03/07/2026
For United States Residents:
The first step you should start with is talking to your doctor to discuss if your condition is disabling enough to qualify as the legal definition as set forth by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
If you do meet that definition your next step should be to research all laws regarding Service Dogs (SD). This includes:
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
ADA faqs page as well
Housing and Urban Development Laws (HUD)
Fair Housing Act (FHA)
Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA)
Rehabilitation Act
Any state and local laws or ordinances pertaining to SDs
Once you have read, and understood these laws and you decide a SD is the right path for you, you can move on to the next step.
The next step would be to determine what a SD can do for you that you are unable to do for yourself.
This is called a TASK. Tasks must be directly linked to your specific legal disability and must be trained. Meaning: emotional support, comfort, protection, tricks, or things the dog has been trained to do but the handler is able to do for themselves without issue, or anything the dog does naturally will not count as a task.
Once you have found at least one task your prospective SD would do for you your next step is to find the proper dog for the job.
First and foremost you should remember the phrase "Need Before Breed". Do not shop for a specific breed but rather a dog that is capable of performing the job. The dog you find should be young enoughy to train, temperment tested, and be free of any and all health or genetic concerns. If the dog could in theory benefit from a SD of its own it should’ve not be considered at all. If doing mobility you should also ensure that once fully grown the dog will meet or exceed the ethical height and weight requirments. The dog should be cleared by an orthopedic certified vetrinarian and have closed growth plates before performing any form of heavy mobility tasks. If you need a medical alert dog please note that some alerts cannot be trained (seizure and heart rate alert for example). If the dog has a natural alert, you will then need to hone that natural alert and train the dog to properly and consistently alert you in order for it to become a task (natural alert alone is not a task).
Once you have found the perfect dog you must either task train it yourself or find a program/trainer to do it for you. Training on average will take about 18 months to two years to perfect depending on the task so be prepared to spend lots of time and money to train. Not every dog will be able to pass all neccessary training so be prepared for washouts and have a backup plan in place.
Once the dog has at least one task with 99% accuracy, is under your control at all times, and is potty trained you have yourself a legal and proper SD in the US.
As a side note: it is important to also know that Emotional Support Animals and Therapy animals are not Service Animals. They both serve completely separate purposes. It would be wise to research the differences along with the laws listed above.
It is also important to understand that there are no legally recognized certifications, or registries for any type of assistance animals. As stated by the ADA there are websites and individuals online who will attept to sell you ID's or certifications but these items do not convey any status or rights under the law. They are merely scams intended to take funds from people ignorant of the laws.
