Pit bulls with therapy\service status

If a pitbull were to be deemed a service or therapy dog for a person who needed the dog to reduce anxiety\depression\seeing eye dog etc, would this exempt the dog from BSL, HOA bans, insurance requirements, etc.? I know of a friend who did this with his rotties so they could travel with him. Does anyone have a dog that got qualified? Are they exempt from local BSL ie if my dog was certified in Virginia and I was traveling through Denver would I have to worry?

I appreciate anyone sharing their experience as I'm going to try to get my dog qualified.

Thanks!

 

Doesnt really answer your question. But i was told that all you need is a dr. to say you need them for one reason or another. I know a girl that got jumped when she was younger and had a family friend that was a dr. say she needed them now she has a german shepard everwhere she goes.

 

I have a friend who said she needed a dog for "depression" and her dr. wrote it up so she could move into a NO DOGS apartment with her Pug.

Don't know about BSL, I would say you would need to question the area you plan on visiting to be sure.

 

I use work with service dogs and the laws are ever changing. The reason why the laws are coming down even harder on service dogs are because people getting "doctor notes" to have a "service dog" for almost any reason. We need to leave service dogs for those that really need them, not just because we want to take them everywhere. There are current law suits about APBT service dogs being turned down by business. Walmart denied entry to a person and her service dog because it was a pit.
I believe if you own an APBT service dog and then BSL is passed you are exempt, but if you move to a place that has BSL I'm not to sure.

I still can't buy into the fact someones needs a certified service dog because of depression. But I think they can make great services dogs for people that that have disabilities and really need an assistance dog.

There are to many cases where an untrained dog caused problems at business and if things like this continue it could be the end to all services dogs being excepted everywhere. Leave them for people who really need them no matter what breed.

JMO

 

Excellent point! I was considering to see if she could be a service dog to challenge myself and also as an example of what the breed is capable of. I think they are one of the smartest dogs. I also live in an area of wall to wall HOAs and have to admit I wouldn't mind the protection the qualification might bestow on her but not to take her into situations that aren't appropriate, which doesn't do anyone any good. I've seen too many people certify their pocket pooches just so they could take them to a restaurant (ugh!). But if we could use more apbt as service dogs in the hands of qualified people to be ambassadors, it couldn't hurt. I'm interested in the idea of using them as service dogs for injured service people. I think the pitbull's personality would make a good match for injured servicemen and women in need of a service animal; however, not necessarily a good match for the type of disability my daughter has. But that is just my observation so far. I am a complete novice, relatively speaking, but I raelise that many of them might be harder than other breeds to train for this. I just know that my apbt is so eager to please in a way my other two dogs aren't (I'm sure they think I'm THEIR service person).

I'm going to have to really think about it and maybe try to train her, then see if it is suitable to qualify her. She is currently the goodwill ambassador of our neighborhood and people just adore her which in and of itself is a service to the apbt. My first job is to see that we keep it that way (no playing with the other doggies in the neighborhood).

 

Why would you want her to be a service dog? Why don't you make her a Therapy dog. That way you can still be a good ambassador for the breed. I hate to be personal but are physically disabled? It sounds like you have a few dogs and you can train one to help you around the house with out having to be a service dog. If you want to show what a APBT is capable of do dog sports, Therapy work, or something similar. Leave the service dogs for people who are truly disabled and not just because you can get a doctor to sign a note.

I don't think pits make the best service dog for a few reasons. The breed should have high energy and most of the time they will show dog aggression. A service dog needs to be very low key and not show any interest in other animals. A Labrador or a Golden Retriever in a APBT body. That is not what our breed is really about. We don't want to drive taken out of our dogs, oh... they already did they call it an amstaff.


I'm sorry I'm not trying to put you down just sharing my opinion on this. I see many people who are physically impaired not be able to get a service dog. It burns me to see people get their pet certified as a service dog because they are depressed.

 

No offense is taken. That is why I put the question out there and I'm glad that you responded as I believe you have a lot of experience and that is the type of info I'm looking for. I'm a novice and need a smack in the head more often than not.

 

After talking to you I think you situation could use a dog to help your family out around the house. But you would have to see if your dog could pass the strict tests they preform. If you need me to look anything up for you I will

 

Therapy dogs and service dogs are two very different certs.

Therapy dogs are used to work in a variety of places and different needs. While service dogs are for an individual with disabilities.

Therapy dogs are not allowed to go every place like a service dog is...Therapy dogs need special permission to go places.

There are a couple of people I know of who have service dogs one is a rescued APBT the other an AmStaff. You can reach them off of pitbullforum. I'm sure they would answer your questions.

Not every dog no matter what the breed is suited for either of the jobs.
Both things require training.

No matter what the dog being used needs a rock solid temperament and a multitude of obedience.

I have three therapy dogs so can answer questions about that venue. Just drop me a PM