Have you ever thought about the differences between service dogs and emotional support dogs? Do you know how the law differentiates them? Chris Baity from Semper K9 joins The Dog Show to discuss the differences between the two and to discuss this important topic in general. The nonprofit, Semper K9, provides veterans with trained service dogs free of charge. Service dogs are a hot topic right now in the dog world and Chris walks through some key points about service dogs and how to work through the issues they present. Don’t miss what expert Chris Baity has to say about emotional support dogs on this episode of The Dog Show. What is the difference between service dogs and emotional support dogs? There are many differences between physical disabilities and emotional disabilities. Service dogs provide help to people with physical disabilities. These dogs may help their owners with specific tasks like crossing the street safely. It may be obvious that these are working dogs, but there is another type of dog that helps people. Emotional support dogs are specific to people who are suffering a range of psychiatric disorders. Some of these dog owners may be suffering PTSD, anxiety, agoraphobia, or a number of different issues. Listen to this episode as Chris Baity spells out the differences between service dogs and emotional support dogs. How to stop the fake service dog problem There are a lot of fake service dogs out there. Anyone can pay $59 and get an ‘official service dog’ vest for their dog to wear. All of these fake dogs are making problems for people who really need emotional support dogs. If something isn’t done soon, then the emotional support dog program could be ruined for those that need it most. This could be stopped with a service dog certification that is nationally recognized. The real question is: should this problem be legislated? Chris Baity weighs in on this issue and tells us how he is working with legislators on this episode of The Dog Show. What should the criteria be to certify service dogs? Certifying that a service dog is a real working dog really shouldn't be that challenging. The first criteria that should be required is a note from a doctor that specifies that a support dog is needed. Then the dog should prove that it is well-behaved and trained, it needs to be able to ignore its surroundings in front of a trained professional. There should also be a statement that specifies what service the dog provides for its owner. Listen to this episode to hear what service dog trainer Chris Baity thinks about having a service dog certification. What is Semper K9? After leaving his service in the Marines, Chris found a way to continue working with dogs and serve the community. Chris’s nonprofit, Semper K9, takes shelter dogs and trains them to provide free service dogs to veterans and their families. This valuable program is not only saving shelter dogs but changing the lives of veterans who really need it. Chris and Semper K9 were even recently featured on Mike Rowe’s program, Returning the Favor. Listen to this episode to hear his thoughts on being surprised by being featured on the show and by meeting the blue-collar philosopher.