What makes a dog a service dog?
The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a service animal as a dog individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The tasks must be directly related to the person's disability — examples include guiding a blind person, alerting to oncoming seizures, or interrupting dissociative episodes.
Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under the ADA — they're recognised under different laws and have different rights. See the full comparison for details.
The six common types
Click any type to see specific tasks, training timelines, recommended breeds, and how to get started.
Psychiatric Service Dog(PSD)
ADA public access · FHA housing · ACAA in-cabin air travel
Task-trained for psychiatric disabilities — PTSD, severe anxiety, depression, panic disorder, bipolar, OCD, and dissociative conditions.
Medical Alert & Response Service Dog
ADA public access · FHA housing · ACAA in-cabin air travel
Trained to detect medical events before they happen — and to respond when they do. Diabetes, severe allergies, cardiac conditions, POTS, and migraine.
Guide Dog
ADA public access · FHA housing · ACAA in-cabin air travel
The original service dog role — guiding handlers who are blind or severely visually impaired through their daily environment safely and independently.
Mobility Assistance Service Dog
ADA public access · FHA housing · ACAA in-cabin air travel
Provides physical support for handlers with mobility-related disabilities — bracing, retrieval, door operation, and wheelchair assistance.
Hearing Alert Service Dog
ADA public access · FHA housing · ACAA in-cabin air travel
Trained to alert deaf or hard-of-hearing handlers to important sounds — alarms, doorbells, names being called, baby crying.
Seizure Response Service Dog
ADA public access · FHA housing · ACAA in-cabin air travel
Trained to respond during a seizure — protecting the handler, summoning help, and assisting with recovery. Some dogs also alert before seizures.
Already have a service dog?
Register your dog, get a printed ID card, and gain instant verification at the door. No annual fee, no fake credentials — just a clean record landlords and businesses can scan to confirm.