What Should You Know About Dogs for Emotional Support

Dogs are said to be man’s best friends—and for a reason. They can connect and provide unconditional love to their owners. For this reason, most people dealing with mental disabilities find it beneficial to keep dogs for emotional support.

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But what’s the benefit of an emotional support dog? Where can I get one? Is there a difference between a pet and an emotional support animal (ESA)? This article will provide answers to these questions, among others that people ask about dogs for emotional support.

What Do You Need to Know About Dogs for Emotional Support

Dogs can provide emotional support to their handlers, but that does not mean they’re legally recognized as dogs for emotional support. For you to call your pet an emotional support animal, you must fulfill some legal requirements.

First, you must be having a mental disability such as extreme anxiety or depression that a licensed mental health specialist has confirmed.

Secondly, you must be issued an ESA letter that allows you to keep dogs for emotional support. This letter must indicate that you have a mental disorder, and the dog is necessary to help you deal with the condition. It must be signed, dated, and include the contact details of the mental health specialist in case verification is needed by a landlord or an airline.

Once you have the ESA letter, you become entitled to special rights accorded to people with dogs for emotional support. However, the letter is only valid for a year. You will need to renew it every year since airlines are usually strict on the expiry date of the letter.

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What Do Emotional Support Dogs Do?

Emotional support dogs are usually confused with service dogs, but the two are not the same. Service dogs are trained to perform specific tasks for people living with physical disabilities. For instance, a service dog can be trained to guide a blind person. Therefore, the dog may not provide emotional support dog benefits.  

Dogs for emotional support are known to help people with depression, anxiety, and other mental issues to alleviate those conditions. They are not expected to perform specific tasks other than emotional support.

As you care for the dog by feeding it, bathing it, and walking it in the streets, you get the feeling that you’re needed, and you’re therefore important.

Petting and holding the dog provides a warm feeling that helps to boost your mood, reduce stress, and enhance your social engagement.   

When you come home stressed, you find your dog eagerly waiting for you. The dog is happy to see you, and so are you. Both of you feel connected. When you start playing with each other, your stress begins to fade away.

Can Any Dog Be an Emotional Support Dog?

Some dog breeds are thought to be more friendly and suitable for companionship. However, most breeds can be good emotional support dogs after going through proper training.

If you already have a dog, you can have it trained to benefit from the emotional support dog. For example, a properly trained dog will not wander and leave you in the streets as you are walking. Instead, the dog will learn to stick with you everywhere you go.

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If you want to travel with your emotional support dog, you may want to consider getting a smaller dog for convenience purposes. Some airlines may have restrictions on the size of the animal that you take with you. Besides that, the dog should also be well-behaved.

What Are the Benefits of an Emotional Support Animal?

Dogs for emotional support can help you deal with loneliness, especially if you live alone. With a dog in your house, you don’t feel alone. It’s like you have someone to bond with.

Dogs generally love animals. Good emotional support dogs can make you feel loved. They provide companionship and comfort. Moreover, they never leave your side since you can always take them wherever you go.

As you walk your dog to the streets for exercise, you will be able to attract the attention of dog-loving people. For instance, when you start talking about your dog, it is easier for you to speak to others. As such, you become more social.

Being in possession of the ESA letter gives you special privileges that allow you to carry your dog freely in areas where dogs are restricted. Typically, the most common areas are airlines and rented apartments. For example, your airline will not be charged extra for carrying the emotional support dog on the plane. According to fair housing laws, your landlord will also not restrict you from keeping dogs for emotional support.

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Where Can You Get an Emotional Support Dog

If you already have a dog that provides you with comfort, you may not have to worry about where to buy an emotional support dog. All you have to do is find a professional trainer to train your dog. This training is only necessary if you feel that the dog needs it. Otherwise, you only need to get an ESA letter for the dog.   

If you don’t have a dog or have one that does not provide emotional support dog benefits, you can buy one already trained. There are many places where you can get a dog depending on your budget—from puppy farms, animal shelters to online stores.

When deciding where to get an emotional support dog, the important thing to consider is the training offered to the dogs and their health conditions. Unfortunately, some of the puppy farms are concerned with profit. If this is the case, they may end up neglecting their animals and lean towards quantity instead of quality.

Dogs for emotional support need to have good health. A good seller will provide you with vet records to show that the dog has been vaccinated and has no health problem.

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Conclusion

Dogs for emotional support are meant to provide you with social connections to help you deal with a mental disorder. Usually, the two main conditions for you to have dogs for emotional support are; diagnosis with a mental disorder by a licensed mental specialist and the possession of an ESA letter.

Do you have a dog that proves useful in providing you with emotional support? Then, we can help you get an ESA letter. ESA Care has licensed mental professionals who are ready to help you. Do not hesitate to reach out to us if you need to renew your ESA letter or get one for the first time.

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