At K9 Advisors, we provide specialized training for Service Dogs, focusing on task-based skills that help individuals manage physical, psychiatric, and neurological disabilities. This page explains the differences between Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals, and Therapy Dogs, so you can clearly understand which category fits your needs and what type of training is required.

What Is a Service Dog?

A Service Dog is defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a dog that is trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability.

Service Dogs are trained to assist their owner/handler with specific tasks that help them mitigate physical and/or psychiatric conditions.
Examples of tasks include:

Alerting medical conditions
Interrupting panic attacks or PTSD episodes
Providing balance or mobility assistance
Retrieving dropped items
Guiding individuals with visual impairments

Key points:

The tasks must directly relate to the person’s disability.
Service Dogs have full public access rightsunder the ADA.
Only dogs trained to perform disability-mitigating tasks qualify as Service Dogs.

What we do:

K9 Advisors creates customized Service Dog training programs based on your diagnosis, needs, and daily living challenges. We train dogs for reliability, public access behavior, and specific tasks that support your disability.

Why Choose K9 Advisors for Service Dog Training?

Over 30 years of professional experience
Customized task-training for your specific disability
Public access training in real-world environments
Obedience, stability, and behavior reliability
Handler education and long-term support

We are committed to helping you build a strong, dependable partnership with your Service Dog, one that improves your safety, independence, and quality of life.

Certification & Documentation

At the end of your Service Dog’s training program, you will receive a Certificate of Completion and a Letter of Completion, both signed by your trainer. These documents confirm the skills your dog has learned, outline the tasks they are trained to perform, and provide helpful documentation for housing, travel, or general verification purposes.

Next Steps

Schedule a FREE consultationto discuss your needs and eligibility.
We evaluate your dog (or help you choose one).
We create a training plan based on the tasks you require.
Training includes public access, distraction control, and task performance.
We support you throughout the entire process, including refresher training as needed.

Comparison Chart

Service Dogs vs. ESA vs. Therapy Dogs

Category	Service Dog	Emotional Support Animal (ESA)	Therapy Dog
Purpose	Performs specific tasks to assist a person with a disability	Provides comfort and emotional support by presence alone	Provides comfort and affection to other people
Training Required	Yes — extensive, task-based training	No training required	Yes — obedience, calm temperament, socialization
Who They Help	One individual with a disability	One individual needing emotional support	Groups of people (patients, students, seniors, etc.)
ADA Public Access Rights	Yes — allowed in public places (stores, restaurants, hotels, etc.)	No ADA public access rights	No ADA public access rights
Housing Rights (Fair Housing Act)	Allowed	Allowed with proper documentation	Not covered
Air Travel Rights	Vary by airline	Vary by airline; not guaranteed	No special air travel rights
Allowed Species	Dogs only	Any species (dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.)	Typically dogs
Documentation Needed	None legally required (businesses may only ask 2 ADA questions)	Letter from licensed mental health professional	Certification may be required by facility or therapy organization
Handler Role	Depends on the dog daily for disability-related tasks	Receives emotional comfort from the animal	Visits facilities to provide comfort to others
Public Behavior Standard	Must be calm, trained, well-behaved in all environments	Must behave appropriately but no training requirements	Must be friendly, calm, gentle, and predictable

Service Dog Training