Service Dog Vest Benefits
Although service vests are not required, they provide several benefits for service dogs and their owners. Wearing a vest is helpful for the dog, owner, and the public.
A vest clearly distinguishes the working animal from normal pets. When your dog is wearing his vest, he is working. The vest signals to other people that the dog is performing a specific task and cannot be distracted. People often approach and pet dogs in public. But this distraction can limit a service dog’s ability to assist its owner. Many vests also include a clear warning not to pet the animal while working. You can add additional patches with information to your vests that also explain the dog’s purpose or task. This can also help others do their best to avoid distracting the dog from his job.
Vests can benefit service dogs by providing a physical cue that helps them separate work time and play-time. Just like humans, dogs need time to relax off the clock too when their owners take off their vests at home. A vest can help service dogs know when they need to pay attention to their job in public, and when they can nap and play like normal pets. Service animals still need plenty of TLC and time to be normal dogs.
Clear identification can help ensure that travel and every-day life is as stress-free as possible. Business staff can recognize the vest and avoid confusing the animal with a pet that may not be allowed in their facility. A service vest can reduce hassle and limit unnecessary questions. Many vests also contain identification cards with information directly from the ADA that states the legal rights of a service dog and their handler.
What is a Service Dog?
A service dog is an assistance animal that has received professional training to perform a task that helps its owner manage a mental, physical, or emotional disability. Only dogs are recognized as suitable service animals protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The ADA became law in 1990. This act provides protections for individuals with disabilities to allow them to enjoy the same civil rights as the general public in public spaces. Service dogs accompany their owners publicly to provide assistance directly related to their disability.
Some people may confuse emotional support animals with service dogs. Emotional support animals are pets that provide comfort for their owner with just their presence. They do not benefit from the same level of access to public spaces as service dogs do, however.
Also, unlike emotional support animals, service dogs are trained to perform specific work. Tasks that service dogs are trained to perform include guiding the blind, pulling wheelchairs, calming people who suffer from PTSD or anxiety attacks, or alerting handlers about possible seizures.
The different types of service dogs trained to perform these tasks include:
Most dog owners recognize the benefit that any pet can bring to their everyday lives. Dogs offer companionship, comfort, and can help support mental health. But trained service dogs are even more valuable for individuals with disabilities.
Dogs are highly trainable and able to help manage a wide variety of disabilities. They can become a person’s eyes or ears. Some service dogs are even trained to detect the onset of a medical emergency like a seizure or remind their owners to take medication.
Psychiatric service dogs help people with disorders that include anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, schizophrenia, and other mental health illnesses. These dogs can help reduce stress-inducing conditions, interrupt repetitive behaviors, or calm individuals experiencing panic attacks.
A variety of breeds can become service dogs. Larger breeds like Great Danes are ideal for mobility assistance. But small breeds are also capable of versatile tasks.
The most common breeds used as service dogs include Labs, German Shepherds, and Golden Retrievers. These breeds are exceptionally trainable and can easily learn the behaviors required for service dogs to earn their unique rights.
There are three major classifications of service dogs. Guide dogs assist the visually impaired. Hearing dogs help the deaf by alerting them to specific sounds. Service dogs perform other kinds of work such, as mobility assistance or working with the mentally impaired.
A dog can enrich your life in a variety of ways, including emotional and physical benefits. For some, however, a dog is more than a pet. These individuals rely on their dogs to help them lead satisfying, productive lives.
Wearing a vest does not mean a dog is qualified to be a service animal. Using a vest to pass off a dog as a trained service animal is a crime. ×
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) a service dog is one that has been specially trained to assist a disabled person. Other kinds of animals can qualify, but dogs are the most common.
As of 2009, there is no federal law that associates vest colour with a given service role. Specific colours are matters of common practice and owner preference.
Service Dog Vest Color Meaning?
Known simply as “mans best friend,” dogs are famous for being one of the most loving and loyal pets that a person can own. Because of their intelligence and caring nature, dogs have been used as “service dogs” to assist individuals who cannot live alone.
With so many different types of service dogs, it is important that the individuals who use these dogs also alert the public that these dogs are special. This is why it is crucial that any type of service dog wears a working dog vest or support dog vest while it is assisting its owner. So many times, when people see dogs, they automatically want to pet them. However, because service dogs are always watching out for their owners, their focus cannot be interrupted.
Service dogs are specially trained dogs that can help disabled individuals complete tasks. Most service dogs are trained and even bred by certified service dog organizations. American Pit Bull Terriers, German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, and Golden Retrievers are popular breeds of dogs used to assist disabled individuals. These dogs are trained to switch on lights, turn on water, and assist their owner in any way.
Therapy dogs are not a typical sort of service dog, because they only go through basic obedience training. These dogs are specifically trained to provide people in nursing homes, disaster areas, hospices, retirement homes, hospitals, and schools with comfort and affection. Therapy dogs come in all different breeds and sizes.
Emotional support dogs differ from other service dogs, because they are not specifically trained to perform tasks that are directly related to an individuals disability. Owners most often keep emotional support dogs to help them in the case that the owner becomes anxious, or overly emotional.
The number one job of a service dog is assisting an individual who has a disability. When their owner is in a public setting, many people are tempted to pet and play with it. However, when a service dog is wearing its support vest, it is necessary for it to remain focused on its job. But when the gear is removed, they are often more relaxed and friendly.