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STRESS LESS: Dogs can and do make a difference in reducing student stress levels
Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs
by Gary Kammerer
Over the years of working in dog training I have had numerous people ask me about service and therapy dogs. There sometimes is confusion between these two types of dogs. For those of us who may aspire having our dog become one of these valuable companions, here are the main differences.
Service dogs are specially trained to provide a specific service to someone in need. These needs include physical and psychological. In most cases, an individual’s personal pet will not qualify to be a reliable service dog. The amount of training required to qualify a dog to satisfy these needs varies and often takes more time and money.
For someone who needs a service dog to assist them with various physical handicaps, such as a quadriplegic, training often takes up to a year, or sometimes longer. These dogs are specially selected from reputable breeders and training can cost upwards to $10,000 or more. Many puppies may be called on to become a service dog, but few are chosen. As a puppy they are usually put into a temporary, foster, households to be kept for around 9 months for basic training and socialization. After this period, they will be screened to see if they have the right stuff, both physically and temperament, to become a service dog. Specific skills training (retrieving items, turning lights on or off, opening doors, etc.) may take up to 6 months to a year. For the deaf or hard of hearing frequently dogs from shelters or rescue services can do the job, and the cost of training these dogs is usually considerably less. Training them to alert their owners to certain noises is usually more easily trained than other, more complex, skills.
For service dogs needed for psychological assistance, training requirements will vary. Selecting the right dog is very important. Reputable breeders will often select the best dog of a litter to be trained for this purpose. The temperament of this type of service dog is equally important as service dogs for those with physical needs. They need to be very solid is basic obedience. Learning to pay close attention to their handler is also very important. These dogs usually accompany their handlers wherever they go, so they must also be well socialized. In most cases the cost of training these types of service dogs is less.
Therapy dogs are used to provide therapy to certain individuals they meet with. They are usually personal pets that have received solid obedience training and are well socialized. The handler must have solid control of their dogs in all settings and situations. There is usually an evaluation that handler and dog must pass in to be certified as a therapy dog team. Once certified, they are usually covered by liability insurance. A therapy dog team can visit any person in a residence or facility that may need their services.
In Delta Society, an organization I have been with as a pet partner team with 3 different dogs and a licensed evaluator, therapy dogs can be used for Animal Assisted Activities (AAA) or Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT). In AAA a team usually visits someone who just wants to interact and love a dog. Nursing homes, schools, hospitals, and various other facilities often benefit from therapy dog visits. In these types of visits a dog has to be basically trained to interact in a controlled manner with those they are visiting. AAT therapy dogs will provide a specific therapy. For example, my dogs have assisted therapists at hospitals working with stroke victims. They may ask their patients to pet the dog with their weaker arm to help strengthen it. This type of therapy can only be performed under the close supervision of a trained professional. All Delta therapy dogs must be kept up on vaccinations and health checks, cleanliness, and be evaluated every 2 years. I find this type of sharing my dogs to be very gratifying and beneficial. In hospitals I have seen patients blood pressure rapidly drop when they start interacting with my dog. For around 7 years Delta Pet Partner teams have been visiting the University of Montana during Stress Less Week, the week before finals, and we have been very well received by students facing the rigors of exam week. They are my most enjoyable visits of the year.
There is one important difference between service and therapy dogs that should be understood. Service dogs, by law, must be allowed in any facility with their handlers (airplanes, restaurants, etc.). Therapy dogs may only accompany their handlers where they are invited. Delta Society also certifies other animals to do therapy work such as cats, horses, etc.
One area I personally feel should be addressed in Montana is for service dogs to have some sort or verifiable qualifications in order to be legally considered a service dog. Currently any person who wants their dog to be a service dog can put a vest on them that says they are a service dog and they must be allowed to accompany their owner/handlers wherever they go. I once saw a person who had what they said was their service dog go into a hospital with a purebred wolf which proceeded to bite a few staff members who wanted to pet it. This type of ambiguity is potentially dangerous.
Man has domesticated dogs to be social with human pack members and to do work for them. Service and therapy dogs are prime examples of this.
 My name is Gary Kammerer. I have lived in Montana for 30 years and in the Bitterroot Valley for 21 years. I taught in elementary and secondary education for 20 years before entering the world of dog training. I have competed in AKC (American Kennel Club) obedience trials, taught group obedience classes, and have done individual and problem dog work for the past 20 years. I have been involved with Delta Society, a national organization promoting therapy and service dogs for the past 14 years. For more information on Delta Society go to deltasociety.org. At the University of Montana I have been fortunate to work with and assist the Curry Health Center and School of Law with therapy dog visitations. I also help individuals with service dog training. I run a dog training business called On Command Dog Obedience Training out of Stevensville, Montana. Feel free to contact me at 777-3527 if I can ever be of any help.
Gary Kammerer
On Command Dog Obedience Training
Stevensville, Montana
777-3527
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