Service Dogs in Schools: A
Way of Life for Students,
Employees & Administrators
What is a Service Dog? Can I
bring my dog to
school/campus?
Does a Service Dog have to be
trained and certified?
What is a Service Dog?
A service animal is a dog that is individually
trained to do work or perform tasks for a person
with a disability.
 The work or task a dog has been
trained to provide must be directly
related to the person’s disability.
 Dogs whose sole function is to
provide comfort or emotional support
do not qualify as service animals
under the ADA.

Where do Service Dogs Come
from?
School/programs that breed/select, raise, train and
place dogs with people with disabilities.
 Private Trainers
that select, train
and place dogs
 Owners who
train a dogs for
themselves often
with the help of a
trainer.

What is the difference? Who is
protected under the law?

Service Dogs/Assistance Dogs,
 ADA,

Comfort dogs/companion dogs/emotional
support dogs
 Fair

Fair Housing, Air Carrier Access Act
Housing, Air Carrier Access Act
Therapy dogs/visiting therapy dogs
 By
invitation to a facility
How is a Service Dog different
from a pet dog?
Highly trained to
advanced levels
 Specially selected for
friendly temperament,
work ethic,no aggression
towards people/animals and
moderate energy levels
 More interested in their person and work than
other dogs, people, or other animals

Myth Buster
Service Dog Candidates have no say in
becoming a service dog.
Service Dogs don’t get to be dogs.
Service Dogs are forced to work.
There are no standards for
Service Dogs.
Any dog can be a Service Dog.
Deciding Where Your Service Dog Should
Come From? Certification


Most people get their service dogs from programs
Owner training is rewarding, but it can also be:
 Expensive
 Hard
to find a dog with the right stuff
 Tiring and Slow

Private Trainers
 Have
their own standards and process for clients
 Can work with you individually
 May come from dog training fields other than service
dogs
 May or may not have a background in working with
people with disabilities
Who is responsible for the
care of the Service Dog?
What kinds of things can
Service Dogs do?
Responsibilities of a Service
Dog Handler
Feed and care for the Service Dog including
regular vet visits, daily grooming, and exercise
 Ensure that your
Service Dog does not
look for attention from others
or disturb others
while working
 Keep your Service Dog safe
 Maintain training

The Great Parts of having a
Service Dog.
They are always there for you
 They can think and change how they do things
 They don’t complain about having to help you
 They will do things over
and over with joy
 They need you as much
as you need them

Not-So-Great Parts of having a
Service Dog






The attention they attract
People invading your space
People denying you access with your service
dog
Dogs getting sick in the middle of the night and
waking you up/ or while working
Dogs doing something embarrassing (like
Barking) while working
Just as they get really, really good at their work;
it’s time to retire them.
Types of Work Done by Service
Dogs
Guiding
 Mobility
 Balance
 Medical Response/Alert
 Hearing Response/Alert

What kinds of
accommodations must an
educational institution
provide the team?
How Educators Can Minimize
Disruption
Show-and-tell
 Dealing with allergies and fears
 I want to learn more

 who
can I call?
(start with the school
that trained the dog in
question, associations, etc.)
High School and College
Unwanted attention
 New name calling
 More accommodation IEP
 More responsibility
 More Opportunities
 More independence

Higher Education




ADA - public access
FHA - housing
504 - accommodations
Oregon State Law
Parts of Campus
 Public Areas
 Classroom Settings
 Science Labs
 Housing
 Medical Facilities
Service Dogs on College Campuses
Seizure Alert
 Guiding
 PTSD- Vigilance, scanning
 Diabetes
 Hearing
 Psychiatric

UO Procedures




Service vs. Comfort /Therapy
Students –Accessible Education Center
Faculty/Staff – Affirmative Action/Equal
Opportunity
UOPD Permit
Can I pet your dog?
Etiquette







What do I call you? I am a person speak to me. I am a
person with a disability
What do I call your dog? (e.g., “seeing eye dog” “guide
dog” or “dog guide”
How do I refer to the relationship? This is a
partnership,
Public Disclosure (e.g., harnesses, jackets, other
identifiers) are not required.
DO NOT Pet, feed, distract my dog she is not public
property.
Interactions with pets on and off-leash. My dog is not
here for your dog’s sake.
What do I tell my child? That is a very important dog
lets watch and don’t touch.
Don’t Throw that Out!
Service Dogs are:
 one tool in living with a disability
 Don’t replace other tools
 Work together with other tools
 Get sick/hurt
 Need to retire
Questions??
Contact Us
WVADC-owner@yahoogroups.com
http://www.facebook.com/WVADC
Who Are We?


Leslie Weilbacher- Co-founder Willamette Valley
Assistance Dogs Club, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Alumna, Guiding Eyes for the Blind Alumna
Melissa Mitchell-Founder Service Dogs: A Way of
Life, Co-Founder Willamette Valley Assistance Dogs
Club, Owner-Trainer, Summit Assistance Dogs
Alumna