Psychiatric service dogs (PSDs) are dogs that have been trained to perform tasks or jobs for people with disabilities. Some of the jobs performed by psychiatric service dogs include: alerting owners when their loved ones need help, acting as a sounding board, assisting with the management of seizures, aiding in anxiety and panic attacks, acting as a companion during recovery from brain injury or stroke, and helping people who have epilepsy to control their seizures.
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Those who are seeking a psychiatric service dog must have a mental or physical disability that affects their ability to function in their daily lives. This can include any one of the following: PTSD, severe depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Difference Between Psychiatric Service Dogs and ESAs
Service dogs are specially trained to assist people with disabilities. They are not limited to helping those with physical disabilities but can also be used to help those with psychiatric disabilities. Those who focus on easing psychiatric issues in people are therefore dubbed as PSDs.
However, the two terms have become confused because of the rise in popularity of emotional support animals (ESAs). ESAs are also service animals, but they have not been trained to perform specific tasks for their owners. These animals do not need to be licensed and are not required to have the vest.
Meanwhile, PSDs must be trained to perform tasks for their owners. These tasks may include alerting others when their owners need help, or calming them down when they are in a panic attack. PSDs are usually trained by specific organizations. Meanwhile, an ESA is used to describe any animal that provides comfort or emotional support to their owner, regardless of training.
How to Get a Psychiatric Service Dog
You can’t simply decide that your pet is a psychiatric service dog. Firstly, you’d need to consult your health care professional about your condition and whether a PSD would be beneficial to you. Secondly, you’d need to prove that your pet is able to perform the tasks that you require. Lastly, you’d need to provide proof of training and licensing.
We help people get the proper documentation to make their pet an official Emotional Support Animal. Online approval in minutes - Housing & Travel letters.
A PSD’s training involves making sure that the dog has an excellent temperament and that it is friendly to others. It also requires that the dog can remain focused on assisting you even if there are a lot of distractions. This means no running away to chase stray butterflies! The owner will also need to work with their PSD’s trainer to determine what tasks the dog can perform. These tasks may include being able to detect when their owner is having a seizure or react appropriately to stress or other situations that would cause the owner harm or distress.
Once you’re out and about with your new PSD, some areas will often ask for proof of the dog’s training. You’ll need to have a form of identification (usually a vest) that shows that your dog is licensed by an organization or association. You’ll also need to be able to provide proof of training and certifications for your PSD.
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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