Service Dog Advocate

Welcome to ServiceDogAdvocate.com, your comprehensive resource dedicated to understanding, advocating for, and navigating life with service dogs.

Join Us and make the community stronger.

article

  1. Postsecondary Institutions and Students With Disabilities

    Postsecondary Institutions and Students With Disabilities

    This document explains the legal obligations that postsecondary institutions have toward students with disabilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Fair Housing Act. How the Laws Apply The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) covers...
  2. Know Your Rights! Pet Screening and Assistance Animals

    Know Your Rights! Pet Screening and Assistance Animals

    1. What is pet screening? Pet screening is basically a background check on a tenant's pet dog, cat, or other animal. It is a way for landlords to get information about a prospective tenant's pet prior to approving their rental application or prior to an existing tenant getting a new pet. The...
  3. Can A Landlord Deny An Emotional Support Animal: The Legal Rights For ESAs

    Can A Landlord Deny An Emotional Support Animal: The Legal Rights For ESAs

    Emotional support animals (ESAs) play a vital role in providing comfort and stability for individuals dealing with emotional or mental health challenges. However, navigating the rights and responsibilities surrounding these animals in rental properties can be complex. This article delves into...
  4. What Service Dog Tasks Would Be Best For Me?

    What Service Dog Tasks Would Be Best For Me?

    Questions like this I see all the time, and wanted to address as there really is no easy way to answer for most people. The Disability/Disabilities As we should know in order to have a service dog the handler must meet the definition of disabled that is put forth by the ADA (Americans...
  5. Accessibility

    Accessibility

    For most of the service dog community, one of the major grievances we have is about accessibility. Whether it is a business not allowing the team to enter, a possible employer not hiring you after seeing your service dog or even people talking badly about you or your team as they walk by. But I...
  6. Pre-Employment: Interviews, Hiring, and Examinations

    Pre-Employment: Interviews, Hiring, and Examinations

    Does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) apply to job applicants? Yes. It is important to know how the ADA protects job seekers with disabilities. The employment section of the ADA (Title I) prohibits employment discrimination against individuals with disabilities. This includes job...
  7. Employment and Mental Health

    Employment and Mental Health

    What does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) say about mental health conditions? The term "mental health" refers to a person's condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. The ADA addresses mental health in many ways. First, the ADA specifically defines...
  8. Reasonable Accommodations: Frequently Asked Questions

    Reasonable Accommodations: Frequently Asked Questions

    What is a reasonable accommodation? A reasonable accommodation is any change to the application or hiring process, the job, the way the job is done, or the work environment that allows a qualified person with a disability to perform the essential functions of that job and enjoy equal employment...
  9. Employment and ADA Basics

    Employment and ADA Basics

    How does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) apply to employment? The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the...
  10. A Guide to Requesting Reasonable Accommodations

    A Guide to Requesting Reasonable Accommodations

    An introduction to reasonable accommodations A reasonable accommodation is any change to the application or hiring process, the job, the way the job is done, or the work environment that allows a person with a disability who is qualified for the job to perform the essential functions of that...
  11. How to Advocate for your Service Dog

    How to Advocate for your Service Dog

    Hey guys! We visited Disney World a few days last week. Besides the obvious airline craziness that's going on, we had some unfortunate encounters. Disney hired some new bus drivers for their parks and multiple times the bus drivers tried to deny us access to get on due to Jacob's service dog...
  12. What to do when you are denied entry with your service dog. (US)

    What to do when you are denied entry with your service dog. (US)

    This question arises on our boards from time to time and can be a huge headache for those who are denied entry into a public access area with their service dog. Typically, denials are rare, but they do happen. Dougal and I have been on the road together for almost 2 years and have had a few and...
  13. Puppy Temperament Tests: A Tool to Help with Placement

    Puppy Temperament Tests: A Tool to Help with Placement

    By Hilarie Erb Published: Jun 15, 2021 | 3 Minutes Puppy Temperament Tests: A Tool to Help with Placement – American Kennel Club As a breeder, you know how important it is to match puppies with the best possible homes, whether they are destined to be show dogs, working dogs, sport dogs, or...
  14. Exposure checklist

    Exposure checklist

    We crowdsourced from our lovely community members on this one. Together, we created a list of experiences for getting service dogs in training ready for the world. The exposure checklist at the bottom of this page combines with the intro article to be a valuable resource for your training. You...
  15. SDiT Socialization Checklist

    SDiT Socialization Checklist

    When it comes to training a Service Dog, absolutely nothing is more important than exhaustive socialization. Socialization and exposure to the world is the foundation upon which all other training rests, and a Service Dog who hasn't gained real-world experience via systematic socialization is...
  16. Service Dog Access Issues (US)

    Service Dog Access Issues (US)

    In most places, our service dogs are allowed to travel with us wherever we go. Most of the time this is likened to those with medical devices, like wheelchairs, that need them while out in public. However, the general public, as a whole, is not aware of our need to have our dogs with us, and...
  17. Service Dogs and Federal Buildings (US)

    Service Dogs and Federal Buildings (US)

    This is one of the most misunderstood subjects in the service dog community. Even I was mistaken about it, as years ago the Veterans Administration refused to allow psychiatric services dogs in their facilities while the Americans with Disabilities Act stated that service dogs did have access to...
  18. Does a Completely Hypoallergenic Dog Exist?

    Does a Completely Hypoallergenic Dog Exist?

    Do you or a member of your family suffer from allergies when around dogs? Perhaps you sneeze, get itchy or watery eyes, hives on your skin, or even more serious respiratory issues. If you are a dog lover, you may have avoided owning one because of this problem, especially if the allergy symptoms...
  19. The Myth of the Hypoallergenic Dog

    The Myth of the Hypoallergenic Dog

    "We have a dog…but it's hypoallergenic". As a pediatric allergist, I ask every family about various exposures inside their home, including pets. It's amusing to me how many parents have been conditioned (guilted?) into including three little words when they tell me they have a dog "but it's...
  20. Best Service Dogs: Top 5 Helpful Hounds Most Recommended By Experts

    Best Service Dogs: Top 5 Helpful Hounds Most Recommended By Experts

    The role of the dog in human society has always been linked to work, companionship, and protection. From the earliest exploits of human and dog hunting pairs to modern rescue dogs, canines are no strangers to working for a living. Humanity's ancient relationship with dogs has also grown to the...
Back
Top