Therapy Dogs vs. Emotional Support Dogs: What is The Difference?
In recent years, the roles of therapy dogs and emotional support dogs have gained increasing recognition for their positive impact on mental and emotional well-being. Many people use the terms therapy dogs and emotional support dogs interchangeably. However, Therapy dogs and emotional support dogs serve distinct purposes and have different legal rights and training requirements. Understanding these differences is essential for anyone considering the benefits of canine companionship for themselves or others. In this article, we'll dive into the major differences between Therapy Dogs vs. Emotional Support Dogs.
What is a therapy dog?
Therapy Dogs are companion animals (pets) whose person brings them places to offer comfort and affection to people in need. A certificate must be obtained by either a national or local therapy dog organization to work as a therapy dog team. Sometimes specific facilities will have their own testing and certification.
The 3 Types of Therapy Dogs
There are three main categories of therapy dog: therapeutic vision, animal assisted, and facility therapy dogs. Each type has a distinct role in bringing comfort and support to those around it.
1. Therapeutic Visitation Dogs
These dogs are involved in the therapy team visiting hospitals, retirement facilities and other places where people need cheering and/or distraction. You might see them visiting college students cramming for finals or entertaining passengers waiting for flights at an airport. Helping dogs increase their comfort level in new environments is key to their success in these roles.
2. Animal Assisted Therapy dogs
These therapy dogs work with medical or mental health professionals. In the medical field, these dogs may work in rehabilitation facilities helping those with serious injuries regain limb motion or fine motor skills. Some mental health professionals use dogs as part of their therapy work with clients. Dogs allow adults and children to relax, play and open up more freely.
3. Facility Therapy Dogs
Facility therapy dogs are usually living at the nursing home where they work. Typically, a staff member is responsible for training and daily care of the dog. These dogs give comfort to the residents or may be trained to alert staff if a dementia patient is heading out certain doors.
What is an emotional support dog?
Emotional Support Dogs (ESD), or Emotional Support Animals (ESA), are different from therapy dogs. ESDs are defined by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) as,
“an animal [which] provides companionship, relieves loneliness and sometimes helps with depression, anxiety or certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.”
The Differences Between Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Animals
This is an important distinction. Emotional support animals are pets, and not service dogs. They provide comfort to their person, but they are not going to facilities to provide comfort to others. They do not have permission to be in any public area that pet dogs are not allowed. The only allowances for ESDs is in pet-free housing and riding in the cabin of an airplane.
A written prescription from a medical or mental health provider is required. With such a letter, a landlord cannot deny housing to a person with an Emotional Support Dog, even if that housing is listed as ‘no pets'. Likewise, an airline may not forbid the dog from being in the cabin if the person has a legitimate prescription from their doctor. But note, a dog who acts aggressively may be forbidden to board a plane even if they are designated an ESD.
How do therapy dogs and emotional support dogs compare to service dogs?
Unlike therapy animals and emotional support animals, service animals must be dogs, and these dogs must be serving a person with a disability. These dogs must also undergo a lengthy, intensive training process in order to be able to perform the tasks needed by the handler. While ESA and service dogs do have housing rights, therapy dogs do not. Of the three, service dogs are the only ones that have full public access rights to ensure they can continue to support their handlers while out and about. If you're interested in training a service dog of your own, The Academy of Pet Careers can teach you how to become a service dog trainer.
Key Takeaways
Understanding the differences between therapy dogs and emotional support dogs is crucial for recognizing the unique roles they play in providing comfort and assistance. By appreciating these differences, and the distinction from service dogs, we can better support the important work these animals do in improving life for humans everywhere. If you want to train your own dog to be a service dog, The Academy of Pet Careers is here to guide you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Emotional support animals simply bring comfort to their owners. Therapy dogs require specialized training in order to provide comfort to others. Service dogs require specialized, advanced training catered to their handler's disability.
Yes, virtually any dog can become an emotional support animal if they provide comfort and emotional support to their owner. There are no breed restrictions or specific training requirements.
There are many ways to obtain a service dog, including training your own service dog at The Academy of Pet Careers. Learn more about how to get a service dog.
ESAs do not require specialized training like service dogs or therapy dogs do. However, they should be well-behaved and house-trained since they may live in housing that normally doesn't allow pets. While formal training isn't legally required, it's beneficial for the animal to have basic obedience skills and good temperament, especially if you plan to travel with them or live in close quarters with neighbors.
Yes. While it's not legally required, many places will require certification or other proof of a therapy dog's skills. Therapy dog certifying organizations, like Therapy Dogs International, certify therapy dog teams before they start work.
Hope Allen
Hope Allen combines her lifelong passion for animals with her digital marketing expertise. Growing up in a veterinary family, she gained hands-on experience working as an office assistant and sterilization tech at their mobile practice. This foundation, coupled with her degree in design and digital content strategy from Lindenwood University, allows her to bring unique insight to pet-focused content.