service dog

American  

[sur-vis dawg, dog] / ˈsɜr vɪs ˌdɔg, ˌdɒg /

noun

1. a dog trained to assist a person with a disability, especially a disability other than blindness, such as by alerting a deaf person to important environmental sounds or a person with an allergy to the presence of their allergen in food.

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Etymology

Origin of service dog

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

She was told by airline staff that she did not have the required documents to travel with the animal as a service dog and was subsequently denied a boarding pass, police said.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

If a veteran with a service dog tried to get onto a train and was denied, they’d be appealing to the Federal Transit Administration.

From Slate • Jul. 4, 2025

Clay’s service dog made the trip as well.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2025

For a veteran with PTSD, a service dog may retrieve medication or perform anxiety-relieving actions like nuzzling or leaning against a person when the dog senses a heightened state of anxiety.

From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2024

The 41-year-old veteran met his service dog, a pointer-black lab mix named Doc, in 2019.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 4, 2024