Getting your Dog Certified for Therapy and/or Service Work..

My mom relayed this information to me and I thought it might be of importance to any you interested in becoming a therapy dog.

To get things completely clear; I'm technically not the whole 9 yards a therapy dog but do a job that helps my mother and she is still able to go inside public establishments with her. I have the legal vests and patches that authorities never question nor are they allowed to.. Should she have a panic attack I am there to help her get through it and it usually takes just a few seconds. I will tap her leg to let her know that she needs to get down to my level and that's where the therapy begins. I lick her and hug her as she therapeutically pets my never ending soft fur. It makes all the difference to her since she doesn't have any children; why can't I come along? She's gone through enough in life for some greedy angry person to question why my mother needs a service dog. Yes there are those few people who feel inadequate in their lives that they have to complain about someone who is disabled and we hope to change those people's minds and give them heart and soul.

This should help all you doggies who interested in getting to work. It's not required at all by law that you have any card or paperwork to be a service dog. A Canine Good Citizen will help you doggies who may have manners that your owners are concerned about and you will have all the requirements of being out in public. A doctor can recommend a service dog for your person as in my case. Now do remember that it's not absolutely required but you can register with this website as I just did. What happens is that they will mail you some forms for your parent to fill out and get signed by a doctor. It's very easy to do.

I promise to provide you all with updates as to what happens next after I register. Here is the information this website requires so it's not a totally difficult site for your parents to fill out. Please do check out the whole site if you can.

http://www.registeredservicedogs.com/

OK I fill this out they will send me a form in the mail for which my mom will fill out some more and then she takes the rest of the form to either her oncologist or psychologist. I know either of those doctors will be more than willing to fill out the form. Then she has to mail in that form in the address provided in the form and send a check or credit card payment. That's a little sketchy but we will research with the Better Business Bureau to make sure that they are a legitimate business model and they are not just taking money for nothing.

They also support Federal Law which makes it quite clear for service animals like myself. Again feel free to print this out when your person takes you out in public.

http://www.ada.gov/svcanimb.htm

This website makes it easy for your to get your dog certified. I am now a Service Dog and my mom's Psychiatrist is 110% behind signing these forms once they arrive in the mail. I'm not sure how much it costs but I bet you could have your parents check out the whole site for you. I for one want my own Service Dog ID even though I am allowed inside most restaurant and shopping malls.

The only thing wrong with me me is that I just have the cute factor in that my beautiful smile makes everyone around me want to pet me and just love on me so I provide the general public with free dog therapy. I don't see anything wrong with that; it makes the world a much more peaceful place to live. I'm so soft and irresistible I know! No one can keep their hands off my shiny white and blue fur!) Since I am not guiding my mom as a guide dog does, my mom does see anything wrong with sharing me with a world that needs me. I'm too darn cute for my own good so that's why I am choosing to work in Therapy. I want others to feel good!