National Service Dog Month

Banner with text Celebrating The PROS

National Service Dog Month

Every September we celebrate the working dogs who help people gain greater independence. Learn about expertly trained service dogs and how they help their partners live with greater independence.

Meet a few of THE PROS we celebrate all year!
Click on a dog to learn more about their unique skills.

See Opus in action! See Renata in action! See Midas in action! See Vizzini in action! See TJ in action!
See Opus in action! See Renata in action! See Midas in action! See Vizzini in action! See TJ in action!
Icon with text saying 4.7 million veterans have a service related injury
Yellow circle with the text 8 Percent of American children under age 15 have a disabiliy
Icon with the text 1.2 million individuals developed a disability during the COVID-19 pandemic
blue circle with the text 61 million american adults have a disability
woman in wheelchair is pulled along by yellow lab service dog in blue vest

What is a service dog?

In 1975 Canine Companions created the concept of “service dogs” to assist people with physical disabilities. They’re specially trained to perform tasks to help  make life easier for people with disabilities.

Yellow icon with the text Service dogs are working dogs not pets
icon with text saying They requires years of training to do their job
Icon with text saying they are allowed wherever their handler is permitted
man on bench pets yellow lab in blue service vest

What are the differences between a service dog, facility dog, therapy dog and an emotional support animal?

With so many types of working dogs, it can be hard to tell, but Canine Companions has you covered! Learn more now about the important differences between service dogs and other types of working dogs.

Infographic: From Puppy to Service Dog

What is the best way to interact with a service dog in public?

It can be hard to resist interacting with a service dog – we know! But there are important reasons to respect a service dog team’s space. What isn’t hard is learning the right way to start a conversation with a service dog handler!

man in a motorized wheelchair with a black lab in blue service vest
woman walking

Test Your Service Dog Knowledge

Take our fun quizzes to see how much you know about service dog etiquette, and then find out what kind of working dog you are!

Thank You to Our National Service Dog Month Partners

Amazon Prime logo
Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers logo
1-800 Flowers dot com logo
permobil foundation logo
Runway of dreams foundation logo