The benefits that our furry canine companions have on our lives are immeasurable. Service Dogs are trained to provide specific tasks to their owners. These animals can help with tasks such as reminding the owner to take their medicine or picking things off the floor to aid people with limited mobility.

Most commonly dogs, but also miniature horses, these trained animals are not considered pets because they are working. An American with Disabilities Act (ADA) ruling in 2010 validated this claim - stating that government agencies, businesses and any other establishment that serves the general public must allow people with disabilities to bring in their service animals in all areas where members of the public are allowed to go. These dogs are viewed as working companions, considering the functions and tasks they help their owners perform.

Yes. Service animals are welcome on all carrier flights. Service dogs include guide dogs and dogs trained to assist people with hearing, balance, and mobility impairments such as those in a wheelchair.

Each airline has unique policies and rules about traveling with a service dog. A bigger percentage of airlines require you to let them know in advance if you are planning to travel with your dog.

During the flight, the animal should sit on your lap or on the floor. The service dog shouldn’t block the aisle way or sit in emergency exit rows. The dog should be in your control at all times. You are not required to pay any pet travel fees when you are flying with a service animal.

In an earlier post, we discussed some of the most common allergy symptoms in dogs. Like humans, dogs can suffer from food allergies, as well as seasonal and environmental allergies. Unfortunately, allergies themselves can’t usually be cured and it can be a long and frustrating process even figuring out what your little friend is allergic to in the first place. There are many treatments, both in home and from the vet, that can relieve your pet of the worst symptoms. This is important not just for your dog’s comfort, but his overall wellbeing. Allergies that go untreated can lead to infections that require more serious intervention.

We’ve talked before about what intelligent and social animals dogs are. For the most part, these qualities are exactly what make dogs such great companions for people. But dogs’ emotional intelligence and need for companionship means that they can be higher maintenance than other pets. You’ll likely not see anyone concerned about the mental health of their goldfish, but for dogs, this is a serious issue that many of them (and their human handlers) struggle with. In this post, we’ll go over some of the signs that your dog might not be in the best emotional state.

Dogs are very intelligent creatures, and like all smart animals, they need to be kept engaged. For some dogs this may take the form of high energy physical activity while in others it may be more lowkey. Regardless of how your dog expresses his or her need for a challenge, it can be hard to keep them engaged and entertained on days when you’re stuck in the house on a rainy or bad weather day.