Service dogs, therapy dogs, emotional support dogs....oh my! There are many different types of dogs, each serving a different purpose. Let's start with service dogs.
Service dogs are defined as an animal that is trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. These dogs are trained for specific purposes such as pulling wheelchairs. It is very common they are trained to alert their owner to the sounds of a baby cry, smoke detectors, sounds of the phone and more. Service dogs are working, and because of that are allowed to access buildings with their owners.
Much like service dogs, therapy dogs also receive a lot of training. Their training is to provide psychological or physiological therapy to individual, other than their handlers. Therapy dogs visit schools, hospitals, day cares and rehab centers. Both types of dogs must meet the standards set by organizations and pass certifications.
We have our very own therapy dog. She's more of a therapy dog in training since she is only 14 weeks old. Sammi can be found roaming the office and greeting patients almost daily at our office in Libertyville. She is a White Cream Golden Retriever and puts a smile on patients faces even when suffering from back pain.
She loves company, so stop by to say "hi" anytime!
There is a great chart found here that breaks down the differences between these types of dogs as reference!
