What to Say When They Ask: “What Is Your Dog Trained to Do?”

Short, true answers that name what your dog does, without giving away anything private about you.

Your condition stays private

The federal rule for businesses, word for word (28 CFR 36.302(c)(6)):

"A public accommodation shall not ask about the nature or extent of a person's disability, but may make two inquiries to determine whether an animal qualifies as a service animal. A public accommodation may ask if the animal is required because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform."

DOJ (ADA.gov FAQ Q7): "Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability."

What that means: question 2 asks about your dog's work, not about you. Answer it by naming the task. You never have to name your condition, and staff can't ask about it.

What the rule doesn't say: it doesn't set how long an answer must be, and there's no official list of answers. Short task names are our format. If someone doesn't know a term, add one plain line about what the dog does, like "Lies across my lap on cue." That still keeps your condition private.

When they shouldn't ask at all: when the work is obvious, like a dog "guiding an individual who is blind or has low vision, pulling a person's wheelchair, or providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with an observable mobility disability" (same rule).

Your two answers

• Q1: "Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?" Say "Yes."
• Q2: "What work or task has the dog been trained to perform?" Give the task name from the list below.

Don't say / Say instead

Why: the rule says "emotional support, well-being, comfort, or companionship" isn't a task (28 CFR 36.104), and DOJ says a dog whose "mere presence provides comfort" doesn't qualify (FAQ Q4). A condition is private, so name the trained action instead. Online certificates "do not convey any rights under the ADA" (FAQ Q17). DOJ also excludes "attack dogs" and dogs with "protection training" (2010 guidance).

What the tags mean

• Rule: named in the federal definition (28 CFR 36.104). The task name is our short wording of the rule's phrase. For example, the rule says "retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone," which we shorten to Item retrieval.
• DOJ: not in the rule itself, but DOJ gives it as an example in official guidance: the 2010 rule's Appendix A, the ADA Requirements page, or the FAQ.
• Field: our short name, used by service dog organizations (ADI, IAADP, Canine Companions, 4 Paws, PSDP). The term isn't in DOJ's text, so we show the part of the rule it fits.

The rule's examples "include, but are not limited to" the tasks it lists, so a task doesn't have to appear there by name.

Find your dog's tasks

These headings only help you find tasks. You never say the heading. Many tasks appear under more than one.

PTSD: Grounding DOJ · Room checks DOJ · Nightmare interruption Field · Panic alert DOJ · Panic interruption DOJ · Disruption Field · Deep pressure Field · Episode interruption DOJ · Safety guidance DOJ · Medication reminder DOJ

Anxiety and panic: Panic alert DOJ · Panic interruption DOJ · Deep pressure Field · Disruption Field · Grounding DOJ · Safety guidance DOJ · Medication retrieval Rule

Depression and other psychiatric conditions: Medication reminder DOJ · Medication retrieval Rule · Phone retrieval Rule · Behavior interruption Rule · Episode interruption DOJ · Grounding DOJ · Deep pressure Field · Safety guidance DOJ

Autism: Wandering prevention DOJ · Disruption Field · Behavior interruption Rule · Deep pressure Field · Safety guidance DOJ

Diabetes: Glucose alert DOJ · Medication retrieval Rule · Phone retrieval Rule · Rescue work Rule

Epilepsy and seizures: Seizure response Rule · Seizure alert DOJ · Nonviolent protection Rule · Rescue work Rule · Phone retrieval Rule · Medication retrieval Rule

Hearing loss: Hearing alert Rule · Hearing assistance Rule · Item retrieval Rule

Vision loss: Guiding Rule · Item retrieval Rule

Mobility impairments: Wheelchair pulling Rule · Balance assistance Rule · Stability assistance Rule · Item retrieval Rule · Mobility assistance Field · Phone retrieval Rule

Severe allergies: Allergen detection Rule · Allergen alert Rule · Medication retrieval Rule

Other medical conditions: Medical alert Field · Medication retrieval Rule · Phone retrieval Rule · Rescue work Rule

Tap any task to see how to train it, or browse all training pages.

Where each task comes from

Quotes are word for word.

Rule, from 28 CFR 36.104: - Hearing alert / Hearing assistance: "alerting individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to the presence of people or sounds" - Guiding: "assisting individuals who are blind or have low vision with navigation and other tasks" - Wheelchair pulling: "pulling a wheelchair" - Balance assistance / Stability assistance: "providing physical support and assistance with balance and stability to individuals with mobility disabilities" - Item retrieval (our short name), Medication retrieval, Phone retrieval: "retrieving items such as medicine or the telephone" - Seizure response: "assisting an individual during a seizure" - Allergen detection / Allergen alert: "alerting individuals to the presence of allergens" ("detection" is our word) - Nonviolent protection / Rescue work: "providing non-violent protection or rescue work" - Behavior interruption: "preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors"

DOJ: - Glucose alert: "trained to alert him when his blood sugar reaches high or low levels" (FAQ Q2) - Seizure alert: "trained to detect the onset of a seizure and then help the person remain safe during the seizure" (FAQ Q2). Only use this one if your dog really does it. The Epilepsy Foundation says seizure prediction "is rare and more research is needed." - Medication reminder: "trained to remind her to take her medication" (FAQ Q2) - Panic alert: "trained to sense that an anxiety attack is about to happen and take a specific action" (FAQ Q4) - Panic interruption: "take a specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact" (FAQ Q4), and "calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack" (ADA Requirements) - Grounding: "an animal that is trained to 'ground' a person with a psychiatric disorder does work or performs a task" (2010 guidance, Appendix A) - Episode interruption: a dog that senses a psychiatric episode coming and responds "by nudging, barking, or removing the individual to a safe location" (Appendix A) - Room checks: "providing safety checks or room searches for individuals with PTSD" (Appendix A) - Safety guidance: "removing disoriented individuals from dangerous situations" (Appendix A) - Wandering prevention: "preventing a child with autism from wandering away" (FAQ intro)

Field: - Deep pressure: see the next section. - Disruption: see the next section. - Nightmare interruption: Canine Companions dogs "are trained in tasks including nightmare interruption" (Canine Companions FAQ) - Mobility assistance: Canine Companions lists "Tug to open a door or drawer," "Open a door with an automatic push plate," and "Turn lights on and off" (same page) - Medical alert: ADI defines an alert dog as "trained to alert a person that the onset of a medical condition is imminent" (ADI Terms)

Why Deep pressure and Disruption are tasks

What makes something a task: DOJ says "The dog must be trained to take a specific action when needed" (FAQ Q2), and "The process must have two steps: Recognition and response" (Appendix A). ADI defines a task as "a trained behavior that the dog does on cue (or command)," and says the cue can be "some behavior exhibited by the partner" (ADI Terms). So the cue can be your word or a sign like shaking hands.

Deep pressure (also called deep pressure therapy, or DPT): - ADI: "An assistance dog performs DPT by leaning against their handler or laying across the lap or chest on cue" (ADI, Jan 2026). - IAADP: "Dog is trained to provide deep pressure therapy during a panic attack ... Dog must be trained to promptly get Off the person on command" (IAADP). - Canine Companions trains it for children ("applying deep pressure"). - It fits DOJ's "specific action to help avoid the attack or lessen its impact" (FAQ Q4). - What makes it a task: a set position, given on a cue or a sign, held, then ended on a release cue.

Disruption: - 4 Paws for Ability: dogs "are trained in behavior disruption techniques ... They respond through techniques such as deep pressure therapy and redirection" (4 Paws). - Canine Companions: PTSD dogs "perform tasks that directly disrupt escalation of symptoms" (Canine Companions). - The rule names "preventing or interrupting impulsive or destructive behaviors," and DOJ gives "interrupting self-mutilation" as an example (Appendix A). - What makes it a task: the dog sees a specific behavior and does a specific action, like a nudge, a paw, deep pressure, or redirection.

Honesty and control

• Say the task your dog actually does.
• You can train your own dog: "People with disabilities have the right to train the dog themselves" (FAQ Q5).
• The dog must be "under the control of the handler at all times" (FAQ Q27). A business can remove a dog that's out of control or not housebroken (FAQ Q25).
• If you're turned away, you can file a complaint with DOJ or a private lawsuit (FAQ Q30).

What to do if you're turned away

In the moment

• Stay calm. Keep it friendly. Arguing rarely gets you in the door.
• Give your two answers. Q1: "Yes." Q2: your task name.
• Ask for a manager. Front-line staff often just don't know the rules.
• Say it simply: "Under the ADA, you can ask me two questions, and I've answered them. My dog stays under my control."
• Know the only two reasons they can ask you to remove your dog: the dog "is out of control and the animal's handler does not take effective action to control it," or the dog "is not housebroken" (28 CFR 36.302(c)(2)). One bark doesn't count: "if a dog barks just once, or barks because someone has provoked it, this would not mean that the dog is out of control" (ADA.gov FAQ Q27).
• Even if your dog is properly asked to leave, they must still "give the individual with a disability the opportunity to obtain goods, services, and accommodations without having the service animal on the premises" (28 CFR 36.302(c)(3)).
• Things they can't do: "Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person's disability" (FAQ Q7). They can't charge you a pet fee either (28 CFR 36.302(c)(8)).
• If it isn't working, leave. Your safety and your dog's matter more than winning the argument. You can deal with it afterward.

Right after

Write it down while it's fresh: - Date, time, and the business name and address. - Names or descriptions of the staff you talked to. - What was said, word for word if you can. - Names and phone numbers of any witnesses. - Photos of any "no dogs" or "service animals only" signs. - Your receipt or reservation, if you have one.

Where to file

• U.S. Department of Justice. "Individuals who believe that they have been illegally denied access or service because they use service animals may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice" (FAQ Q30). File online or by mail at ada.gov/file-a-complaint. DOJ says "our review can take up to three months," and "we cannot investigate every complaint." They may offer free, voluntary mediation.
• A private lawsuit. "Individuals also have the right to file a private lawsuit in Federal court" (FAQ Q30). You don't need to file with DOJ first (ADA.gov Guide to Disability Rights Laws). Under federal Title III, a private lawsuit can get a court order making the business change its policy (42 U.S.C. 2000a-3(a), used by 42 U.S.C. 12188(a)(1)), and the court may award attorney's fees if you win (42 U.S.C. 12205). It does not get you money damages. Only a DOJ lawsuit can seek damages and civil penalties (12188(b)).
• South Carolina law. SC Code 43-33-20 gives disabled people the right to be accompanied by "an assistance dog, especially trained for the purpose" in "places of public accommodation," and 43-33-40 makes it a misdemeanor to "deny or interfere with admittance" (SC Code Title 43, Ch. 33). The state's Bill of Rights for Handicapped Persons (43-33-510 and following) lets you seek a court order, or actual damages up to $5,000 plus attorney's fees, in state court. Its definition is narrower than the ADA's and leaves out mental illness, so ask a lawyer or Disability Rights SC whether it covers you.
• Deadlines. For complaints about city, county or state places, DOJ's deadline is "within 180 days of the date of discrimination." DOJ doesn't list a deadline for complaints about private businesses. Lawsuits have time limits too, so don't wait. Filing within 180 days is a safe rule of thumb.

Free help

• Disability Rights South Carolina, the state's protection and advocacy group: 1-866-275-7273 (Mon–Fri, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM ET). "Disability Rights South Carolina does not charge its clients for services" (DRSC).
• Southeast ADA Center (ADA National Network): 1-800-949-4232. Free, confidential answers to ADA questions. They give information only and don't enforce the law (adasoutheast.org).
• DOJ ADA Information Line: 800-514-0301 (voice), 1-833-610-1264 (TTY). "Calls are confidential."

Certification is a rip-off

• There's no ADA certification. Online certificates and registrations "do not convey any rights under the ADA and the Department of Justice does not recognize them as proof that the dog is a service animal" (FAQ Q17).
• There's no required registry. "Mandatory registration of service animals is not permissible under the ADA" (FAQ Q20). Your dog still needs the normal city license and vaccines every dog needs (FAQ Q18–20).
• No vest is required (FAQ Q8), and "a dog that is wearing a vest is not necessarily a service animal" (ADA.gov).
• HUD (2019) said certificate sites are "misleading by implying that they are affiliated with the federal government" and push "worthless documentation" (HUD).
• NY Attorney General: "Some businesses, many of them online, sell fake service dog certifications" (NY AG).
• Expensive scams too.
• Virginia's AG got a 2021 judgment against Service Dogs by Warren Retrievers, which sold dogs "for tens of thousands of dollars" but "consumers often were delivered poorly-trained puppies." It included $514,406.39 in restitution (VA AG).
• In North Carolina, Ry-Con's owner pleaded guilty in Dec 2025 in a case WRAL says cost families nearly $600,000 (WRAL).
• What's worth paying for:
• Real training, from a program you've checked out carefully. AKC says it "can exceed $25,000" (AKC).
• Nonprofits, many free or low-cost. Guide Dogs for the Blind provides all services "free of charge" (GDB), and ICAN charges veterans nothing (ICAN).
• Your own time and patience.

Not legal advice. This covers federal ADA public access. Housing, work, and flights have different rules. Sources checked Oct 19, 2026.