Standards & Policies

Service Dog Policy:

The distinction between ADA tasks (Service Animals) and ESAs (Emotional Support Animals) are as follows:

Training: Service animals are specifically trained to perform tasks directly related to a person's disability, while ESAs provide emotional support through their presence but do not require specific task training or public access work, meaning they can simply attack anyone in public, and can cause much harm to all the hard work that the service dogs teams put out every year.
Legal Protections: Service animals have broad access rights under the ADA, allowing them in public places and workplaces. ESAs, on the other hand, have limited legal protections primarily under housing laws, requiring reasonable accommodations in housing situations.
Purpose: Service animals assist individuals with disabilities by performing tasks, whereas ESAs offer comfort and emotional support without specific task training.
Documentation: Service animals must be trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability, while ESAs do not need to be trained to perform tasks but must be necessary for emotional support.

Understanding these distinctions is crucial for recognizing the rights and responsibilities associated with each type of animal.

Safety Protocols:

Here is where I lay out all my "ground rules" for muzzles, crating, the ABCs of behavior work, behavior checklists, resource guarding rules, owner compliance rules, leash handling guidelines, and proper safety guidelines when it comes to reactive behaviors and public safety.

With reactive behavior a contract will be signed, and safety protocols will be followed.

The 3-Second Rule:

The 3-Second rule when it comes to dog training refers to the critical time frame within which you must respond to your dog's behavior to ensure whether they associate it with a consequence, such as a reward or redirection. Dogs are similar to children in which they have short attention spans. Therefore, timing is crucial, building trust is key, if you are using a clicker this also applies (scent work, agility, dog sports, etc.), and you must understand your dog's body language.