What is a Working Dog?
Working dogs come in a wide array of breeds/mixes, shapes, and sizes. GBCA currently focuses on service dog training for our clients but we also have experience in many other areas of working dogs. We hope to continue to expand on our skills as a trainer and be able to offer a wide variety of training going forward.
Service Animals
The Americans with Disabilities Act defines the term “service animal” as “dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities.” Service dogs can be any breed or size. They are not required to wear a vest while working. There is no official certification in the United States for service animals. Under the ADA “ State and local governments, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that serve the public generally must allow service animals to accompany people with disabilities in all areas of the facility where the public is allowed to go.” Businesses are allowed to ask handlers two questions 1.) Is the dog a service dog, 2.) what work or tasks is the dog trained to perform?
Emotional Support Animals
Emotional support animals do not have any special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities. Emotional Support Animals relieve loneliness, provide companionship, and can help with depression and anxiety. ESAs have no public access rights.
Therapy Dogs
Therapy dogs work for more than one person. These dogs are trained to provide support to people and often work in environments such as court rooms, nursing homes, and hospitals. Therapy dogs generally do have to have formal training and be certified in some way.
Other Working and Sport Dogs
Sport Dogs and Working Dogs are dogs actively trained or participating in a wide array of work, activities, or sports, that go above only being a pet. This could be anything from search and rescue, competition scent work, agility, protection, dock diving, bikejouring, trick dogs, drug or bomb detection, security, and the list goes on.