Research

'Dogs in the Classroom' webinar scheduled for March 22

Webinar presented by the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Service dogs and their handlers face many obstacles. Not only are they trying to work as a team to manage one or more disabilities, but the actions of people can create even more barriers to equity.

On March 22, the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence will present “Dogs In the Classroom and On Campus: What are the differences between Service Dogs, Emotional Support Animals and Therapy Dogs?” The webinar will be facilitated by K. Lynn Pierce, doctoral candidate, counselor education and supervision and service dog handler; and Nancy Dreschel, associate teaching professor of small animal science, and a facilitator at the Susquehanna Service Dogs Roar for More puppy training group.

The one-hour webinar will begin at 12:05 p.m. Registration is recommended but not required. Information on this and other events from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence can be found at schreyerinstitute.psu.edu.

Webinar attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the different kinds of working animals: service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support animals. The presenters will cover the legal and campus policies that are relevant, but also practical information about the experiences of dog handlers, challenging situations that can come in up educational settings and etiquette for interacting respectfully with handlers. Participants will also have the chance to ask questions.

Pierce said when she began her doctoral studies that she didn’t intend to do research in the area of service dogs, even though she is a handler.

“As I went through my education though, I not only encountered a lot of barriers as a handler, but also realized that there was a really big gap in the research and knowledge in this area,” she said.

Much of Pierce’s research focuses on determining how service dogs — a scarce resource — should best be placed. But Pierce hopes continuing awareness education on how people should react (or more accurately, not react) to service dogs when they encounter them will also better the lives of both handler and dog.

Service dogs are working dogs, and should not be pet, fed, talked to or distracted without permission, even if the dog is in a state of rest next to its handler.

Pierce reports being chased, yelled and barked at, and has had the legitimacy of her service dog challenged, the latter of these not allowed under law. She’s not alone in her experiences as a handler. In a 2017 study by sociologist Meghan Mills of 500 service dog handlers, 68% reported discrimination during daily tasks and 77% reported the legitimacy of their service dog has been questioned.

“It's equity,” Pierce said of the importance of awareness about service dogs. “It comes down to an equitable environment for a group of people with disabilities who happen to be using a particular type of assistance that is really misunderstood.”

The demand for service dogs always outstrips supply. Distractions jeopardize their ability to do their jobs. If there are enough distractions, a service dog and handler will have to spend extra time retraining. If a handler should need to replace their service dog, they could be on a waitlist for years. According to the Mills study, many handlers report sometimes leaving their service dogs at home for fear of the negative encounters they might have.

Pierce likened a service dog to a piece of medical equipment. They are specially trained for a range of roles such as guides and for mobility and psychiatric support. These are different functions, and defined differently under law, than that of therapy dogs or emotional support dogs. A scam cottage industry of emotional support pets and fraudulent certifications in recent years has added even more stigma around service dogs.

With coronavirus vaccines rolling out across the world and signs of reopening on the horizon, including at Penn State, Pierce said it will be an especially trying time for handler and service dog teams.

“There's going to be some serious transitional pain when we go back,” she said of returning to more typical educational and work settings. “We're going to be going back and the dogs and the teammates aren't going to be 100%.”

For more information about Susquehanna Service Dogs, visit khs.org or find them on Facebook. For more information about service dogs in general, visit Assistance Dogs International and Anything Pawsable.

The Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence is part of the Penn State Office of Undergraduate Education, the academic administrative unit that provides leadership and coordination for University-wide programs and initiatives in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State. Learn more about Undergraduate Education at  undergrad.psu.edu.

Last Updated April 15, 2021