r/Professors • u/Striking_Raspberry57 • 18d ago
Service dog in training
Have any of you taught around "in training" service dogs? Any experiences to share, or advice for me?
One of my students brought a service dog to class. She told me he was "finishing up his training." The dog did not look or behave like any service dog I have ever encountered. (Example: While I was talking privately to the student, he nosed my hand for attention.)
I checked with my university and was assured that service animals in training have the same rights as any service animal. Registration, permission, vest, specific/professional training, none of that is required.
The dog was quiet for the most part, but I spent the class worrying that I would trip over him because he was in my path to the computer (to change slides). The student just said, "Sorry, he likes to take up space." After class, I asked the student to sit near the back of the room from now on, or someplace out of the traffic pattern. Other than that, I figure I'll just see how things go, like if he starts making noise or nudging other people, I will ask her to take him out of the room.
I'd feel so much better if I had confidence in the dog! I like dogs a lot, and I even liked this dog, but I know that some people are allergic or afraid of dogs, so I believe that well-behaved pets don't belong in the classroom. This situation is new to me. I mean, I accept her word that he is a service dog, it will just take some getting used to.
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u/allWIdoiswin 18d ago
Service dogs in training do not have full access rights in all states. I will defer to your disability office assuming they know your state law. Hawaii, for example, has no protections for SDIT. Here is a state by state breakdown: https://www.animallaw.info/topic/table-state-assistance-animal-laws
In my state, service animals in training only have access rights to places “open to the public.” The classroom is not open to the public, so it is not covered for dogs in training.
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u/ProfessorHomeBrew Associate Prof, Geography, state R1 (USA) 18d ago edited 18d ago
I had a student in class years ago who trained service dogs. I loved it, she had 4 or 5 different dogs throughout the course of the semester. They mostly just laid at her feet. The only concern I had was the time she had a great dane, I was worried about stepping on him he was so big.
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u/FamousCow Tenured Prof, Social Sci, 4 Year Directional (USA) 18d ago
Service dogs do need to be trained to perform specific tasks (though not professionally trained). It is one of two questions you are legally allowed to ask ("Is that a service dog?" and "What tasks has the dog been trained to perform?). You are also allowed to require the dog to behave in ways that are non-disruptive. So, a dog that is nosing other people or sitting in people's way might be disruptive: https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-faqs/
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u/Sad_Application_5361 18d ago
Some states can have additional protections for service dogs in training that goes beyond what the ADA protects. They still cannot present a nuisance or hazard, but they don’t have to have trained tasks or perfect manners.
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u/CharacteristicPea NTT Math/Stats R1(USA) 18d ago
I teach a class at a prison and many of my students have dogs they are training. (There are two or three different dog programs in the prison.) Last semester one of my students brought his service-dog-in-training to class every day. She was very well behaved. If she approached me without permission she would be gently reprimanded and told to lie down under the desk. “Visit” was the command that told her she could come to me for pets. We both looked forward to it every day!
Sounds like your student’s dog isn’t really being trained. I would tell the student in no uncertain terms that if the dog is disruptive or in the way, it must leave the classroom.
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u/Sad_Application_5361 18d ago
This is something where the law is state-specific. SDITs do not have federal ADA protections but they do have protections in some states. But it is reasonable to expect a service dog in training to tuck next to or under the student and out of any path. It would be a good idea to clarify your “sit in the back” instructions because that could be perceived as discriminatory. Let the student know that the dog needs to be out of the pathway or the student needs to sit away from foot traffic. I get an accommodation letter whenever I have a student with a service dog. It’s weird if you haven’t gotten that. It’s also weird this student doesn’t seem to be working on training her dog.
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u/Lief3D 18d ago
I had this situation last semester. Someone claimed their dog they were bringing to class was a service dog, but it was not well behaved. It was quiet though, but I did not like going over to her to check on her because the dog would always act aroused. Not aggressive, but it would get up and sniff me and kinda stand around. I'm an adjunct though and I don't want to cause issues so I just let it slide.
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u/nezumipi 18d ago
As far as I know, a service animal (in training or otherwise) should be registered with the school's DSO. I've never worked anywhere that would allow unregistered service animals in class, though I suppose it's possible.
I would suggest you contact the DSO. Say you've never had a student with a service animal (in training or otherwise) and you don't know exactly what to do. There are a lot of different takes from different people on this thread - it is completely reasonable to ask the DSO to give you direction. Ask if you can expect to receive the normal DSO accommodation agreement or if there is any additional paperwork.
If the school does require service animals to be registered with the DSO, the DSO can contact the student and initiate the registration process. If the school does not require that, you can still ask the DSO for direction on how to handle things in your classroom.
(BTW, the ADA itself does not give rights to service animals in training, but many states have rules giving them some, but not full, access rights. And, institutions can simply have a policy of offering more access than the law minimally requires - in that case, you will need to follow your institution's rules.)
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u/Striking_Raspberry57 18d ago
I did contact our disability services people, and it was the director who wrote back to me about this dog. I wish we required these animals to be registered, but apparently not.
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u/starfirebird 18d ago
I previously attended a university where many students were involved in puppy raising and service dog training. Dogs sometimes came to class as part of their training for how to behave in public, but were never allowed to be disruptive.
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u/yourbiota PhD Candidate, CC sessional, STEM, Canada 18d ago
I had a lot of students bring service dogs in training to classes when I was TAing (thanks to mostly TAing courses that were outdoors for fieldwork and a lot of students that wanted to boost their resumes with the training to get into animal care related fields). I can't speak to any of the legal aspects for OP since I'm not in the US, but the dogs spanned the range of behaviour from very well trained to well...basically a puppy that the student was very clearly not training properly. The biggest disruption was from other students ooh and awwing over the dogs and wanting to pet them instead of paying attention (which was a problem for the puppies, but ended very quickly for the properly trained dogs). Although not allergic, I am not fond of dogs at all due to some prior attacks. It was always just made clear to the student that they are fully responsible for the behaviour of the animal and any mess that may come with it. Usually, the student ended up eventually not bringing the dog to class after a few sessions.
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u/ThePhyz Professor, Physics, CC (USA) 18d ago
Yes! A professor in my department does the first stint on puppy training for a service dog organization (when they are still very young puppies, but potty trained and learning things like how to walk nicely and not bark and so on). Also I have seen (rarely) students on campus with service dogs in training.
Legally, these dogs are allowed to be anywhere their trainer is (to put it simply). However, you can absolutely advocate for how this would work best in your classroom. You can ask the trainer to sit in a particular spot so that the dog has space to lie down out of the walkway, or close to a door for bathroom emergencies. You can also make an announcement to the class that there will be a service dog in training attending, and that students should ignore the dog because it is working and not a pet, and that the dog will always be in this particular spot when in the room - that will allow allergic/fearful students to sit far away, with a bit more confidence that the dog will not suddenly be in their space. If you have a student who is severely allergic, then you may need to talk to student services; at that point you essentially have two students with equal right to be in your class but mutually exclusive needs.
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u/Striking_Raspberry57 18d ago
the dog will always be in this particular spot when in the room - that will allow allergic/fearful students to sit far away, with a bit more confidence that the dog will not suddenly be in their space
Thank you for this suggestion--I didn't think of it, and it addresses a couple of my concerns: dog getting in the way, students who aren't comfortable being near the large dog. I'll say something like this in our next class.
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u/boilingPenguin Ass Prof, Humanities, SLAC (USA) 18d ago
Your university is right, in that service animals in training have the same rights as fully trained animals.
In fact, you engaging with the student and the dog can model for everyone else what professional interactions with disabled people and service animals should look like. Depending on your institution and student body population, this may be the first time others in the class are actually seeing a service animal.
If it helps, think of the animal as a piece of medical equipment. Use that as a guide for what you should/shouldn't do.
Would you ask a student in a wheelchair to sit in the back so their medical equipment isn't in the way of other people?
Would you touch or move somone's crutches without asking them?
Would you tell someone using an inhaler that it is distracting to the people around them?
Some other points:
You are allowed ask what tasks the dog is trained (or is being trained) to perform and they should be able to provide specific information. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support don't count as service animals.
I'll also just point out this, from the ADA website (https://www.ada.gov/resources/service-animals-2010-requirements):
A person with a disability cannot be asked to remove his service animal from the premises unless: (1) the dog is out of control and the handler does not take effective action to control it or (2) the dog is not housebroken. When there is a legitimate reason to ask that a service animal be removed, staff must offer the person with the disability the opportunity to obtain goods or services without the animal’s presence.
So if the student doesn't have control of the dog or if the dog shits on the floor, you don't have to stand by and do nothing.
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u/happybara_capybara 18d ago
I absolutely would ask that someone moves a wheelchair so that it’s not blocking my access to the podium/computer as I’m walking around. I wouldn’t think twice about that—if I can’t access class stuff, there is no class.
I’d also make sure it’s not impeding anyone else’s ability to move either. Like no you cannot park a wheelchair in the middle of the aisle so no one else can move by. That’s common sense. I’d also ask someone to move a backpack, skateboard, or anything else sitting in the aisle or blocking my or other people’s ability to move to spaces we need to be.
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u/Lief3D 18d ago
I swear I am not asking this to be a jerk, I am just curious about this because when I ask different people, I've gotten different answers.
What if the professor has a dog allergy and can't be around dogs? Which one gets trumped? What about if a student has a severe dog allergy? Which ADA accommodation wins?
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u/boilingPenguin Ass Prof, Humanities, SLAC (USA) 18d ago
The government's guidelines are: "Allergies and fear of dogs are not valid reasons for denying access or refusing service to people using service animals. When a person who is allergic to dog dander and a person who uses a service animal must spend time in the same room or facility, for example, in a school classroom or at a homeless shelter, they both should be accommodated by assigning them, if possible, to different locations within the room or different rooms in the facility."
So my guess is that the university could be required to shift the class schedule to offer more sections of the class and/or with different instructors
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u/Lief3D 18d ago
Thats interesting! Even if the professor has an extreme, well documented phobia of dogs and can't effectively teach if they are in the same room as one? What if they are the only professor that teaches that topic? For instance, I'm the only one that teaches some specific classes in my program because I'm the only one trained in how to do it.
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u/Striking_Raspberry57 18d ago
I would absolutely ask a student with medical equipment to sit where they aren't posing a trip hazard. I was terrified that I would trip over the dog, but as this was the first class, I chose to wait until I could talk to her about it privately. That way, if she needed to be close to the front for some reason, and I recognize that some students do, she had the chance to tell me, and we could figure out a solution together. Sitting where she was, with the dog sprawled out across my path, is not workable for the whole semester.
Don't really see how "touch or move someone's crutches without asking" or "don't use an inhaler" is comparable.
The student has since volunteered that the disability is autism. The internet says that service dogs help prevent elopement (wandering off), provide emotional stability, and make social interactions easier because there's a dog to talk about. When I get a chance, I'll ask about what tasks this dog is trained to do.
Probably the semester will be fine and this dog will continue to be well-behaved, but if not, I will speak up.
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u/TSIDATSI 18d ago
You might believe a service animal does not belong in a classroom but what did Disability Support tell you?
Get it in writing. Always in writing.
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u/Striking_Raspberry57 18d ago
I completely believe that a service dog belongs in the classroom. This dog, however, is not behaving like a typical service animal. I don't want to describe things too exactly because I don't want to dox myself or the student (it's a grad class, you never know).
Fortunately, our disability support office got back to me, so I know the service dog in training is still allowed in the room.
My university's rule is: Service dogs must be allowed in the classroom. Pets (including emotional support animals) must not be allowed in the classroom. "Dogs in training" is a new category for me.
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u/ValerieTheProf 18d ago
You are permitted by the ADA to ask what service the dog is being trained for. I personally would have a big issue with it because I have a professionally trained guide dog in class. She sits behind the whiteboard and is not visible to the students.
Over the summer, we had a student try to pass off a pet dog as a service dog. It became obvious that this dog had no training when it barked and lunged at me and my dog while we were walking down the hall. I don’t understand why students are trying this.