At Your Service Dog Training

At Your Service

  • Home
  • About
  • Services
  • Blog
  • Contact

(413) 336-0598
sharon@atyourservicedogtraining.com
  • Service Dog Training
  • Puppy Training
  • Pet Dog Training
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Testimonials

Upcoming Webinar: Service dog laws and terms in the US (especially geared to trainers)

August 9, 2017 by sharon Leave a Comment

Basset hound with chin on the ground, eyes rolled up
Feeling overwhelmed?

More and more trainers are being asked to train a service dog (SD), emotional support animal (ESA), or a personal “therapy dog” for an adult or child with disabilities. The terminology is confusing and everyone says something different:

  • One trainer tells you that a service dog must be trained in three tasks, another says the dog just needs excellent manners to be in public. Who is right?
  • Your client says his emotional support skunk is allowed in the grocery store, but that, well, doesn’t smell right to you…
  • A former client just emailed to say that since he moved to a new state, his chiropractor said his service-dog-in-training is not allowed in the office because that state is not covered by the ADA. Can this be true?

If this sounds familiar, this live webinar is for you!

This Pet Professional Guild webinar, “SD, SDIT, ESA, Alphabet Soup?! What you need to know about US Service Dog Laws & Terms” will guide you with humor and clarity through service dog laws and terminology. Attend the live webinar and have a chance to ask questions in real time: Monday, August 21 at 2 PM Eastern Time. Or register and watch it any time at your convenience!

You’ll learn what all these terms mean and better understand your legal responsibilities as a trainer of a service dog. You’ll get clarity on how the laws for service-dogs-in-training (SDiTs) are different from laws for trained service dogs and how to find the laws in your state.

It can be awkward for trainer and client alike to sort out these terms (“therapy” versus “service” versus “emotional support”) and the legal and training requirements behind each. This presentation will explain the legal meanings and differences between these terms in the United States, the requirements for training each, differences in US state laws for service-dogs-in-training, the standards of behavior and appearance for service dogs, and explain the reality behind the question of “certification.” You’ll also learn how to distinguish between legal requirements and ethical or community standards, and how to apply these concepts to working with clients.

Objectives

This webinar is geared to professional dog trainers in the United States that are new to the complicated world of service dog laws and standards. People who are training a service dog for themselves or a family member, or who are considering training a service dog, are also encouraged to attend and will get a lot of useful information. No previous service dog training experience or knowledge is necessary.

By the end of this webinar, attendees will understand and be able to answer client questions on the following topics:

  • The difference between the terms “service dog,” “service dog in training,” “emotional support animal,” and “therapy dog” and when handlers of each have access to public accommodations
  • Understand the definition of a service animal under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and where a trainer or handler of a service animal is permitted or excluded
  • Understand how laws for service-dogs-in-training (and who is a trainer under the law) vary from state-to-state and how to find out their own state’s laws
  • Understand the community standards for appearance and behavior in service dogs and how these differ from legal requirements
  • Steps trainers and clients can take to protect themselves if access challenges occur

About the Presenter

Sharon Wachsler CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner with more than 25 years of experience in the disability community. Before she began her second career as a dog trainer, Sharon was a disability information and referral specialist and service dog owner-trainer, as well as the founder of the Assistance Dog Blog Carnival, a writer for the International Association of Assistance Dog Partners newsletter, and the blogger for the popular service-dog trainer’s blog, After Gadget. Sharon opened At Your Service Dog Training in Wendell, MA, in 2014, offering private training, consulting, and group classes to service dog owner-trainers. Sharon is an experienced presenter and writer on service dog topics and enjoys consulting with and speaking to trainers, owners, and community groups about service dogs and their training.

Register for the PPG webinar.

Have a question? Get in touch!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Events, Public Access Training (PAT), Service dog laws and legalities, Service Dog Training, Train the Trainer - pet professional consulting

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Public Access Classes

For dogs that have completed at least intermediate manners training and are ready for advanced public access training, including stand-stay, curl up under chairs and tables, etc. Our next class starts soon. Space is limited.

Service dog training from anywhere in the country

We are specialists in service dog training! Online lessons are a safe, convenient way to receive expert, individual training instruction.

Subscribe by Email!

Enter a word or phrase to search our archives

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner

Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner
APDT Professional Member

Licensed “Be A Tree” Presenter

Doggone Safe Member
CATCH Canine Trainers Academy Official Mentor Trainer

Recent Posts

  • “It’s the cat’s meow!” — Scholarship recipient Cindi Gazda & service dog Zoe
  • Prepare Your Dog for Your Return to Work: Preventing Separation Distress in the Age of COVID
  • Great Gifts for Dog Lovers
  • “Here to Help, Not Judge” –Trainer Alex Wise
  • Dog lovers in MA – Support this bill!

Top Posts & Pages

  • Service Dog Training
  • Contact
  • Service Dog Scholarships
  • Training Services
  • Access for Service Dogs in Training

Feeds

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Join us on Facebook

Join us on Facebook

Follow us on Twitter

My Tweets

Categories

  • Behavior modification
  • Chews & Feeder Toys
  • Choosing a Dog Trainer
  • Desensitization and Counterconditioning
  • Dog Behavior
  • Dog Bite Prevention
  • Dog body language
  • Dog gear
  • Dog Health
  • Dog Safety for Kids
  • Dog Safety Tips
  • Dog training
  • Dog training resources
    • Dog Training Books
    • Dog training videos
  • Enrichment
    • Dog toys
  • Events
  • Fearfulness or anxiety
  • Featured
  • Holidays
  • Horse training
  • Just for Fun
  • Management (Prevention)
  • or equipment
  • Pre-Adoption Consulting (Finding the Right Dog)
  • products
  • Reactivity
  • Service Dogs
  • Train the Trainer – pet professional consulting
  • Training
    • Barking
    • Car reactivity
    • Group dog training classes
    • Jumping
    • Loose Leash Walking (Heel)
    • Nipping
    • Pet dog training
    • Private In-Home Dog Training
    • Puppy training
      • House breaking/House training/Potty training
      • Puppy Socialization
    • Recall (Train Your Dog to Come when Called)
    • Service Dog Training
      • Assistance Task Training
      • Public Access Training (PAT)
      • Service dog laws and legalities
  • Uncategorized
  • Virtual online dog training

What Our Clients Are Saying…

TJ Legg
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner
"It’s just brought so much pure joy! My dog and I like each other a lot more now." -- Sam Legg with TJ
APDT Professional Member
"She has worked miracles with my dog!" -- Gail Mason with Dazzle

Social

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Certified Professional Dog Trainer

Copyright © At Your Service Dog Training, LLC · All Rights Reserved