also ask about home requirements. Canine Assistants, for example, requires recipients to have a fenced yard.

Training your own service dog with a professional trainer

You don't have to use a program. The ADA FAQ says, "People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves and are not required to use a professional service dog training program."

There's one big limit. Under the ADA, a dog in training is not yet a service animal. The dog "must already be trained before it can be taken into public places." Some state and local laws do cover dogs in training, so check your state's rules.

Since the ADA doesn't say who must do the training, you can hire a professional trainer to help. ADI certification is only for teams trained by an ADI accredited member. Some members will evaluate an owner's dog for more training, and ADI standards require at least six months of training with that program. Use the ADI member search filter for programs that work with an owner's own dog.

If you hire a private trainer, ask clear questions before you pay:

• Have you trained dogs for the specific task I need?
• What credentials do you hold, and where can I check them?
• How do you measure that my dog is ready for public places?
• Will you work with my doctor or an ADI program if I want that later?
• What happens if my dog isn't suited for this work?

You can also read how results are sorted in our directory, so you know which listings are paid placements.

Warning signs of service dog scams

The most common scam is a paid online certificate or registry. ada.gov is direct about it. "There are individuals and organizations that sell service animal certification or registration documents online. These documents do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal."

ADI adds that it "does not directly provide, train, certify or register individual assistance dogs." ADI also says "there is no international certification available for assistance dogs."

Watch for these red flags:

• A site charges a fee for a certificate or a spot on a registry. The ADA doesn't require either one, and businesses can't demand proof of certification.
• A seller says a vest makes a dog a service dog. The ADA doesn't require a vest or ID tag, and it doesn't require a special harness.
• A seller says registration is mandatory. The ADA FAQ says mandatory registration of service animals is not allowed. Some colleges and local governments run voluntary registries, but they can't require them for entry.
• A program claims ADI approval you can't find. Check the name on ADI's own member search before you apply or pay.
• A seller promises a fully trained dog fast and asks for payment up front. The programs above describe an interview and a waiting list before any team training. Compare any offer to that.

A note on airlines and federal programs

The ADA doesn't cover everything. ada.gov notes that the ADA does not apply to federal agencies or commercial airlines. Air travel falls under the Air Carrier Access Act, and federal programs fall under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Check those rules before you travel.

If you run an ADI program or train service dogs and see your listing here, you can claim your profile for free.