Doctors Prescribing Service Animals

I just read this article. It makes VERY many excellent points. However...

http://www.mmilani.com/7270/prescribing-animals-human-health-no-harm/

This article it lacks an ESSENTIAL point. While a doctor may feel that a patient might benefit from a service dog or a patient may inquire about them, doctors have NO business making recommendations beyond the scope of their knowledge and training. If a doctor doesn't have specific knowledge and experience in training dogs then they have absolutely NO business making selection and training recommendations. They should be recommending that a patient seeking a service dog find a knowledgeable DOG TRAINER to assist them with their search and training of a service dog. Or recommend a patient seek out a reputable service dog training group program/organization.

As a dog trainer and as a disabled individual who has owner trained two mobility and balance assist service dogs to assist me, I can say this. A doctor giving advice on the selection and training of a dog would be like me, a professional pet dog trainer, making recommendations for medications or a treatment plan for a person's medical needs. Absolutely inappropriate and well beyond the scope of knowledge and experience, and inappropriate and unethical.

In addition, a person with a disability does NOT legally require a doctor to prescribe a service dog or even support a person's choice to utilize a service dog. How a person chooses to mitigate their disability, the tools they choose to use, are entirely up to that individual. Yes, hopefully with assistance and support of their doctor. But not all doctors are supportive of their patients or supportive of their choices in how they choose to mitigate their disabilities. In the end, it is only the doctor's responsibility to confirm a diagnosis or the presence of a disability, when it comes to choosing and utilizing a service dog.