There is a huge difference between a Therapy Dog and a Service/Assistance Dog and a Companion Dog.  This page will hopefully explain that difference to those who are wondering.

Occasionally we get requests for information from individuals looking for an assistance dog for another person who is not physically or mentally able to be in a working partnership with a service dog.  In most of those cases we instead recommend people help the disabled individual (usually a child) by working with a trained Therapy Dog (and his or her handler) and/or work to find a trained Companion Dog for their child.  Therapy Dogs and trained Companion Dogs do NOT have public access rights and are NOT covered under the ADA as service dogs are.  In order for them to be allowed in a place such as a doctors office, nursing home, OT facility, restaurant, shopping center etc, the handler must first have permission from that specific establishment. 

A Service Dog is a dog that is trained to mitigate the disability for a person who has a disability.  They are NOT dogs that work in conjunction with another person (such as a parent) to 'help' a disabled person (such as a child who is on the autism spectrum).  In order for a person with a disability to qualify with MAP to get a service dog, they must first demonstrate that they have the mental capacity and maturity as well as physical ability to handle a dog.  A dog is not a baby sitter and a dog is not there to help the parent (in the case of children).  A Service Dog is a dog that is trained to help the PWD (Person with Disability) and that person only.  A Service Dog is highly trained in both obedience, public access skills and tasks for that specific PWD.  MAP does not, under any circumstances, advocate the use of 'tethering' a child to a dog for 'safety'.  We feel that is an inappropriate use of a dog, and is not fair to either the dog or the individual being 'tethered' nor is it safe!

A Therapy Dog is a dog that is certified with an organization such as Therapy Dogs International, Inc. www.tdi-dog.org.  The dog is trained in basic manners and has passed a test that says that they are of sound temperament with people of all ages, sizes, sex, ethnicity etc.  They are allowed, with individual facility permission, into certain health care facilities such as nursing homes, group homes, OT and PT facilities, doctors offices etc. and with permission into individual homes of people with illness or disability.  They may also be participants in programs where children with reading difficulties read to the dog or be specially certified to work with disaster victims.  They work with a handler, to help those experiencing difficulties.  These dogs supply comfort and emotional support.  They are not task trained.  Again, these animals are NOT service dogs and are not covered under ADA regulations. 

A trained Companion Dog is a dog with higher level manners and obedience skills, but whose job is to work in the home doing Emotional Support and in-home tasks for a PWD.  These dogs are useful for families with children emotional, sensory integration or other issues, who are non-violent and who do well with the companionship of a dog.  They are also useful for certain psychiatric difficulties in adults.  These dogs are calm, easy going, and non-reactive.  These dogs may also be trained in skills like tracking (useful for children who tend to leave the house and wander) or to wake a person up at a certain time.  MAP does not, under any circumstances, advocate the use of 'tethering' a child to a dog for 'safety'.  We feel that is an inappropriate use of a dog, and is not fair to either the dog or the individual being 'tethered' nor is it safe!  But again, these animals are NOT service dogs and are not covered under ADA regulations, nor are they public access trained or certified. 

MAP currently only trains Service Dogs.  If you are interested in working with a Therapy Dog please contact The Delta Society or TDI.  If you are looking for a trained companion dog we suggest you contact a school that trains and offers those, a listing of service dog schools that might train a companion dog can be found at Assistance Dogs International.

Maplewood Assistance Partners, Inc

katrin@maplewooddog.com