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Introduction Service dogs are valuable companions for people with disabilities. Dogs can provide mobility assistance. They can train as guide dogs. They can also provide medical alerts for people with diabetes or seizures.  Children with disabilities may even bring their service dogs to school. Service dogs at school can help children get from class to class. They can alert staff of medical emergencies.  However, service dogs for kids can cause disruptions in the classroom. Etiquette is required. Read on to learn how to adapt to service animals in schools to ensure a proper school environment.  Understanding Service Dogs Service dogs can [...]

Introduction Service dogs are valuable companions for people with mental and physical disabilities. We often see service dogs that help blind people navigate. But they can also help with allergy detection, diabetic alerts, seizure alerts, and mobility assistance. They can help people with hearing issues, autism, and various emotional disorders.  Not every dog makes a great service dog. A service dog must have specific characteristics that are inherent to certain service dog breeds. They must have a calm demeanor and the intelligence to carry out complex tasks.  Characteristics of Ideal Service Dogs The best service dog breeds will have the following [...]

Service dogs and their handlers work as a team to navigate life, and that includes being in public together. When someone sees a dog in public, they may be inclined to pet them or interact with them, but service dogs are focused on doing a job. Petting service dogs could impact their ability to follow commands and may even put their handler in danger. This includes offering them food or treats because they are often on a strict feeding schedule or specific diet. If you want to ask questions, approach and speak to the handler, not the dog. It is important [...]

At Justice Speaks we get a lot of questions about the rules and regulations for service dogs being in the workplace. Service dogs are used for many different reasons and are an essential to some people who have disabilities. There are many requirements of employers and employees when a service dog is entering a workplace and concerns may arise. The main thing to remember if you are concerned about a service dog in the workplace is that they are not there for entertainment or to distract employees. They have their own job to do and are taking care of the needs [...]

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has perhaps existed for as long as humanity has experienced trauma, but it was not until 1980 that it became a mental health diagnosis. Research from the VA has shown that approximately 6% of the population experiences PTSD in their lifetime. This particularly impacts veterans, who are more likely to suffer from PTSD than civilians. Frightening or high-stress events bring on the condition, and the symptoms are grouped into four main categories: intrusion or re-experiencing, avoidance, alteration in mood and cognition, and hyperarousal. A PTSD service dog is a unique tool in helping those suffering from PTSD [...]

A service dog is a working animal which can be trained to help people with visual impairments, hearing impairments, autism, PTSD, diabetes, seizures, allergies and mobility issues. A service dog can be very useful to its owner/guardian, but it's not always affordable for people to get a dog which has already been trained. A trained service dog can cost you $15,000—$50,000. As a result, many people opt to go the DIY route; they get a dog which is still a puppy and train it to be a service dog. As long as the dog has the right temperament, it can [...]

Protecting, Training, and Advocating for Your Service Dog Service dogs provide invaluable assistance to individuals with disabilities, but their well-being and effectiveness depend on various factors. In this third segment of our series on qualifying for a service dog, we delve into the crucial aspects of protecting your dog, the responsibility and challenge of training, and addressing skepticism about these incredible canine companions.  Protecting Your Service Dog Protecting your service dog is paramount, and it starts with ensuring their safety from physical harm. While service dogs are trained to behave, it's essential to be cautious around other dogs and people. [...]