Service Dog Public Access
Preparing your service dog for public outings & participation in your daily life.
Public Access Training
Public access training is training for a service dog to prepare them for accompanying their handler in public places. It teaches the dog to behave properly and follow commands in various environments, such as restaurants, stores, and public transportation. The training focuses on the dog's ability to remain calm, well-behaved, and under control, even in distracting or highly stressful situations. Public access training is a critical component of service dog training and is necessary for a service dog to be considered fully trained and able to accompany their handler in public spaces.
Training will include basic obedience skills, distraction proofing, restaurant protocols, avoidance of food items, elevator education, proper greeting skills, obedience during appointments/checkout, shopping, walking with wheelchairs/crutches/walkers, avoidance of other animals, vehicle safety protocols, etc.
We also spend time with the handler discussing home safety & wellness protocols.
At the K9 Coach, we do not offer training for medical alerts. Many dogs do these tasks naturally or under training from their hander and simply need some public access guidance. I can help you achieve that.
General Expectations for Public Access:
The dog must be trained to perform specific tasks related to their handler's disability.
The dog must be clean and groomed.
The dog must be under the control of its handler at all times, either through voice commands or physical cues.
The dog must be exceptionally well-behaved and not exhibit disruptive or display reactive or aggressive behavior.
The dog must be house-trained and the handler is responsible for cleaning up after the dog outside.
Service dogs are allowed in public places, such as restaurants, stores, and public transportation. Private facilities are not required to permit access.
The handler is not required to disclose their disability but may be asked if the dog is a service animal and what tasks it performs. Under the ADA, these are the only two questions a business may ask.
Vests & ID Cards Are Not Required for Public Access, though they can be helpful.
Formal training is not required for Service Dogs, though it can certainly aid the handler in details & efficiency.