9 Commands for an ESA Pet Before a Flight

 

Traveling, whether for business or pleasure, is quite a memorable experience. You get lifted into this other world up in the clouds, and in minutes or hours, you are in a new location. Over the last few years, there has been a rising trend of more people introducing Emotional Support Animals to deal with various issues.

There’s no denying that traveling with an Emotional Support Animal is an experience by itself. Traveling opens you up to a whole new world, and research has shown that it has ton stones of benefits. Not only do you get to relax but it changes your perspective about various things. One of the best ways to relax is by traveling. Taking a vacation refreshes and rejuvenates you.

Studies by scientists have reported that people with mental health disorders can gain a lot from traveling. Such people are often suffering from depression, anxiety, or extreme stress. Their minds are filled with negative thoughts that prevent them from living their best life and reaching their potential. For anyone and especially people with mental health problems, going on a vacation or traveling to another state to visit the parents is one of the best ways to relax and unwind.

You can get your ESA letter by clicking on the link below.

 

 

Let’s now explore an aspect of having an Emotional Support Animal that’s rarely talked about. While this furry friend has nothing but good attributes, sometimes they may not know how to act during a flight and end up causing a commotion. There have been incidences where some ESAs have caused disturbances at airports or in the plane, and in some cases, people were injured.

When an ESA isn’t trained on how to act during a flight, they may not remain calm and often panic when they see so many people around them. Below we are going to share quick steps of 9 commands that you must train your ESA before boarding a flight:

1. ‘Crate Training’ Command

You heard right! Crate Training is a basic yet highly efficient command that your Emotional Support Animal must learn. Whether the ESA is a dog or a cat, ensure that you have trained them this command.

 

Training Steps

1. Familiarize the ESA with the crate: Since ESAs are animals, they may not grasp situations fast. Unlike training humans, these support animals need time to wrap their heads around a situation, especially if it’s new. You need to be patient. Pick the crate and place it inside the house. Don’t put it in an isolated place where the animals may feel left out.
2. Cozy up the crate:  love comfort. Ensure that the box is snug enough to your ESA’s liking. You can do this by adding a fluffy cushion, a super soft blanket, or sheet to the crate. By making the crate cushy and comfy, the ESA will embrace it as its home. To entice them into the crate, you can place their favorite snack or toy inside. Remember to leave the door of the crate open.
3. Motivate your Support Buddy: ESAs also thrive when encouraged. Once you realize that the animal responds to your command by going inside the crate, offer them a treat so that they spend more time inside the crate. However, leave the doors open as they enjoy their treat.
4. Shut them in: Now comes the slightly tricky but most crucial part. Once the ESA is inside the crate, try to close the door gently. Don’t make it seem like a punishment. You can add some more treats and engage them in a conversation to distract them. Don’t walk away lest they feel scared and caged. They may become hesitant but try and keep them calm.
5. Increase the Length of Time: Once you notice that the ESA calmed down and has eased into the crate, you may walk away from the room. Return after a few minutes and repeat this step for some time. Each time you leave the room, increase the time interval, you are away.
6. Bedtime in the Crate: After some time, your furry friend will be used to staying inside the crate. Now it’s time to encourage them to spend the night there. If you have been successful with the above steps, then this one won’t be a headache. To ensure it works, let the ESA out of the crate during the day; unless it wants to remain there. When it’s bedtime, encourage the animal to go inside the crate. You may call out their name and point to the crate. Once inside, reward them with a treat for obeying your command then gently close the door. You may hang around for comfort.

In some cases, some airline crews may ask you to ensure that your Emotional Support Animal remains in its crate as the plane takes off or lands. Similar to having your safety belt during take-off or landing, instructions are for the safety of your support buddy.

Q: How long does training an ESA take?

The duration of training may vary depending on the age of the ESA. It may take only a few days or extend to several weeks. However, if you are planning on boarding a plane soon, you may need to start the training 10 to 15 days before the day of the flight.

Things to Avoid: 

• Ensure that the crate is the right size. It should be too small or congested. Limited space inside the crate may harm the ESA, especially if you are going on a long journey.
• Don’t force your support buddy to remain inside the crate for an extended period. Doing so may make the ESA fearful and anxious, which isn’t right.
• Remain as patient as possible during the training. Each animal has its pace of picking new things. Be patient and loving as you train the ESA.
• Offer them treats and endless motivation when inside the crate. Don’t let staying in the crate seem like a punishment.
• Ensure that the crate is large enough for the ESA to fit in and have space to wiggle or move around.

 

At ESA Care, you can get in touch with a licensed doctor to get your ESA letter.

 

 

2. ‘Sit’ Command

Another critical command that your ESA should learn is the ‘Sit’ Command. As an animal owner, you need to understand that your ESA must learn to sit, especially when inside a plane. In case you don’t have a crate and would like your support animal to take a seat next to you, then they need to learn to sit once you issue the command.

This command is not only good for flying, but it also works fast when you want your Emotional Support Animal to stay in their place. For instance, you have opened your garage door, and you are going to reverse your car, but your ESA would run away, as animals are hyperactive, it will try to run out of the garage straight away.

However, if the animal has mastered the sit command, they may remain still until you have safely reversed the car.

Training Steps

1. Prepare the essential items: Always have treats and ‘clickers’ with you. Never forget that treats are the crucial ingredients in training.
2. Select the right place to practice: Look for a place where your ESA is comfortable. Ensure that you select a training time when the animal has had enough rest. Alert and well-rested ESAs respond better to training.
3. Motivate the ESA: Get on your knees to the level of the ESA and dangle the treat above its head. Create a bit of excitement by ensuring it gets a whiff of the treat.
4. Sit the ESA down: Try to sit down the ESA. Show the animal the treat then say ‘SIT’ by pressing the clicker. Don’t reward the animal with the treat until they sit down.
5. Reward time: Once the support buddy obeys the command and sits down, offer them the treat. Repeat this process until the ESA can sit down properly.

 Follow these steps to train your Emotional Support Animal adequately.

Keep these things in mind

• Limit the training sessions to less than 15 minutes. Keep the sessions short and repeat several times.
• Don’t be angry or frustrated with the ESA. Ensure the training sessions are in a comfortable place.
• The training sessions are designed to strengthen your relationship with the support animal.
• While the clicker is a great thing to have during the training, it isn’t compulsory. Its role is to make a sound. You may improvise in the absence of the clicker. Remember to reward the animal once it obeys the command. 

It is easy to get your ESA letter. Click on the button below.

 

 

 3. ‘Return’ Command

 

Getting into a plane involves several processes. You will need to check-in, clear with customs, wait in the lounge and then board. Therefore, your ESA needs to learn how to return to you when on a flight.

In the event that the support buddy runs away, you will need a command that can call it back to you. The ‘return’ command is useful when the ESA isn’t tied to a leash. Did you know that cats can also be on a leash? Most people assume that if an animal isn’t on a leash., it’s trained.

Most likely, when you board a plane, you are traveling to a new place that’s unfamiliar to the ESA. Therefore, it’s critical to train your animal how to return to you once you call them.  

The following are the steps to follow when training your Emotional Support Animal the ‘Return’ command:

Training Steps

1. Identify a training place: Select a location that is familiar to the Emotional Support Animal. You can choose a spot in the park, the house, or your backyard.
2. Call out the ESA: Ensure that the ESA is a distance away from you and call them out. You can blow a whistle, say the word ‘come’ or ‘return.’ Be patient since the ESA may not respond instantly. Depending on their adapting pace, the support animal will eventually obey the command.
3. Assess the animal’s reaction: When the animal starts running towards you once you issue the command, reward it with a treat.
4. Repeat the process: Repeat the steps several times each day. Every time you practice, ensure that you increase the distance between you and the support animal.
5. Change the location: As the training continues, switch up the places and take the animal to unfamiliar places. Doing so will teach the ESA to spot you even when in new areas. 
6. Reward the ESA: Don’t forget to always offer the ESA a treat for obeying your command. Such motivation will help the response to remaining.

As you follow these training steps, keep the following things in mind:

Remain patient with Emotional Support Animal since every animal has its learning curve.

• When saying the words ‘come,’ ‘return’ or ‘back,’ don’t use an angry or frustrated tone. Such tones are harsh, and the animals may perceive the training as a punishment. Since animals pick up your emotions, use a light or happy voice when issuing the command.
• At times it may prove challenging to use the same tone every time. In such cases, use a whistle.
• Avoid punishing the ESA as this may harm the animal. They may become fearful or anxious and lack the motivation to obey the command. Punishing the animal is detrimental to your relationship with the ESA.

Teaching your support animal this command will help it run back to you any time it’s out of your sight. Moreover, learning the command reduces their chances of getting lost even when they aren’t on a leash.  

At ESA Care, you can connect with a licensed doctor to get your ESA letter.

 

 

4. ‘Sleep Time’ Command

As with every animal, sleep is a critical component in their lives. When your ESA masters this command, it will be easy for it to sleep anywhere and anytime. You may choose phrases such as ‘Go to sleep’ or ‘Sleep time’ or Night-night’ during the training.

Before you embark on the training, you need to understand the recommended sleeping time of ESAs so that you can factor it in as you plan your flight.

 

 

For animals that are in the cage most of the time, such as rabbits and hamsters, the training may not be too intense.

However, ESAs such as cats and dogs require to move around, and their training is a bit intense. Here are the steps you need to follow to train bigger Emotional Support Animals:  

Training Steps

• 1. Select the right phrase: As mentioned earlier, you may use different phrases to indicate it’s bedtime for the animal. Once you choose any of the phrases, use it consistently throughout the training. Don’t introduce a new phrase once the training has started.
  2. Select a Place to put the bed: Identify the spot where you would like your ESA to sleep and place the bed there. Since you will be moving around a lot, you need to place a sheet or blanket on the bed so that the animal can quickly identify it.
  3. Vary the sleeping places: The furry animal needs to distinguish between outside and inside. When you only train them inside the house, they may get confused when told to sleep outside. Therefore, place the blanket outside, garage or porch and train them from there as well.
  4. Motivate the ESA: To motivate the animal to come to bed, position yourself in the designated place, and have a high value treat with you.
  5. Issue the command: Once you are at the place you want the animal to sleep, call it out. Show it the treat and entice it with it. Say the phrase that you want the animal to obey.
  6. Help the animal understand what is required of them: Repeat the command and place the treat on the bed. This step calls for patience since the animal may take time to understand what is required of them. Offer the encouragement to lie on the sleeping blanket.
  7. Shower the support buddy with praise: Once the animal sits on the bed, offer it another treat. Repeat the phrases until the animal lies down.
  8. Reward time: On lying down, reward the animal with another treat. Repeat the process several times.

Follow these steps to train your ESA before you board a flight. 

Keep the following things in mind:

• Getting your ESA to obey this command will take time, lots of effort, and patience.
• Don’t ever be tempted to yell at the Emotional Support Animal.
• Remember to always reward them for completing the training sessions or obeying the sleeping command.
• Before embarking on the training, ensure that the ESA is healthy and well-fed. A hungry ESA may delay responding to the commands, which may frustrate the training exercise.
• Limit the training sessions to about 5 minutes and a maximum of 15 minutes. Animals are easily distracted, and long training sessions are boring and tedious.

Following these training steps will keep you and other people safe.

You can get your ESA letter by clicking on the button below.

 

 

5. ‘Wait’ Command

 

 

‘Wait’ is a crucial command that can be applied to various situations. Similar to babies, animals don’t know how when to stop. They may not know when to wait until the ideal time.

A perfect example is during mealtime. Once your furry friend sees food being brought on the table, they may jump on the table and cause a mess. At times the food may not be ready, and the animal remains stubborn until the food is brought. 

Therefore, it’s crucial to teach your ESA to be patient in various situations, especially if you plan on taking the animal with you on a flight.

Training Steps

1. Introduce the training during the ESA’s Walks: An excellent place to start the training is during the animal’s walks.
2. Keep the ESA away from the door: Stand at the door of the house and let the ESA stay away from the door.
3. Open the door: Proceed to open the door and let the ESA run towards it.
4. Close the door: Just as it’s about to reach the door., close it. Be careful not to hurt the animal in the process. Once the door is closed, say the word ‘ wait.’ In the beginning, the animal may start whining and paw on the door. Such obstacles are common during training.
5. Familiarise the animal with the command: Let the animal learn what the ‘wait’ command entails and motivate it with a treat once it obeys it.
6. Open the door again: Proceed to open the door again and say the word ‘wait.’ Distract the animal with a bowl of treats. Check whether the animal ignores the treats and continues running outside.
7. Reward: Offer rewards to the ESA each time it obeys the command. Repeat the process and monitor the progress.

The above steps will help your ESA learn the ‘Wait’ command. 

Q: Is there a specific age for training my ESA?

No, there isn’t any specific age limit for training the ESA. An animal can learn things at whatever age. Animals such as dogs are quicker and easier to train. However, cats aren’t the best learners and are slow to pick new things. That said, older animals may take longer to respond to commands.

For optimal results, try the following:  

• Follow the steps above during feeding time.
• Stick to the word’ wait.’ Introducing other phrases may confuse the ESA and lead to failure of the training. They may also not know how to respond to new phrases.
• Keep the training sessions short (about 5 minutes). Repeat the process two to three times each day. Practice makes perfect, and it will make the ESA respond quicker to the commands.
• Since animals are easily distracted, ensure the training sessions are short and engaging.

Learning the ‘wait’ command will make traveling with the ESA will become easier. You won’t be afraid of the ESA making a mess or making you anxious when on a flight. It will help the ESA remain composed.  

At ESA Care, you can get in touch with a licensed doctor to get your ESA letter.

 

 

6. ‘Down’ Command

The ‘Down’ command comes in handy in various situations but can be quite tricky to train. Mastering this command will help you contain the animal when it’s nagging you to play, and you are in the middle of a conversation with a friend. 

 

Training Steps

Ensure the place is quiet with few distractions.

• 1. Pick out a phrase:  You need to figure out the catchphrase that you will use to command the ESA. Some common examples are ‘down,’ ‘lay down’ and ‘stay down.’ Ensure that you stick to one specific phrase during the training so that you don’t confuse the animal.
  2. Let the ESA sit down: If the ESA is standing, entice it to sit down using a treat. Place the hand with the treat in between the ESA’s ears.
  3. Repeat the phrase: Keep saying the chosen word and remove the hand slowly from the head. Place it between the ESA’s paws.
  4. Motivate the ESA: Once it starts to lower the head towards the treat, show your support by encouraging it using a happy tone.
  5. Reward time: Once it lies down, rewards it with a treat.
  6. Repeat the process: Do the steps over and over. Each time, increase the duration, distance, and distraction. For example, you have the ESA lie down for longer and increase the distance. Break distance Break the monotony of the training by adding some music or different treats.  

By following these steps, your ESA will quickly learn the ‘down’ command and obey it when called upon. 

For quick results, keep the following things in mind

• There are numerous reasons why the ESA may refuse to lie down; for example, they could be feeling cold, or the carpet might be prickly. Watch out for such signs and address them accordingly.
• It’s quicker to train your support buddy when they are lying down. So ensure that they are in this position before you start the training.
• A reward is key to successful training. Giving the animal a treat once it hits a milestone will motivate it to repeat the act once it’s commanded to do so. Rewards strengthen your relationship with the Emotional Support Animal.
• Before starting the training, ensure your support buddy is fit and healthy. A sick or hungry animal may not respond well to commands.
• Ensure that the training is short and enjoyable.

With these tips, you will quickly train your ESA to respond to commands. The furry friend will be less hyper and will cooperate when on a flight. This command can be used when the plane is taking off or landing.

Get your ESA letter by clicking on the button below.

 

 

  7. ‘With Me’ Command 

When walking the Emotional Support Animal, they must maintain your rhythm. Commonly referred to as ‘heeling,’ the ability of the animal to stay in line with you is essential.

Learning this command will help it contain itself, especially when it sees other animals. Similar to human beings, animals are social beings and often get excited when they see other animals. They may run, bark, or jump to attract the attention of the other animal. The command is also useful when out in crowds or when crossing the road.

The ESA needs to learn to stay in line with you when walking. It shouldn’t go ahead or behind you. The animal needs to know to stop when you stop and continue walking when you get on the move again.

For a frequent traveler, the Emotional Support Animal needs to learn this command since airports are often crowded. Follow the steps below to teach your ESA the ‘With Me’ command.

Training Steps

• 1. Have everything together: Gather the items that you will need for the training. They include a leash, a toy, and some treats.
  2. Identify a place to carry out the training: Select a spacious place in your house. As mentioned earlier, dogs are familiar with leashes, but the same isn’t the case for cats. In case you are training a cat, introduce it to the leash first.
  3. Let the ESA take a step: Once the leash is in place, take the animal’s favorite toy and place it near your leg. Take a step forward and call out your support buddy. Ensure that it sees the toy.
  4. Offer praise to the ESA: If the support animal makes a step forward, encourage it using a soft tone, and reward it with a treat.
  5. Let the animal figure it out: Repeat the process and take another step. However, this time, allow the ESA  to take the step with you. You need to be patient as the animal figures out what is required of them. Some may figure it faster than others.
  6. Take another step: Continue taking steps and watch how the ESA reacts. As you take the step, give the animal a small nub on the leash as a sign that it should do the same. If it doesn’t follow suit, don’t be angry or frustrated. Give it time to figure it out. Take a break and try again after some time.
  7. Practice some more:  In training, practice is key to achieving sustainable results. Let the animal walk beside you once you issue the command. If it does, give it a treat or the toy.
  8. Go outside: Once you are sure that the ESA can pick the command, go with it outside and issue the commands. Observe whether the animal obeys the command and doesn’t run off to the streets when it sees other animals. The ESA will learn to obey the command with time.

Following the above steps will help train your ESA accordingly. It will learn to remain in line as you two walk and stop when asked to do so. It takes time and patience to teach the animal this command, but once it learns it, the two of you will always walk in perfect synchrony.

At ESA Care, you can connect with a licensed practitioner to get your ESA letter.

 

 

 8. ‘Bathroom’ Cue

Of all the things to train your ESA, knowing when and where to poop or take a leak is the most difficult. If you are a parent, you understand how tedious and challenging potty training can be. It’s messy and cumbersome. The same case applies to bathroom training for Emotional Support Animals. You require to be very patient throughout the training and be ready to do lots of cleaning.

If your ESA is a dog, there are several factors that you need to keep in mind before you embark on the training sessions. They include: 

• Behavior

As you prepare to carry out the training, you need to be aware of the behavioral patterns of dogs. Since most of the dogs are sourced from breeders or pet shops, they are used to living independently or with fellow dogs. There’s limited human interaction. For this reason, it can be quite challenging to train them.

Bathroom training becomes more complicated if your ESA is an adult dog. The change of environment from the pet shop or breeders may affect its poop patterns. The animal may have a hard time adjusting to its new home. It may miss its friends or the previous owner.   

• Health

When sick, the animal’s bowel movements may be altered. It may eliminate stuff unexpectedly. Before training the dog, ensure that it’s in good health. In case you feel that something isn’t right, you can take it to the vet for a thorough check-up. An unhealthy ESA may be challenging to train since it may take a long time to respond to commands. 

• Age

Pups can’t hold their poop or pee for an extended period. The age of the support animal matters when the bathroom is training it. 

• Sanitization

The sanitary standards of the place you are carrying out the training may affect the bathroom behavior of the dog. These animals have a heightened olfactory sense and may hesitate to go to the bathroom if they spot a dirty place.  

Always clean the area that they use for the bathroom for a seamless experience. 

• Timing

Similar to training a baby, a lot of patience is necessary. You need to be alert and monitor the times that the dog goes to the bathroom. Watch out for any behaviors that the dog does before it pees or poops. Keep a record of the timings and the indications to ensure a hassle-free training.

Steps for Training

• 1. Pick a Spot: To start the training, you need to identify a spot outside the house where you are going to carry out the training.
  2. Come up with a phrase: You need to figure out the phrase that you will use to signify that it’s time to go to the bathroom. Common examples include; potty’ or ‘go poop’ or any other word that you believe the dog will understand as a sign to go to the bathroom.
  3. Repeat the word:  Say the word several times and take the animal outside the house.
  4. Observe the patterns: As mentioned earlier, you need to pick up on your ESA’s behavior before it takes a leak or poops. Pay attention, and when it displays such signs, take it outside. Proceed to issue the command, and if it goes to the bathroom, reward it with a treat.
  5. Repeat the two steps: Keep repeating the two steps until the Emotional Support Animal begins to go to the bathroom once you command it using the phrase that you identified earlier.

Training Steps for Emotional Support Cats

Naturally, cats are quite disciplined when it comes to going to the bathroom. From a young age, mother cats teach their kittens to dig up the soil, go to the toilet then cover it. While the kittens may get separated from the mother before they learn how to go to the toilet, the animals will have the urge to learn by themselves. Potty training for cats is more natural compared to dogs.

Here are the steps you need to follow:

• Keep the cat’s litter box in the bathroom next to the toilet seat. Doing so helps familiarize the cat with the bathroom environment.
• As the cat adapts to the environment, you may increase the height of the litter box.
• Continue raising the height of the litter box every time. Place something underneath the box every time and continue increasing the height until it reaches the height of the toilet.
• Proceed to place the litter box on the toilet seat. Allow you, Emotional Support buddy, to get used to it.
• Identify a phrase and use it every time that the kitty wants to go towards the bathroom. Once it successfully eliminates, you can reward it with a treat. You can use words such as ‘bathroom time’ or ‘potty time.’

By following these steps, your emotional support buddy will learn to use the bathroom correctly, which will reduce messes.

You can get your ESA letter by clicking on the button below.

 

 

 9. ‘Don’t Touch’ Command

When traveling, this is the command that you need to teach your Emotional Support Animal the most. Animals are curious beings and are often attracted to stuff. When at the airport, there are many distractions. You will come across other animals or colorful things that will attract the attention of your furry friend.

 

 

Without proper training, the Emotional Support Animal will start running towards what attracts it. If it sees another animal, it may pull out of its leash in excitement and head for the other animal. When an ESA can restrain itself, then the process of checking in at the airport will be smooth. Even when you board the plane, the animal will remain composed and won’t be distracted by anything.

The ‘Don’t Touch’ command helps keep the animal safe and prevents it from meddling with other animals or people’s belongings. Before your flight, follow the steps below to ensure that your ESA understands the ‘Don’t Touch’ command.

Steps to Follow During Training

1. Figure out the phrase to use: Start by defining the words that you will use to command the animal to stay put. Examples include: ‘don’t touch,’ ‘leave it’ or ‘leave.
2. Attract the animal’s attention: To do so, you may take the animal’s favorite toy and place it in a place where it can see it.
3. Repeat the Process: Repeat the action until you are sure that the ESA has noticed the toy and where it’s located. When the animal starts coming towards you to pick the toy, issue the command phrase. Keep repeating the process up to the point where the dog ignores the toy. Reward the animal.
4. Repeat: If you notice that the ESA has ignored you and gone for the toy, then you need to repeat steps 2 and 3 until they learn to ignore the toy.
5. Encourage the ESA: To motivate the ESA, offer them a treat when they ignore the toy. Doing so will reinforce the positive response and allow the animal to stick to it.  

Following these steps will ensure that your support animal isn’t easily distracted and doesn’t meddle with other people’s things. However, there’s a couple of things that you need to keep in mind during the training sessions.

For Best Results

• Keep in mind that animals learn things at different paces. Some learn things quickly, while others are quite slow. Similar to humans, every animal has different learning abilities. Therefore, remain patient as you teach the ESA to obey commands.
• Every time your furry friend accomplishes a milestone, add a distraction to the training routine. By encouraging the ESA, it will motivate the animal to cooperate even in public places, which are filled with loads of distractions.
• Ensure that you praise the ESA each time they obey the command. Rewards reinforce behavior and ensure that the practice sticks.
• Avoid high-pitched or frustrated tones during training. The animal can pick up emotions and may associate the command with a negative outcome. Once they become cynical about the command, the animal may fail to respond, and the training will be a flop.

Following the above points will help you effectively train your Emotional Support Animal. You will no longer worry about your ESA tagging along since it will be disciplined and safe. With time, it will learn that ‘ Don’t Touch’ means that it should remain still and not head for the distraction.  

You must read the following before you travel:

There are two things that you must know before you book a flight: 

1.   ACAA
2.   ESA Letter

 1- ACAA (Air Carrier Access Act)

 The ACAA is a policy document that was formulated to assist travelers with special needs during air travel. The document was amended to accommodate people with disabilities, both physical and mental. It allows such people to carry animals with them during a flight. The document gives the right to anyone with a physical or mental disability to bring their Emotional Support Animal without paying an extra fee. You need to understand this right to avoid being exploited by airlines.

Emotional Support Animals can’t be categorized as mere pets. They help relieve stress, especially for people with mental instability or disorders such as anxiety and depression. An ESA is your companion and should be with you everywhere you go. During a flight, they shouldn’t be treated as cargo since this will add to the anxiety that comes with flying. To ensure that you are in the right state of mind during the flight, you need to have the Emotional Support Animal next to you throughout the trip.

2- Emotional Support Animal Letter

Another important thing you need to be aware of is an Emotional Support Letter. For first time travelers, you will need to obtain an Emotional Support Animal letter and present it to your airline before you board the plane. The letter allows you to bring your animal onboard without much hassle. In case you don’t have one, allow us to guide you through the steps to obtaining an Emotional Support Animal letter:

How to Obtain an Emotional Support Animal Letter

• 1. The first step is identifying any symptoms that may signify mental health instability. Such symptoms include insomnia, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, irritability, mood swings, heightened anxiety, and depression, among others. If these things persist for more than six months, then there’s a problem.
  2. In case you notice them for more than that period, book an appointment with a doctor. During the consultation, open up about everything that you are going through. You also need to tell the doctor what increases the intensity of these symptoms, such as drugs, taking alcohol, or drinking excess caffeine.
  3. The doctor will proceed to record your medical history and ask to follow up questions to get a comprehensive understanding of the situation. After a thorough assessment, they may recommend taking tests. Depending on the results of the tests, the doctor will issue you an Emotional Support Animal letter to help with your therapy.

Q: How long does it take to obtain an Emotional Support Animal Letter?

Most people think that obtaining this letter is a complicated and lengthy process. On the contrary, within 2-5 days, you could have the letter. It all depends on how long your assessment takes. Once the doctor carries out the necessary evaluation and gets the test results, they will issue you with an Emotional Support Animal Letter. 

The above two things are necessary to know for any traveler. The ACAA ensures that you don’t incur any extra charges when traveling with an ESA while the letter allows you to board the plane with your ESA.  

Parting Shot

When you teach your Emotional Support Animal these commands, your traveling will be easy and fun. Some ESA’s may indeed have caused turbulence during flights. ThisNut this is expected since they find themselves in a new environment and may not understand what’s going on. However, if your support buddy is well trained and is familiar with the above commands, they will be well prepared for the flight and will not cause any commotion. Invest time in training them, and you will love the results. Remember to do the training a couple of weeks before you travel to ensure that they grasp the commands.  

Don’t feel obliged to teach them all these commands. Select what works for you and your animal and practice on it. Remember that patience is vital. Reward them for learning, and they will obey your every command.

At ESA Care, you can get in touch with a licensed healthcare practitioner, who will assess your condition and pave ways for you to get your ESA letter. The process of acquiring your ESA letter is easy. Click on the link below to get your ESA letter.

 

 

Happy travels! 

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