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Originally Posted by yorkieK9trainer  BS. ALL dogs should undergo a minimal obedience class in my opinion, unless they are nothing more than backyard dogs (which I don't condone).
Therefore, even if you have an "emotional assist" dog, which I have also trained for people, you SHOULD be required by law to pass a class demonstrating that you have basic control (obedience) over your dog as a handler and that the dog displays no aggressive tendancies. If not, SORRY.
Just because you are attached to an aggressive llama doesn't mean you should be able to take it everywhere in public with you.
There SHOULD be a minimal requirement and as of right now there is NOT.
But there will be.
Further, having an ID on your animal doesn't have to state your disability. It just needs to state your dogs first and last name, have a photo of him/her and your home address and possibly a phone number if something should happen to you, the proper people can be notified to come and get your animal when you are taken to the hospital. YOUR DOG WILL NOT BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH YOU. You are incapacitated and therefore he/she is not needed until you rouse. |
I agree that you should have basic control of your animal, but you don't need a class for this. And as you stated, the law does not currently require this. If the law changes, so be it.
I did not say not to have ID on your dog. ID tags should always be on your animal when traveling, regardless of whether they are a service animal or not. The possibility of needing hospitalization could happen to anyone and having appropriate ID on your pet is always a good idea. But having an ID on your animal, and having a clearly labeled vest stating you have a service animal are two different things. Emotional assist animals are not necessarily dogs. A cat, rabbit and guinea pig also qualify in this arena.
Emotional assist animals also do not need to be in a carrier. They can be in your arms and on your lap. I stand by my statement that those needing such an animal, do not need to put a "working service dog" vest on their animal and shouldn't feel obligated to uphold a standard for others. Not all airlines , transportation companies or business will honor emotional support animals. You should also be aware of the policies and abide by them.