You may have heard about therapy and service dogs, and you may have even heard these terms used interchangeably, but there are a lot of key differences between these types of working dogs. On one hand, you have dogs that are trained to help groups of people, and on the other hand, you have dogs that are assigned to one specific person until they “retire.”
While that’s the short answer, there’s a lot to learn about therapy dogs vs service dogs, and we cover everything you need to know in this article.
What Is a Therapy Dog?
The primary purpose of therapy dogs is to provide comfort and support for people who need it. You’ll find that they’re used in situations where there are many people in the same group who need companionship, attention, or even a little bit of love. Some examples of places you’ll find therapy dogs include schools, funeral homes, hospitals, and even nursing homes.
Therapy dogs tend to have training for deep pressure therapy (DPT) along with socialization training to ensure that they don’t have issues with larger groups or people.
What Is a Service Dog?
Service dogs are specialized dogs that help individual people who have disabilities. These disabilities can be physical or mental, which is why they’re often categorized as psychiatric service dogs and physical service dogs. While they may be different in classification, the goals are the same, and service dogs have to be trained to handle a specific task for someone in order for them to be classified as a service dog.
Service dogs also get specific protections outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This gives them privileges that therapy dogs and emotional support animals don’t have.
Therapy Dogs vs Service Dogs
The main differences between therapy and service dogs are how they’re trained and who they’re used for. That said, it’s more nuanced than that, so we cover these differences in more detail below.
Therapy vs Service Dog Breeds
When it comes to breeds, you’ll find that there are a lot of differences between what works for a service dog and what works for a therapy dog. For example, a Chihuahua may not be suitable for most types of service dog work, but if they’re well-trained and socialized early they shouldn’t have any issues being a therapy dog.
In fact, therapy dogs often benefit from being smaller and more agile because they don’t have to assist with any physical disabilities. Plus, their smaller size is beneficial in places like nursing homes and funeral homes.
Therapy vs Service Dog Training
Training is a big deal when it comes to service dogs and therapy dogs, but more so service dogs. This is because service dogs need individualized training for a specific task, like pushing a wheelchair, opening doors, or helping someone remember to take medicine. Service dogs also need socialization and have to be able to remain calm in public.
Therapy dogs, on the other hand, only need basic behavioral training and early socialization. For therapy dogs, it’s more about their presence than their ability to perform specific tasks or respond to commands. Still, therapy dogs should always have at least some type of training before interacting with groups of people. What’s more, it may be worth training therapy dogs for things like DPT to help people feel more comfortable depending on the setting.
Therapy vs Service Dog Access
Access is another key difference between service dogs and therapy dogs. Service dogs have special privileges outlined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which allows them access to public spaces. Furthermore, service dogs are allowed in housing that’s not pet-friendly and in public spaces; the only catch is that they have to be well-behaved.
Therapy dogs don’t have these same privileges. Instead, therapy dogs are handled like emotional support animals and you’ll need permission to bring them on airlines or out in public. Therapy dogs that will remain in one location or visit several specific locations will also need permission to do so.
Adopt a Therapy or Service Dog Today
Service dogs and therapy dogs both have their uses, so it all comes down to what you need. For people who have disabilities and require specialized care from their canine companion, service dogs are the way to go. On the other hand, organizations that want to make people feel more comfortable and relaxed will benefit more from therapy dogs.
