CDT Service & Therapy Dog Training 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the ADA, which of the following questions may a business legally ask a person with a service dog?
- What disability do you have?
- Is the dog required because of a disability? (Correct answer)
- Can the dog perform a trick to prove it is trained?
- Do you have documentation for the dog?
Correct answer: Is the dog required because of a disability?
The ADA permits only two questions: whether the dog is required due to a disability, and what task the dog is trained to perform.
Question 2: A psychiatric service dog trained to interrupt self-harming behaviors is considered which type of assistance animal?
- Emotional support animal
- Therapy dog
- Service dog (Correct answer)
- Companion animal
Correct answer: Service dog
Because the dog performs a specific trained task (interrupting self-harm) related to the handler's disability, it qualifies as a service dog under the ADA.
Question 3: Which reinforcement schedule is most effective for maintaining a service dog's task performance in unpredictable real-world environments?
- Fixed ratio
- Continuous reinforcement
- Variable ratio (Correct answer)
- Fixed interval
Correct answer: Variable ratio
Variable ratio schedules produce the most durable, extinction-resistant behavior, making them ideal for service dog task maintenance.
Question 4: What is the primary difference between a therapy dog and a facility dog?
- Therapy dogs live at a facility; facility dogs travel to various locations
- Facility dogs are permanently placed at one setting and work with a trained handler there; therapy dogs visit multiple sites (Correct answer)
- Facility dogs require no certification; therapy dogs do
- Therapy dogs are trained for medical alert tasks; facility dogs provide emotional support
Correct answer: Facility dogs are permanently placed at one setting and work with a trained handler there; therapy dogs visit multiple sites
A facility dog is permanently placed at a single institution (e.g., hospital or school) with a professional handler, while therapy dogs visit multiple locations.
Question 5: When introducing a service dog candidate to a wheelchair for desensitization, the trainer should begin by:
- Placing the dog in the wheelchair immediately to build confidence
- Rewarding the dog for calm attention toward a stationary wheelchair at a comfortable distance (Correct answer)
- Using a loud noise to pair with the wheelchair to create alertness
- Having the dog approach the moving wheelchair on its first exposure
Correct answer: Rewarding the dog for calm attention toward a stationary wheelchair at a comfortable distance
Systematic desensitization starts with the least arousing version of the stimulus (stationary, at distance) paired with positive reinforcement.
Question 6: A handler's service dog begins alert barking at a grocery store. The FIRST step the trainer should advise is:
- Remove the dog from the store permanently
- Identify the specific trigger causing the arousal before modifying behavior (Correct answer)
- Apply a prong collar correction to suppress barking
- Increase the dog's exercise the morning before public outings
Correct answer: Identify the specific trigger causing the arousal before modifying behavior
Identifying the exact trigger is essential before implementing any behavior modification plan to ensure the right intervention.
Question 7: Which organization sets the most widely used minimum standards for therapy dog certification in the United States?
- ADA Task Force
- Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
- Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) and Pet Partners (Correct answer)
- ASPCA Therapy Division
Correct answer: Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD) and Pet Partners
Pet Partners and the Alliance of Therapy Dogs are the two largest US therapy dog registration organizations with established temperament and skills standards.
CDT Service & Therapy Dog Training 2
Under the ADA, which of the following questions may a business legally ask a person with a service dog?