Emotional support animals (ESAs) are animals that are recognized by the federal government as assisting people with mental disabilities. The ESA is different from a therapy animal, which is a dog, cat, or other domesticated animal that accompanies someone to improve their health.
We help people get the proper documentation to make their pet an official Emotional Support Animal. Online approval in minutes - Housing & Travel letters.
An emotional support animal can help someone by providing them with comfort and support. These animals can help their owners in a variety of ways, like reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. ESAs are even able to reduce symptoms of a mental disability. A person who is undergoing emotional distress can receive therapeutic benefits from an ESA by having the animal keep them grounded.
If you’ve been thinking of getting yourself an emotional support dog, you may be wondering how to train your dog to become an ESA. You may be curious about what kind of certification or registration process your pet would have to go through. This is what our article will aid you with.
Does Your ESA Dog Need Official Training?
First off, let’s set the record straight. Many people assume that an ESA needs to be trained and certified, but this is not the case. Your ESA dog does not need to be certified. The ESA dogs are allowed to accompany their owners and will be legally acknowledged as an ESA as long as you have an ESA letter.
You will have to pay a fee for your dog’s ESA letter, but this letter is valid for one year. After that, you can renew your letter by paying another fee and getting re-evaluated by a licensed mental health professional (LMHP) of your choice. The ESA dog is then allowed to accompany its owner to places like schools, offices, and shopping malls. You may even bring your ESA dog on a plane with you.
Still, some people may consider getting their pet some sort of training. It can be very useful for ESA dogs to learn basic obedience and to become more sociable. In fact, there are some trainers who specialize in working with ESA dogs. This will ensure your ESA pet remains well-behaved and can handle all your needs.
We help people get the proper documentation to make their pet an official Emotional Support Animal. Online approval in minutes - Housing & Travel letters.
What to Train Your ESA Dog
There are various ways to train your ESA dog. You can start off by teaching it simple commands such as sit, stay, and come. These commands will help your ESA pet be well-behaved in public and allow you to enjoy your life with your ESA dog.
After you’ve taught your ESA dog these basic commands, you can start working on more advanced ones, such as training them to be calm and focused in different situations. This will help your ESA dog be able to respond appropriately even when they’re distracted by things like other dogs barking and people passing by.
You can even start training your ESA dog to be protective of you in certain situations. This is an excellent way for your ESA dog to protect you and make sure no one gets close to you. Finally, you can teach your dog how to tell when you’re experiencing an emotional breakdown or a panic attack, and how to aid you.
Tom
Tom has always loved to write since he was little - he wanted to be either a writer or a veterinary doctor, but he ended up being a professional writer while most of his works are based on animals. He was born in San Francisco but later moved to Texas to continue his job as a writer. He graduated from the University of San Francisco where he studied biotechnology. He is happily married and a soon to be father!
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