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The Service and Therapy Dog forum is for all service and therapy dogs regardless of whether or not their status is legally defined by federal or state law, how they are trained, or whether or not they are "certified." Posts questioning or disputing a person's need for a service or therapy dog, the validity of a person's service or therapy dog, or the dog's ability to do the work of a service or therapy dog are not permitted in this forum. Please keep discussions fun, friendly, and helpful at all times.


Emotional Support Dog vs Psychiatric Service Dog

   
(Page 2 of 2: Viewing entries 11 to 18)  
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Milo, CGC

The Definitive- Autism Service- Dog		 
 
Barked: Fri Jul 3, '09 10:51pm PST 
I don't know if this helps or not, but when I was researching getting a service dog I found a list of tasks a dog can be trained to do at www.psychdog.org. I underlined what was needed (tactile stimuli, alert work, etc.) and took it to a trainer at a local service dog organization. I would speak to your physician/psychiatrist/psychologist, (whichever applies) about your qualification for a service dog, show the list and go from there. Hope all goes well! wave
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Spike

Don't Berate,- Educate!		 
 
Barked: Fri Jul 3, '09 10:56pm PST 
Harley, the reason most places say an ESA is for psychiatric/psychological problems is because they are for emotional support. People with psych problems generally need support in ways that human companions can't provide. For example, having someone who won't judge you when you tell them something, having someone you can form an emotional attatchment to without having to worry about their emotional wellbeing (okay, not exactly the right wording, but basically someone you can love and have love you back unquestioningly), or simply a reason to get out of bed in the morning. So yes, ESAs were originally intended for people with psych problems. But the reason they are prescribed for people with psychical problems is that they often need the support too. New diagnoses can cause depression or some non-psych problems (like dysautonomias) can cause psych symptoms.

BiAnca, like Harley said, I think how everyone comes to their SD, whether psychiatric or otherwise, is different. For myself, my doctor told me to get a dog. So I did. It just so happens that Spike is able to predict/alert me to most of my problems, including migraines and panic attacks. Now, I had researched SDs beforehand, but I did not get Spike with that purpose in mind. Whatever dog I get next will be specifically for service work, though.
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Harley, SD,- CGC, TDI

Super Service- Boy!!
 
 
Barked: Fri Jul 3, '09 11:04pm PST 
BiAnca,

I can only speak for me and Harley. Harley is a medical alert dog, not a PSD, but I think the method is very similar if not the same. Harley started alerting to my condition before I even knew I had one. It took us a while to figure out what he was doing. After realizing what he was doing and that he was spot on...I mean has never missed an episode that he was present for....and doing research on SD life and deciding that's the route I wanted to go, I looked for a trainer to help me. Because I love in the middle of no where, that took about a year. Harley was older and already obedience trained and had gone through agility training so the basic obedience was there, but I had the trainer evaluate him and she said he was of the right temperament. Then, we started focusing on the CGC/TDI tests. Here, they are only given once a year. They are not required, but it is highly recommended that the dog be able to pass the CGC before starting public access training. Harley is my first SD, so I wanted to have that before I started public access training in non pet friendly places. While practicing for the test, we went to PetLand (the only pet friendly place within an hour of our home) to practice. After he passed both the CGC and TDI tests (given at same time) with flying colors, he started going out with me on short outings and then we increased them as he could handle it. It didn't take long for him. He passed the CGC/TDI test a week before Thanksgiving and was out with me full time (except work) by Christmas.

Now, some people have to go about it differently because some states do not grant people with SDITs public access protection. Mine does. For me, my trainer's hands on work was minimal. We took a pet dog "manners" class with her where she also worked with me on SD skills and she has done a lot of follow up via phone and email. She is also an hour away and her private lesson costs are more than I can afford. Some owner trainers have more hands on work from a trainer. My year old Great Pyr, Sophie, also alerts. I will likely have more hands on help training her (to work when its time for Harley to retire), but the University that's about an hour and a half from here is starting a program, and will likely be involved in helping me train her. She will take more work and longer to train because she is younger and doesn't have the training and maturity Harley already had when we started with him.
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Figaro SDIT

The class clown		 
 
Barked: Sat Jul 4, '09 5:38am PST 
I wish more states had SDIT access laws. Mine does and it's a great help. I know you can train a service dog without taking them into none pet friendly places, but it does make things easier to be able to do so.
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Ollivander

Super Silver- Service Poodle
 
 
Barked: Sat Jul 4, '09 7:02am PST 
Like others have said, no certification for either. With an ESA you'll need to have a letter from your doctor if you want to live in no pet housing or fly on an airplane. The airplane letter has to be extremely specific including being written by a mental health professional and stating you have a mental health disability as defined in the DSM-IV. So at least for flying you do have to have a mental health disability. I believe (but am not positive) that the FHA rules for ESAs in housing are more lax.

Bianca, the path to a PSD is as varied as the types of PSD that exist. For me, Sabrina started alerting naturally, and a friend suggested I research PSDs. After going through the medication merry-go-round, I talked it over with my doctor, then found a trainer and trained her for public access work. With Ollie, I knew I needed a PSD and got the dog specificially for that purpose. I think that a lot of people find benefit in the pet they already have, and then decide if they want to try to train that pet, purchase a dog with intent to train it as a SD, or try to get a dog from a program. It seems to me that 5 years ago most people started out realizing the benefits or alerts their pet dog had. Nowadays I am seeing more and more people being prescribed a PSD by their doctor and starting out looking for a dog specifically for PSD work. I think this is because more people are learning about how PSDs can be helpful, and they are becoming more accepted in the medical community.
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Torie

If you can roll- in the dirt, do- it!		 
 
Barked: Sat Jul 4, '09 12:20pm PST 
Figaro, I think Albuquerque is pretty dog friendly. I know a puppy trainer (and a few ex-puppy trainers). I know of several places that will allow public access just off the top of my head. There is a great local chain of restaurant where they have a whole patio set up for dogs (they bring out the biscuits and water). SDIT are allowed inside, no questions asked. I can think of a half dozen others.

--des
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Figaro SDIT

The class clown		 
 
Barked: Sat Jul 4, '09 4:57pm PST 
That's great! I'm really happy for you. I haven taken Figaro into non dog friendly places yet, but as soon as he finishes the class he's in the trainer thinks he'll be ready to go.
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Mordecai-SD

www.humboldtserv- icedogs.com
 
 
Barked: Sun Jul 5, '09 9:37am PST 
Speaking only for myself, I found that Mordecai alerted me to my PTSD flashbacks. He was being trained to be a TD with Delta so obedience training was being covered. We did some dog friendly places like pet stores and the hardware store for a while. Then I got a vest and did public access training for about eight months. We also had to spend some time shaping Mordecai's alerting techniques. Before all this, he was just my pet.
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  (Page 2 of 2: Viewing entries 11 to 18)  
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