I totally support authentic therapy dogs, but I see a large number of older, obese women hauling around clearly untrained little yappy dogs and trying to force places to exempt them from a no pets policy on the grounds that they are therapy dogs. We waited 3 weeks to see 12 years a Slave and it was ruined by growling from a dog in a purse. I've been in movie theaters and even a opera with real service dogs before and barely realized they are there. My partner is former military and he has a couple buddies with PTSD. Their therapy dogs are totally chill!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find the yapping and small bladder of a tiny dog very stressful.

You sound mean.

I agree.

There is no certification for service dogs. You can train your own.

Apparently you can get a service dog for migraines. And service poodle.com looks promising.

I don't like dogs. I would be pissed beyond belief if you brought your dog that wasn't a service dog to work.

Seriously, do you live in America? What kind of people don't like dogs? I'm suspicious of anyone who admits this--there's something fundamentally wrong with you. And no, little yappy dogs are far from my favorite but I just don't get people like you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wait for an accredited, certified service dog is up to five years. Frankly, I can't imagine an accredited foundation prioritizing your need. BTW, they cost up to $10,000.

There is no such thing as an "accredited, certified" service dog. There is no accrediting agency. ADA says any dog trained to perform a task to mitigate a disability is a service animal. You can train it yourself, purchase it trained, or do a combination of both.

OP, what you describe (a dog for you to pet to mitigate your stress levels) is not a service animal. If you have severe stress causing panic attacks, the dog can be trained to lead you out of stressful situations, to corner you and keep people from touching you, to provide tactile stimulation to redirect your thoughts, etc--but simply a calming presence does not make your dog a service animal.

Not true.

Assistance Dogs International is the organizational standard.

ADA is a set of laws that governs employment. It does not govern the accreditation of service dogs.

I think what PP is trying to say is if OP truly needed a service animal, she doesn't have to wait, or pay $10K for a "accredited, certified" dog. Any dog trained to provide a service meets the requirements outline in ADA, which is what the employer would have to follow when determining a reasonable accommodation for OP.

There are organizations out there that sell very expensive "certifications" for service animals. Service animals do not need certificates, vests, or identification cards to be considered service animals.

I also agree with PP that what OP is describing (since she STILL has not answered my question about what service this animal would provide) does not meet the definition of a "service animal".

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find the yapping and small bladder of a tiny dog very stressful.

You sound mean.

Not pp, but other people get stressed out by dogs. Dogs that yap, jump, and get in your way. I would be pissed off if one of my co-workers tried to bring their pet to work. Real service dogs, who provide a real and critical need, are incredibly well trained and behaved, and you barely notice their presence. But that's not most dogs, or certainly what OP is talking about. OP's basically talking about bringing her toddler to work - oh sure it's cute at first, but no one wants that in the office all day, every day.

+1!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find the yapping and small bladder of a tiny dog very stressful.

You sound mean.

Not pp, but other people get stressed out by dogs. Dogs that yap, jump, and get in your way. I would be pissed off if one of my co-workers tried to bring their pet to work. Real service dogs, who provide a real and critical need, are incredibly well trained and behaved, and you barely notice their presence. But that's not most dogs, or certainly what OP is talking about. OP's basically talking about bringing her toddler to work - oh sure it's cute at first, but no one wants that in the office all day, every day.

+100

I don't like dogs. I would be pissed beyond belief if you brought your dog that wasn't a service dog to work.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find the yapping and small bladder of a tiny dog very stressful.

You sound mean.

Not pp, but other people get stressed out by dogs. Dogs that yap, jump, and get in your way. I would be pissed off if one of my co-workers tried to bring their pet to work. Real service dogs, who provide a real and critical need, are incredibly well trained and behaved, and you barely notice their presence. But that's not most dogs, or certainly what OP is talking about. OP's basically talking about bringing her toddler to work - oh sure it's cute at first, but no one wants that in the office all day, every day.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wait for an accredited, certified service dog is up to five years. Frankly, I can't imagine an accredited foundation prioritizing your need. BTW, they cost up to $10,000.

There is no such thing as an "accredited, certified" service dog. There is no accrediting agency. ADA says any dog trained to perform a task to mitigate a disability is a service animal. You can train it yourself, purchase it trained, or do a combination of both.

OP, what you describe (a dog for you to pet to mitigate your stress levels) is not a service animal. If you have severe stress causing panic attacks, the dog can be trained to lead you out of stressful situations, to corner you and keep people from touching you, to provide tactile stimulation to redirect your thoughts, etc--but simply a calming presence does not make your dog a service animal.

Not true.

Assistance Dogs International is the organizational standard.

ADA is a set of laws that governs employment. It does not govern the accreditation of service dogs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would find the yapping and small bladder of a tiny dog very stressful.

You sound mean.

Sounds logical to me.

Anonymous wrote:I would find the yapping and small bladder of a tiny dog very stressful.

You sound mean.

OP, sounds like you're just asking to make your office pet friendly. If that's the case, awesome--can't hurt to ask. If it's a small company, you may be able to convince the people it's a great plan. Don't use the words "service animal" though. The dog is not a service animal.