A Facility Dog is specially trained to provide therapeutic benefits to improve the mental, physical or emotional health of individuals in a care-giving facility. These dogs may be used by schools, rehabilitation programs, psychiatric programs, assisted living facilities, and others.
Role of a Facility Dog
These dogs help break the monotony of physical therapy exercises and provide rewards and motivation in an educational setting such as a school. In a counseling setting, a patient or child may open up to the dog when they cannot speak to an adult or therapist. Individuals can be encouraged to walk and play with a dog as a form of exercise. At a physical therapy center, a dog might engage patients in simple exercises such as throwing a ball for the dog to retrieve. At a program for people with developmental disabilities, the focus might be on scheduled activities such as feeding time for the dog or grooming. Such experiences can be helpful in broadening daily living skills. In an assisted living center, residents can be encouraged to take the dog for a walk or play games with the dog, providing stimulation and interaction.
Applying for a Facility Dog
Please complete a Facility Dog application and return to Disability Assistance Dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Therapy Dogs and Facility Dogs the same?
No, they aren’t. Both have important roles in a therapeutic setting. This can be confusing because some people call a dog that works every day at a facility a therapy dog.
A Facility Dog is specially trained to work at a facility every day and have specific tasks that they do. They go to work (and sometimes live full-time at the facility) every day just like any other employee. They also provide love and affection in addition to their job.
A Therapy Dog is a well-behaved pet, often certified by Therapy Dogs International or a local Therapy Dog organization, that visits a facility with their owner for a an hour or two at a time and give love and affection to the residents or patients there.
They serve different roles and are both very valuable.
If we have a Facility Dog, can Therapy Dogs continue to visit our facility?
Most certainly! Both of these dogs serve seperate and complimentary roles.
Should we let our Facility Dog and the Therapy Dogs interact while on the job?
Absolutely NOT! Both your Facility Dog and the Therapy Dogs are at your facility to work and socialize with people, not to socialize with other dogs. Keep the dogs separate and doing their individual jobs when they are at the facility. If you wish to let them socialize, let them do it outside of the facility at a park or someone’s home. Your Facility Dog is still a dog and needs to interact with other dogs, just not at work.
Can the Facility Dog accompany their handler in public like a Service Dog?
No, Facility Dogs are not service dogs and their handlers are generally not disabled nor are they specially trained to mitigate their handler’s disability. Therefore, they do not qualify as a service dog as described by the ADA. Special permission may be given in some cases (perhaps they are accompanying patients from the facility on an outing), but that is at the discretion of the individual business. A Facility Dog may certainly go anywhere where pets are allowed.