A little bit about assistant dogs

Service & assistance dogs aren't only for the blind or deaf anymore. I remember when I bred border collies I gave one pup per litter to be a service dog. One was trained to actually remind a woman when to take her medication. Guess he could tell when he was getting strange. Dogs have been known to detect cancer before a doctor can. My new dog will help me with my balance and after a slip in the kitchen. Of course, when he gets a little older. I have already ordered his jacket and cards and will look forward to training him, but not potty training him! Thought I would show you a website and give you some information in case a service dog ever shows up on the door step of a place where you work


Service Dogs assist children and adults with mobility disabilities, primarily individuals who use wheelchairs, to become more independent. SSD also trains service dogs to do balance work. In addition to doing all the service dog tasks, these balance dogs help individuals who have difficulty walking.

What can they do?
A Service Dog is trained to assist a person with a physical disability. Because of the broad variety of potential physical disabilities, each dog is custom-trained for the particular needs of the specific human partner; however, all dogs are trained in basic behaviors in and service dog tasks, which include:

Basic obedience skills [sit, stay, come, down, stand, heel (on the left side), place (on the right side), back, etc.]. They must obey these commands on and off lead. A service dog can be taught to respond to voice commands, to hand signals, or to an augmentative speech device.
Retrieving everything from dropped items, things under chairs, drinks from the refrigerator, to even clothes out of the drier.
Opening and closing regular or counterbalanced doors. The dog does this by pushing the door, pulling on a tether, or pulling on a removable door hook.
Walking in a controlled manner next to the partner or next to the partner in a wheelchair.
Balance work for people who have trouble walking. The dog wears a special harness and acts as a counterbalance as the person moves. The dog can also help going up or down stairs.
Pulling a manual wheelchair, including up inclines.
Turning regular light switches on and off.
Pushing buttons, such as those provided to open automatic doors.
Finding and retrieving a cordless phone.
Purchasing items in stores.
Going under tables or counters and being "invisible" in restaurants, refraining from picking up or eating food items dropped on the floor.
Providing constant loving companionship.
"In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

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Business May ask:

1) Is this a Service Dog?

2)What tasks does the Service Dog perform?

Businesses may not:

1) Require special identification for the dog

2) Ask about the person's disability

3)Charge additional fees because of the dog

4) Refuse admittance, isolate, segregate or treat this person less favorably than other patrons.

A peron with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless:

1)the animal is out of control and the animal's owner does not take effective action to control it

2)the animal poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others

Any business that sells or prepares food must allow service animals in pubic areas even if state or local health codes prohibit animals on the premises.

Refusal to provide equal access to people with disabilities with service animals is a federal civil rights violation, provided by the American Disability Act of 1990. Violator of the ADA can be required to pay money damages and penalties.

Sorry this is so long- It's something I'm very passionate about and wish I would have done long ago with my other dogs who were well trained and denied access because of a stupid vest and a card.