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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...

"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...

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...

In the employment context, employers are required to consider whether an employee's Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) request to bring a service animal or an emotional support animal (ESA) to work qualifies as a reasonable accommodation for that employee's disability, and, if so, whether...

Finding a service dog trainer by Veronica Morris, PhD One question that often comes up when people are starting to train a service dog is "How do I find a trainer?". Most people assume you need a trainer who has had experience in service dog training. However, this isn't the case. This...

In my early days as a service dog trainer, the only way to get a service dog was to apply to an organization and wait for your turn to get a dog. Today there are many more options, from getting a fully trained service dog to getting your pet dog trained for you or learning how to do it yourself...

I was sort of surprised when a firestorm erupted at one of the service dog pages I help with, and all over the need for a doctor's note. A few lone voices yelling about the ADA guidelines of not having to have any documentation for the service dog against a multitude of followers pointing out...

One of the most asked questions I see when asking about what is needed for Service Dogs as far as paperwork is concerned. The answer is mixed depending on what the person is referring to. There are also what I refer to as best practices. American Disability Act (ADA) The ADA gives us the basic...

by Julia Markham, RPh Prospective service dog breeders vary widely in their practices, and this strongly affects whether they're the right service dog breeders for you. It's so important to start out right and avoid mistakes at this stage! Be sure to consult Julia's advice below, and rely on...

Inpatient psychiatric hospitalizations can be frightening and stressful. For Service Dog teams, inpatient admissions are often more of a struggle. The complications of having dogs on a locked unit focused solely on safety and security are innumerable. However, they're far from insurmountable...

Lately, I have seen a lot of people posting or asking about what is allowed and isn't when dealing with landlords and rental management. When talking about rental properties we must focus on the Fair Housing Act or the FHA. The Americans Disability Act gives us basic guidelines for service...

From the desk of Linda Carter Batiste, J.D., Director of Services and Publications Issues related to service animals in the workplace continue to confuse both employers and the individuals with disabilities who use the service animals, but one of the most confusing issues is whether a job...

I see questions about this a lot! How do I register my service dog? Makes sense, we must have a driver's license to drive cars and all types of other registrations to do things in just our normal lives, so why not a service dog? Is there a registration for service dogs? Yes, No, and Maybe...

When it comes to Service Dog tasks, there is a lot of confusion over what constitutes a real, specifically trained task and which are only perceived tasks, fueled by emotion and wishful thinking. From Service Dog handlers to trainers to medical doctors to veterinarians alike, there is...

Some US states have some peculiar laws when talking about service dogs in training (SDiT) in public access situations. Service Dogs in Training are not covered by federal law or guidelines here in the United States. Most states have taken that slack up and written their own laws for those dogs...

by Veronica Morris, PhD Are you choosing a service dog? This is the article to help you in choosing a service dog the right way and avoiding others’ mistakes! Dr. Veronica Morris’s popular article is a must-read before you proceed. After deciding to use a service dog to mitigate your...

BY JUSTIN SURETTE Your four-legged companion will have minimal issues getting onboard. While it can be challenging, many airlines allow passengers to take their furry friends with them onboard. Whether you're bringing a small pet onboard or traveling with a larger companion in the cargo hold...

Within the Service Dog community, I am seeing more and more people that get confused about the differences between the black-and-white laws and what most handlers see as the correct training and behaviors of our service dogs. Laws & Regulations Here in the United States, there are several...

Service dogs are important to the lives of many disabled people, giving them independence and keeping them safe. Eckerd's community has students and faculty with service dogs and it can be frustrating when others don't know how to act around service dogs, or understand their important role in...

KEY POINTS Traumatized people react to reminders of the trauma with emergency responses that were relevant at the time of the original threat. The effects of the trauma persist because the traumatic event is locked into the cellular structure of the body. Research shows the health benefits of...