Home Page › Blog › How to Train a Service Dog for Anxiety – 6 Important Steps
It is highly recommended to start out with the right breed for being a service dog. Some canines just do not exhibit the right temperament to do this important and demanding job.
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Disabilities that Qualify you for a Service Dog
If you have a physical, emotional, or mental disorder, then you will most likely qualify for a service dog. Below are the laws and a list of mental, emotional, and physical disabilities that may qualify you for a service dog.
I am looking at a foster dog who’s 11 weeks to work with my daughter has severe anxiety & pani attacks. She’s done a lot of research an I was a little skeptical at first. However, the more research I do it sounds like it would help our entire household! I am new to all of this so would we get a puppy from a particular organization other yhe one she has her eye on with a foster family? Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Melina
I don’t know if you’ve already chosen a dog or not, but getting a dog from an organization can either be a very costly or very time-consuming experience. If you choose to purchase an already-trained dog, it can cost around $15,000 or more. No joke. If you would like to go with an organization that offers service dogs for free, they always have an extensive wait list that can take years to get to the top of. You could look into getting a failed-program service dog, which is a service-dog-in-training that, for whatever reason, wasn’t chosen to continue with the program, These are usually very well-trained dogs who either have a medical issue that prevents them from being able to continue with their program, or have a simple behavior issue which was deemed too much to try to work with. The benefit of getting one of these dogs is that they’re already very well-trained in obedience and socialization, assuming you get the dog from a good program (I recommend Guide Dogs for the Blind, as I have had personal experience with them as one of their puppy raisers), and the dog you get will likely only have a minor issue that can be worked out with time and patience. If you would like to adopt a foster/shelter/rescue dog, make SURE it passes all the behavior/temperament tests (i.e., Is it fearful? Is it confident? Is it aggressive?). Also try to find as much information about the dog’s background as you can. A super-sweet, happy puppy can grow up to be a very fearful dog if it was abused before you got it, and there is no way for you to know whether or not this will happen to your puppy unless you know its background. If you can find a full-grown (but still young) shelter dog, this would be ideal. At this point, the dog will be old enough to be put through all of the behavior tests and achieve an accurate result. On the other hand, if you can get a dog from a breeder, it will be expensive, but it’s a good way to ensure you’re getting a great dog.
Sorry for the long post, I hope it helps!
well said about the expense and temperament. I never knew about the failed program, though! thank you for that information!
my husband has Parkinson’s, and oftentimes hallucinates. I’m going to find a way to train his 4 year old dog to help him, as he loves her very much already.
Hi,My adopted 30 year old has had severe anxiety and panic attacks+ .She used oxycodone to cope for y.earsA pit bull rescue,abused,was given her.Four years later the dog can be presented with any animal and sits nonchalantly.My daughter became suicidal,was forced into jail,detoxed and chose to LIVE for that dog.Two things,dogs can heal what humans can not.The bond,if guided by positive reinforcement can improve anyone.And lastly NEVER underestimate the ability of a canine,nor a homo sapiens- with guidance.
My son is 14 and has the same. I am just starting this Journey. I thought it sounded nuts but then I stopped and thought about every time that he has been around a dog. He is a different child. Any information that you run across would be a great help to me.
Thanks you. I hope that you find what you are looking for. I wish your daughter well.
Amanda
Hi my name is Jennie, I suffer from severe anxiety and PTSD. I am also diagnosed with bipolar type 1. I am a victim of domestic violence but I like to call myself a survivor not a victim. I was held hostage for 3 days by my husband. He severely beat me, strangled me and suffocated me. He held a gun to my head numerous times. He sexually assaulted me and did cruel and awful things to me in those three days. I now suffer from extreme paranoia, night terrors and extreme and severe anxiety. I am new to the idea of a service animal, but I think that I would benefit from one immensely. I am looking for a free puppy or older service animal preferably a dog to help me with my anxiety and panic attacks. Any advice on where I should look would be great! I am ready to find my partner in crime. Thank you
We found our 11 month old terrior at the pound….she was so sweet and the staff loved her. She is now our adopted daughters dog that has anxiety and depression. The dog just has a natural instinct to this and also can recognize pain….my daughter has cuddled with her every day since day one when she is nervious and she picked up quickly. Our family also train dogs in obedience. Now we have and ausiedoodle and we love these very smart dogs….they can be small or big and sound very loud when barking a warning…sounds like for people that have had trauma and need to feel protected they should get a big dog. But a smart quick learner and do a lot of obedience training with them…so that on command the dog can be by you in seconds if your feeling nervous….also dogs naturally cuddle you when they sleep with you and can possible lick you if you are having bad dreams….I really love this new mixed breed the ausiedoodle…he never leaves my side or the kids…smart…wants to please and trains fast and easy…..there is a puppy test to give them…look up online under puppy test for a new puppy. Females are always easier to train….but we have had 2 males and they have been great….I really recommand a 50+ pound dog for the female that was physically hurt…this size is a good size to handle but also make you feel safe
I have ibs and my stress and anxiety levels can trigger it. Do i qualify for a service dog? Cuz mine helped me reduce the dizziness whn my ibs kicked in. Shes only about 6months old and she knows the basics. If she qualifies for a in training what do i put her as.
I am not a professional, so take this for what it’s worth: there are two questions that a shopkeeper (etc.) is allowed to ask you to decide whether your animal is a legitimate service animal: what disability does it help you with, and what has it been trained to do to help you cope with your disability. If there are no tasks it has been trained to perform to help you cope with IBS, it cannot be a legal service animal.
You might look up “emotional support animal” (esa). That sounds like what you need for coping with stress.
Good luck
Helping to calm down a mental state such as anxiety is a service. The dogs trianing would be for the anxiety to help alleviate the ibs. So having a dog that can notice her beginning to have anxiety can greatly help her from becoming too anxious and in result minimizing the trigger for ibs. The difference is if she wants a free dog an esa would be best as they are not required to have training for a skill. A service dog would have the skill and training to not only calm her anxiety down but behave properly in public access
Hi, that’s not true, HIPAA prevents anyone from inquiring as to why you have a service animal or what tasks it performs. As far as the law is concerned the animal is a medical necessity therefor legally no one has a right to know anything more.
ACTUALLY…
From the ADA FAQ
Q7. What questions can a covered entity’s employees ask to determine if a dog is a service animal?
A. In situations where it is not obvious that the dog is a service animal, staff may ask only two specific questions: (1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability? and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform? Staff are not allowed to request any documentation for the dog, require that the dog demonstrate its task, or inquire about the nature of the person’s disability.
That’s untrue. The ADA website states that people are, by law, allowed to sask two (2) questions:
“ADA service dog laws will always overrule local laws. Business owners and staff are only allowed to ask two questions regarding service dogs. They may ask if the dog is a service animal that is required due to a disability and what type of work or task the dog has been trained to do.”
https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/ada-service-dog-laws/
THAT is not true Anna. According to ADA, a shop owner is allowed to ask 1-if the dog is a service dog, and 2- what specific service dog task are they trained to perform. They CAN’T ask about your disability, but sometimes answering the 2nd question gives it away (i.e. my dog assists when I have an attack, or my dog alerts me to certain noises). They can’t ask why, but they can ask what the animal does. This website is a good resource- https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/ada-service-dog-laws/
You are absolutely right. It is the law that a person with a Service dog cannot be asked for proof nor condition of the handler.
From my understanding a dog that can just cuddle with you and make you be less anxious can still be a service dog….it is providing a function for you to help you get thru your stress… you are not allowed in a lot of places with a emotional support dog.
Make sure you have a doctor to write you a letter….get your dog obedience trained…you can do this…train her to jump in your lap on command when you get nervious.. she will allow you to hold on to her for as long as you need……there it is….that is all that is required
My 17 year old has a collie that is a year and a half. She does well with basic commands. For the past few months my daughter has been suffering from severe anxiety with no known cause. She does have an appointment scheduled. Her dog is now acting scared around people when my daughter is anxious. I think the dog is picking up on her anxiety and is mimicking the emotion. Who do I take the dog to in order to train her to recognize the anxiety but give a positive response to it instead of also acting anxious?
If you wondering what to classify her as, it would be considered a medical alert dog. Even a service dog for anxiety is considered a medical alert dog due to the anxiety presenting certain symptoms that are able to be identified by the service animal. But on a personal note I to have IBS and I know the effect that it has had on the tool of my day to day life. It is a specially difficult for me because i am only 13 I was diagnosed last year in September of 2018 after I delt with 4 months of painstaking worry if I would be able to go out and have a good time with friends and family without having to go into the bathroom for 30-45 minuets. And the longer I stayed in the bathroom the worst my anxiety got I would start to think, OMG I’m wasting all of their time, what if the forget the I’m in here and they left without me! And as you probably know just makes the pain worse! Since I am so young I am unable to go onto any medication for mine but I have noticed that after a ibs episode I like to lay on the couch and rest. And usually my dogs will like to come up with me and comfort me while the pain passes. I have wondered if I to should consider potentially getting a service dog. Please reply to tell me if you have started to get a service dog and if so what are your first steps of the journey in to get one.
I am looking into making my dog Leah into a service dog for my anxiety and panic attacks. When I get nervous and I start having an attack, she lays beside me and tries to calm me down. I hope she becomes a service dog because of the fact it happens when I am alone.
It sounds like shes already perfect for it. Your next step would be to ask a doctor for a recommendation for a service animal after explaining what benefit it would be to you. From there you can train your dog however you’d like and actually legally call her a service dog. Beyond that before getting a recommendation there’s no reason you couldn’t start more extensive training right now
I am in the same scenario. If I continue training my dog with the intent of it becoming a psychiatric service dog, how do I get the legal coverage?
Make sure you get a doctor to agree with this that it is needed… sounds like she already is doing the task required. Also have a doctor that says you have this illness.
Make sure you can get your dog obedience trained….you can do this part.
And sign her up….doc notes are required. 1. That you have this disability and 2 that they believe a dog would be affective to hep.
That is partly correct. It is allowed to ask whether the dog is a service animal required because of a disability. It is also allowed to ask what service the dog has been trained to provide. But it is not allowed to ask questions of the individual and they are not required to answer any questions about the nature of their disability or their need for the service animal.
So if you get her trained to be a good canine citizen in public and follow a set of basic commands, she already is a service dog, because she knows hot to do her job (comfort you). Despite popular belief, service dogs can be self-taught- I am training mine to alert me because I am hard of hearing, as well as comfort me because of anxiety attacks. You don’t have to pay $2,000+ to train your dog, DEPENDING ON THE DISABILITY (getting a seizure alert dog is a different story). I paid $300 to do basic, intermediate, and advanced training at Petsmart so she knows the basics, but the rest I am doing myself.
Now, technically service dogs don’t have to be registered anywhere (because there isn’t a main national registry) or have a vest (you have the right to not have a vest on them as it can be embarrassing and lead to people treating you differently, you just have to answer the owner/manager that the dog is a service dog, and what task they perform). However, doing both the registration and vest makes life a lot easier, so I recommend it!
I have social anxiety and panic attacks. I get most of them at school and when Im around my family. I have a 2 year old dog who I wanted to train as a service dog, to help me calm down. I get very stressed when Im in close proximity to people especially my brothers.
I have seperation and social anxiety and a lot of times I wont leave my mom’s side. I am always afraid someone is watching me and I also get very nervous and have many breakdowns when I take tests. I have many times where I cannot move becuase I cannot control myself when having nervous breakdowns. When I heard about emotional support dogs I began to research ones that can help with anxiety and found this page. I am begining to think about getting one but we don’t have much money so I don’t know what to do. Is there any way to get a esa for free? If so can anyone tell me where to get one at?
From my understanding a dog that can just cuddle with you and make you be less anxious can still be a service dog….it is providing a function for you to help you get thru your stress… you are not allowed in a lot of places with a emotional support dog.
Make sure you have a doctor to write you a letter….get your dog obedience trained…you can do this…train her to jump in your lap on command when you get nervious.. she will allow you to hold on to her for as long as you need……there it is….that is all that is required
If I have anxiety. How will have the patients to have one and train one
link to ADA info on service dogs and emotional support animals
https://www.ada.gov/regs2010/service_animal_qa.html
Answers to several if the questions above
I have been looking for a service dog for my daughter who suffers from severe anxiety. Her father just bought her an 8 week old lab puppy and will be transporting the animal up from Florida it Illinois (where we live) shortly. I have fostered enough dogs to teach the basic commands in both English and sign language. What other information can you provide me with to ensure this is a registered service dog?
I cannot afford to pay for a trained service dog, so I would likely be adopting a dog and training it myself. This was useful information about training – but I don’t see anything about what happens after training. Is there a test a dog needs to pass before registering as a service dog, similar to the canine good citizen? And where would I take my dog to be tested?