EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOGS & Therapy dogs
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN ASSISTANCE DOG AND AN EMOTIONAL SUPPORT DOG?
RAD does not currently train emotional support dogs.
Whilst an assistance dog is highly trained to carry out specific tasks which mitigate a disabled person's disability, any dog which provides comfort and companionship simply by being present could be described as an emotional support dog.
Emotional support dogs are not referenced in UK law and have no legal rights of access. People without a qualifying disability under the Equality Act 2010 could utilise their dog to provide them with emotional support. They may even go on to teach it specific tasks, however this would not make it an assistance dog.
ADUK have produced some guidance about the differences between assistance dogs, emotional support dogs and therapy dogs.
As described above, the primary differences between an assistance dog and an emotional support dog is their rights for public access and their level of training.
Training an assistance dog is an intensive process which requires a good deal of time commitment. People working towards having an assistance dog will typically want their dog to accompany them to most of the time, including accessing settings not usually open to dogs, such as their workplace, medical settings and educational establishments.
To have access rights with an assistance dog the handler must have a qualifying disability under the Equality Act 2010. Their dog must also be able to exhibit appropriate behaviours at all times.
People may decide to train their dog to utilise their dog for emotional support, rather than training it as an assistance dog in circumstances such as: not requiring access to non dog friendly places; their dog not being able to meet the required behavioural standards; not having a qualifying disability; not having enough time to train to assistance dog standards.
Therapy dogs
Therapy dogs are typically pet dogs which are friendly and sufficiently well-behaved to be taken to settings such as schools, hospitals or nursing homes to provide comfort and support to members of the general public.
This is usually arranged through a recognised charity such as Pets As Therapy to enable the correct checks to be made and the activity to be appropriately insured.
RAD does not provide or train therapy dogs.