A service dog is trained to do tasks for one person with a disability and may go into public places with that person under the ADA. A therapy dog visits other people, in hospitals, schools or nursing homes, with its owner and by the facility's invitation, and has no public access rights. As the American Kennel Club puts it: "Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs." Therapy dog certification is real, but it comes from private volunteer organizations and gives no legal status.
Three different jobs
People mix up three kinds of working and helping dogs. The easiest way to keep them apart is to ask who the dog helps and how.
| Service dog | Emotional support animal | Therapy dog | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it helps | Its handler, who has a disability | Its owner, who has a disability | Other people it visits |
| How | Trained tasks | Comfort by presence | Friendly visits, usually as a volunteer team |
| Public access (ADA) | Yes | No | No |
| Credential | None exists or is required | A clinician's letter, for housing | Voluntary, from a private organization |
More on the first two in emotional support animal vs service dog.
What a therapy dog does
A therapy dog and its owner visit places such as hospitals, nursing homes and schools to bring comfort and a bit of joy to the people there. Alliance of Therapy Dogs, one of the large volunteer organizations, describes its members as people "who volunteer with their dogs in animal-assisted activities." The dog's job is to be calm, friendly and easy to handle with strangers, while a service dog is trained to focus on its handler while it works.
That difference matters for etiquette too. It is often fine to pet a therapy dog on a visit when its handler invites you. A working service dog is different: see can you pet a service dog?
Therapy dog certification and registration
Here "certification" and "registration" mean something real, but private. No federal law creates a therapy dog credential. Volunteer organizations evaluate dog and handler teams and register the ones they accept. Alliance of Therapy Dogs, for example, says it provides "testing, certification, registration, support, and insurance" for its members. Facilities that host visits often work with such organizations.
The American Kennel Club does not certify therapy dogs itself. Its Therapy Dog program "recognizes the necessary therapy work performed by dogs through accepted organizations based on the number of visits," and the first step is to have your dog trained and certified by a qualified therapy dog organization. AKC publishes its list of recognized organizations, which includes Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Pet Partners. AKC title levels are based on logged visits:
| AKC title | Visits |
|---|---|
| Novice (THDN) | 10 |
| Therapy Dog (THD) | 50 |
| Advanced (THDA) | 100 |
| Excellent (THDX) | 200 |
| Distinguished (THDD) | 400 |
| Supreme (THDS) | 600 |
Compare that with service dogs, where there is no certification at all: DOJ says documents sold online "do not convey any rights under the ADA." See service dog certification: what's real.
Where the Canine Good Citizen test fits
The AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) is "a 10-skill test that teaches good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership," open to purebred and mixed breed dogs. Its items include accepting a friendly stranger, sitting politely for petting, walking through a crowd, reacting to another dog and to distractions, and supervised separation, all of which are useful foundations for therapy visits and service work alike. AKC is careful about what it means:
"Dogs are not service dogs simply because they passed the CGC test and they do not have special access rights in public places (stores, restaurants, planes, etc.). Service dogs must also be trained on tasks specifically related to the person's disability."AKC CGC Evaluator Guide
Access rules
- Stores, restaurants, hotels: a therapy dog has no ADA right to enter. The ADA covers dogs trained to do tasks for their own handler's disability. A facility that invites therapy visits does so by choice.
- Flights: DOT's definition of a service animal is a dog trained to do tasks for a passenger with a disability. A therapy dog without such training is not one, so it travels under the airline's pet rules. See the airline pages.
- Housing: therapy dog status carries no weight with a landlord. If the owner has a disability and the dog helps with it, the relevant route is an emotional support animal request.
- State law: a few states name therapy animals. New Mexico's Service Animal Act excludes "a therapy animal" from its definition of a qualified service animal. New York's Agriculture and Markets Law defines therapy dogs and lets municipalities exempt them from licensing fees (the license itself is still required). See New York service dog laws.
Vests and gear
No law requires a vest for any of these dogs; the ADA does not even require one for service dogs. Therapy dog organizations may have their own rules for what dogs wear on visits, so ask yours. What a therapy dog should never wear is a service dog vest or patch. Passing a dog off as a service animal is illegal in at least 36 states, and a therapy credential is no defense. See fake service dog laws.
Can one dog do more than one job?
The categories describe the job, not the animal's worth. A dog trained to do tasks for its handler's disability is a service dog when it works for that handler, and the service dog rules apply then. A dog that visits hospitals with a volunteer organization is a therapy dog on those visits, and gets whatever access the facility grants. If you are thinking about therapy work with a dog that already has another role, ask the therapy organization what its rules allow.
How to find a therapy dog program near you
AKC's list of recognized therapy dog organizations is the easiest starting point: it lists national groups such as Alliance of Therapy Dogs and Pet Partners as well as many local ones. Look at each organization's evaluation requirements, insurance, and the facilities it serves near you. The Canine Good Citizen test is one way to work on manners first. If your goal is instead a dog that works for you because of a disability, start with how to make your dog a service dog.
Common questions
Is a therapy dog a service dog?
No. AKC says "Therapy dogs are NOT service dogs." A therapy dog visits other people; a service dog is trained to do tasks for its own handler's disability.
Can therapy dogs go into stores and restaurants?
Not as a right. The ADA covers service dogs only. Therapy dogs go where they are invited, such as the facilities they visit.
Is therapy dog certification real?
Yes, but it is private and voluntary. Organizations such as Alliance of Therapy Dogs test, certify and register teams. It gives no legal access rights.
Can a therapy dog fly in the cabin?
Not as a service animal unless it is trained to do tasks for a passenger with a disability. Otherwise the airline's pet rules apply. See the airline pages.
Does the Canine Good Citizen test make my dog a therapy dog?
No. CGC is a manners test. Therapy dog status comes from a therapy dog organization, and AKC says passing CGC gives no special access rights.
Sources
- AKC Therapy Dog program
- AKC recognized therapy dog organizations
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs
- AKC Canine Good Citizen
- AKC CGC Evaluator Guide (September 2024)
- 28 CFR 36.104, definition of service animal
- DOT final rule on service animals in air travel, 85 FR 79742
- DOJ, ADA service animal FAQ (question 17)
General information, not legal advice. Policies and laws change; follow the sources. Last checked September 25, 2026.