What Do Emotional Support Dogs Do? Facts & FAQ

Dogs are highly attuned to our emotions. When we have a bad day or are stressed out, they seem to know and offer love and cuddles to improve it. That is why dogs make excellent emotional support animals (ESAs).

Although they differ from service dogs, emotional support dogs provide companionship and comfort that can be helpful in easing anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.

What Is an Emotional Support Dog?

All dogs provide some degree of companionship to their owners. An emotional support dog is different, however, and must be approved by a licensed mental health professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist, to help with a diagnosed mental health condition.

Despite this requirement, an emotional support dog differs from a service dog used for physical or mental disabilities, physical health conditions, or psychiatric conditions. The latter is recognized by the government under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and allowed in public places, such as restaurants or non-pet-friendly hotels. They are also trained to provide specific support and complete tasks for people with disabilities.

Emotional support dogs aren’t legally protected or permitted in some public places. The ADA also states that ESAs provide emotional comfort but don’t qualify as service animals. ESAs aren’t trained to perform specific tasks, such as alerting people to an owner having a seizure.

Even if an emotional support dog is trained with simple commands like cuddling when the owner is upset, they are not considered a measure to mitigate a specific disability. Many dogs would behave this way on their own.

Do Emotional Support Dogs Help?

An emotional support dog may not be trained to handle a specific mental health condition or provide services, but there is evidence that they can be helpful to people. There is an overwhelming amount of research on the psychological and physiological benefits of social interactions with pets, including relaxation, alleviating loneliness, reducing anxiety, and normalizing heart rate and blood pressure. In this respect, emotional support animals can be helpful for people struggling with anxiety, depression, or excessive stress that can impact their quality of life.

Do Emotional Support Dogs Require Training?

Unlike service dogs, emotional support dogs don’t require specialized training. However, ESAs should have training in basic obedience and desensitization to be comfortable in crowded areas and new places and to meet new people. Some dogs may be excellent at comforting their owners but lack the temperament to be an ESA.

For example, a dog with anxiety may not be comfortable visiting new places or meeting new people. Overprotective or more reserved dogs may react to stress with aggression, which is a risk to the public.

Dogs must be evaluated for their ability to provide comfort and their obedience, temperament, and emotional and physical well-being, especially if they’ll be accompanying owners into pet-restricted areas.

Summary

Emotional support dogs (ESAs) are intended to comfort people with mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. They often visit nursing homes, schools, and hospitals to bring joy into people's lives. For many, the companionship dogs naturally provide in times of stress improves their quality of life, which is why they make such good ESAs.

See also: 

• How to Certify an Emotional Support Dog: Steps to Take (Vet-Reviewed)

• Dog Therapy for Autism: What It is & How It Works

Featured Image Credit: everymmnt, Shutterstock