You likely know that service dogs are highly skilled animals that are trained to assist someone with a physical or mental disability. But did you know that there are actually many different types of service dogs that perform a variety of functions? This article will tell you a bit more about the different types of service dogs, the jobs they perform, and how they become service animals.
Guide Dogs
Guide dogs are perhaps the first type of service dog that people think of when they learn that an animal has received service animal certification. Guide dogs are specially trained to assist the blind or visually impaired. They wear a harness with a special handle that enables them to guide their owner through busy streets or even around their own home. They can also assist their owner with tasks around the house. References to guide dogs date back as early as the 16th century, but they didn’t become commonplace in the United States until the 1920s.
Hearing Dogs
Dogs can also be trained to help the hearing impaired. Their primary tasks usually involve acting as their owner’s ears. This means alerting them to important sounds, like the doorbell or knock on the door, smoke alarms, alarm clocks, or ringing phones.
Autism Service Dogs
These dogs are trained to help those with autism to become more independent in their daily activities. Not only can they interrupt harmful behavior, alert parents to an autistic child in a dangerous situation, and alert their owner to important noises, but their companionship can also be extremely soothing to those with autism. This can be very important in helping autistic individuals to cope with difficult or unfamiliar situations.
Diabetic Alert Dogs
As you likely know, dogs have an incredible sense of smell. In fact, it’s so incredible that they can detect changes in the glucose levels of their owner’s saliva. This enables them to alert their owner to dangerously low or dangerously high glucose levels so that they can take action before more adverse effects kick in.
Seizure Response Dogs
Contrary to popular thought, seizure response dogs are not actually trained to detect a seizure before it happens. Instead, they’re trained to assist their owner during or immediately after a seizure. This may include activating an alarm to call emergency responders, retrieving medication, finding someone to help, or physically removing the person from a potentially harmful situation.
Mobility Assistance Dogs
Dogs can also be trained to assist those in wheelchairs or who have other mobility impairments. They can be used to physically pull wheelchairs, open and close doors, retrieve objects, and even operate light switches. This enables the person to live much more independently.
Emotional Support Animals
Unlike those mentioned above, emotional support animals do not need to receive any specialized training, and they don’t perform any actual service-based tasks. Rather, their purpose is to simply provide a soothing presence to those who may struggle with anxiety, depression, or other mental or emotional disorders. Additionally, any animal(s) can be an emotional support animal.
Becoming a Service Dog
Typically, the average pet cannot become a service dog. They are usually specially trained from puppyhood to perform the tasks needed to aid others, and they receive their service dog certification upon graduating from their training course. However, if you have an animal that you wish to have registered as a service animal, you may be able to find training courses for them. You can also choose to register any dog or other pet as an emotional service animal.
Check out our website for easy and simple instructions to register your pet as an emotional support animal.
Do you suffer from emotional or psychological issues? Do you depend on your pet to provide comfort in stressful situations? Have you ever felt unable to cope in a public place because you didn’t have your animal friend to keep you calm?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, have you considered registering your pet as an emotional support animal?
Imagine how much easier life would be if you could be out and about with your emotional support dog, cat, or animal and not have to explain why you need them with you? Imagine having the peace of mind to know you could take them in the cabin of a plane without having to pay extra costs, or that you won’t ever have to justify them to your housing provider.
Maybe you already know that registering your pet as an emotional support animal would make a huge difference in your life, but you’re unfamiliar with or worry about the process.
We want you to know you are not alone. We have been helping people with emotional support animals for over 25 years, and we can use our knowledge and experience to guide you through the entire process. We can help you get the correct documentation, complete a lifetime registration, and even advise you about the equipment you need for your animal friend.
Registering your pet as an emotional support animal (ESA) is quick, easy, and affordable. Let’s start by outlining everything you need to know.
Although an emotional support animal often starts out as a pet (dog, cat, and other domestic animals), for people who are living with an emotional or psychological health condition, they become so much more.
Unlike service animals, ESAs are often not trained to carry out specific tasks like service animals, but they help people with mental health conditions stay calm in a situation that might otherwise be a trigger for their symptoms.
For many people living with emotional or psychological health conditions, the presence of their emotional support animal gives them the support they need to get through daily life.
People with an emotional support dog, cat or other animal sometimes have conditions such as anxiety or depression. Others have emotional problems such as relationship issues that make coping with certain situations or daily life difficult. It could also be as simple as a fear of flying or another phobia that makes going on a trip or doing something related to their phobia unthinkable if they are not accompanied by their furry companion animal.
In order for a pet to become a legally recognized emotional support dog, cat, or animal, they must be prescribed by a licensed mental health professional such as a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or a therapist. This means that they are part of the treatment program for this person. Not currently working with a doctor or therapist? You should consider National Service Animal Registry’s a NO-RISK emotional support animal letter assessment.
To qualify, you must be considered emotionally disabled and have a letter from a licensed therapist to prove it. Some airlines and housing companies will accept a letter from a family doctor.
Almost all domesticated animals qualify to become an emotional support animal. The most common are dog and cats, but rabbits, mice, and rats are common too. Animals can be any age; the only requirement is they are manageable in public and don’t create a nuisance in the home.
What are the Benefits of Registering your Emotional Support Animal?
It isn’t a legal requirement to register your emotional support animal, but there are tremendous benefits, including rights and protections.
You can fly with your emotional support animal in the cabin with you without paying extra costs (The Air Carrier Access Act 49 U.S.C. 41705, Department of Transportation 14 C.F.R. Part 382)
You have the right to live with your emotional support animal in housing where pets are not allowed, without being charged an extra fee (Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988)
Although other public and private establishments (such as hotels, restaurants, taxis, theaters) are not legally required to let you enter with your assistance animal, many are sympathetic if the animal is registered and wears identifying patches or a vest and has an ID card.
For many people, the biggest benefit is the peace of mind to know that their pet is recognized and identifiable as an assistance animal should they need to take advantage of the legal protections in the future, they are covered.
How To Register Your Emotional Support Animal
So, if believe you’d benefit from the advantages of registering your pet as an emotional support animal, you’re probably wondering how to get started. We’ve outlined the process below in three easy steps, but remember you don’t need to do it alone, you can contact us for help and advice at any stage.
Step 1: Get a Letter From a Licensed Therapist
If you don’t have a therapist or your therapist is unwilling to write an animal emotional support letter, National Service Animal Registry (NSAR) offers a NO-RISK emotional support animal letter assessment. National Service Animal Registry is the original and most trusted and referred online provider of ESA prescription letters in the United States, equipped with an extensive network of experienced licensed therapists across the nation who specialize in ESA assessments.
Step 2: Register your Emotional Support Animal
Although you aren’t required to have your ESA letter before registering, you should register your emotional support animal and get the equipment you need to identify them when you’re out and about. If the registration process feels overwhelming, we can help. We offer three different emotional support animal kits, which we have created based on our experience to cater to people with different needs. We can help you decide which suits you best so you can be sure you make the right decision for your furry friend.
All three kits all include lifetime registration of your ESA as standard – that means you never have to register them again – plus registration in the National Service Dog Register, a frameable embossed certificate, an ESA ID card, and ID card leash clip.
Step 3: Get Out and About Easily with your Emotional Support Animal
Once your emotional support animal is registered and you have your equipment, you’re all set to get out and about together. You’ll be able to relax and have the peace of mind to know you don’t need to explain or justify having your emotional support animal with you, even when you fly. You might well be surprised about the welcome you receive in places that aren’t legally required to allow you to bring them inside, such as cafes and restaurants. And if ever you need to prove your pet is an emotional support animal to your housing provider, you’re all set!
Registering Your Emotional Support Animal: Next Steps
We hope this article gave you all the information you need to work out whether registering your pet as an emotional support animal is right for you, and start the registration process.
If you need further help, take a look at our website: National Service Animal Registry. We’ve pulled together all the information you need to guide you through the process of registering your animal.
You can also contact us for further information. We can guide you through the process, provide help and advice about the most appropriate ESA registration kit to suit your emotional support animal and lifestyle, and provide any other help and advice you need.
We’ve helped countless people with emotional support dogs, cats, and animals over the last 25 years. We look forward to helping you too.
While both serve humans, emotional support animals — commonly referred to as ESAs — and service dogs are often confused. These two types of service animals are similar in that they can provide emotional support for those that need it, but there are many differences between them. Understanding these differences will allow you to properly select and certify an animal for your needs. Here are some of the key differences between these two types of service animal certifications.
Function
Many think that emotional support animals and service dogs are interchangeable, but these two types of service animals are meant for separate tasks. A service dog is specially trained to perform a function or job for an owner that has a physical, intellectual, or emotional disability. An emotional support animal serves as more of a companion for the owner. A service dog may still be able to provide the comfort of an emotional support animal, but it has been trained to complete tasks that a support dog will not.
Protection
Service dogs are usually needed more frequently as they help the owner with physical tasks. Thus, they are offered legal protections through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that emotional support animals do not get. You can take a service dog almost anywhere that you go and they legally cannot be denied access. An emotional support dog, on the other hand, doesn’t share the same legal protections. It’s important to understand that if you have an emotional support dog, they may not be allowed into areas that a service dog will. Legal protection of an emotional support animal is limited to housing and air travel. However, there may be businesses that will allow you to bring your emotional support animal inside, so you’ll have to check with them beforehand.
Certification
As these types of support animals provide different services, the certifications also differ. A service dog agency will help to find a specially trained dog to assist with a person’s disability. While only a specifically-trained dog can be a service dog, any pet can be considered an emotional support animal. The person looking to acquire certification needs to have a disability diagnosed by a doctor or mental health professional and receive a letter stating how the animal will be of benefit.
Differentiating Your Support Dog
If your support dog doesn’t have anything that differentiates it from any other dogs, people may not recognize that it’s providing assistance for you. If you have a service dog, you might want to consider having it wear a colored vest. While this is not a requirement, it will tell those working in places you go that the dog is a service dog, and they are less likely to try to stop you from entering with it. If you have an emotional support dog, you should carry your medical letter with you, as this will provide evidence that the dog is officially a support animal.
If you suffer from a disability, be it physical or emotional, you may benefit from an animal’s support. Understanding the differences between a service dog and an emotional support animal will allow you to receive the correct service animal certification. For more information, contact the National Service Animal Registry today!
As toddlers grow up, it’s common for them to pull the tails of animals, grab onto fur, and play with animal’s toys. If this behavior is bothersome to your emotional support animal, it may be time to try out some of these tips for how your toddler and dog can get along better! Keep in mind, many of the ways to desensitize your dog to a toddler will differ depending on your dog’s personality.
You can gauge how your emotional support animal will do with a toddler, depending on a few simple personality traits. Considering how your dog does with being touched, how protective they are of their space or toys, and how well they do with someone being at their eye level can help you to determine if your dog may have trouble cohabitating with a toddler.
However, remember that even if your emotional support animal does have trouble with your toddler, you do not need to give up your dog! There are many ways to get through this trying time, both by desensitizing your dog and by creating boundaries so that your emotional support animal feels safe and comfortable.
Desensitization
The best way to work on desensitization with your dog is to expose them to the kind of behaviors your toddler may exhibit. This way your emotional support animal can get comfortable in a low risk situation. To start, be sure your dog can handle being touched anywhere. If they are comfortable with you touching them on any part of their body, this is a great start.
An ideal starting place is to handle your dog’s ears, hold their paws and apply differing pressure in different regions, gently tug on their tail, and pet their fur with different intensities. This will send the signal to your emotional support animal that regardless of pressure or intensity, they are not in danger in your home.
If these are big steps for your emotional support animal, be sure to continue rewarding them with praise and treats. This way your dog will only relate this kind of touch with positivity, treats, and praise from you. In addition, by starting this training with you, rather than your toddler, you are at lower risk if your dog reacts poorly at first to this training.
Allow Space
While it is important to expose your emotional support animal to touch, it is also important to allow them to take space from constant touch and attention. Maybe this means having your dog’s bed or crate be a safe space where your toddler cannot bother them. If this feels like an impossible change, use gates to block off a certain area of the house for your pup.
If you want to give your emotional support animal freedom from your toddler, use a gate to block off the room or area of the house they are in so that they can take some space. This will ensure when they are interacting with the toddler, they will have more patience, and know that they have a safety area where they can escape.
Managing Interactions
Remember that you cannot properly create a loving relationship without training both your emotional support animal and your toddler. Therefore, it is important to teach your toddler how to best interact with your emotional support animal and make sure you are facilitating interactions.
At first, it is recommended to sit by your dog with your toddler in your lap. Teach your toddler to put their hand out to the dog’s nose so that they can familiarize themselves with your toddler. Next, start petting the dog together. Since you are holding your toddlers’ hand and also petting your emotional support animal this will help your dog to feel safe and trusting.
This will also show your toddler how to best interact with your emotional support animal. By modeling the right behavior, your toddler will follow your lead. If there are times where your toddler is too rough with your dog, just explain to them that if they are too rough, they may hurt the dog.
If your toddler has a hard time staying gentle, move away from your emotional support animal and give them space for a little while before trying again when your toddler is a bit calmer. It is also important to remember that even if your emotional support animal is very kind and gentle with children, not all dogs are!
You should talk with your toddler about how to let a dog sniff their hand and how to pet gently because if they innately trust all dogs, they may be too trustworthy of animals they have never met. This lack of awareness around animals could result in a potentially traumatic experience which could set back their progress with feeling comfortable around animals.
Boundaries with Toys
Finally, there are many dogs, and toddlers, that are protective over their toys and their safe spaces. While your emotional support animal may be very loving and friendly, that does not mean they will not be protective over their toys or their bed if your toddler starts to play with their things.
A great way to navigate this is to keep your dog’s toys and treats exclusively in their private space. If they have a crate or a room to themselves that is set aside as their space, make sure you are only giving them their food, toys, and treats in this spot and make this area off limits to your toddler.
You will not risk any aggressive behavior to your toddler if your emotional support animal has all of their things in a space that is their own. If you are not sure if this is a potential problem, take note of how your emotional support animal reacts to you touching their treats and toys. If they borderline on aggressive behavior with you, assume this will persist with your toddler.
Conclusion
Teaching your toddler and emotional support animal to interact peacefully does not need to be a daunting task. Be sure to develop trust between your dog and toddler and provide space for both individuals to feel safe and calm down after interactions; and remember, with young children it is recommended to oversee all interactions with animals.
We all need mental and physical stimulation, whether that be going to work every day, going for a morning run, or doing mind teasers on Saturday mornings. As human beings, we require engaging and interactive stimulation to prevent our minds and bodies from becoming stiff and old as we age.
This same principle applies to dogs, emotional support animals in particular. Emotional support animals are not service dogs, who have been trained in certain working and medical tasks to assist their owners, but rather provide solace and comfort in emotionally difficult times or help with anxiety and depression.
Let’s get into why dogs need mental stimulation and how to provide that for them!
Reason #1: Emotional Distraction and Release
Although we may not see the strain placed on emotional support animals and dogs, there is a stress that they can receive from being in tune with their owner’s emotions. Emotional support animals, like all dogs, can sense sadness and stress in their owners and provide love and affection.
Just as humans do engaging activities to take their minds off of stress and anxiety, emotional support dogs need that too. Engaging in mentally stimulating activities can help distract and remove any type of stress in their lives.
Research has shown that mental stimulation can fend off anxiety and depression in dogs, thus can help your emotional support animal release the stress it might remove from you.
Dogs who are working breeds, like shepherds and hounds, tend to need more of this type of mental stimulation than lapdogs or lazy pups.
Setting up agility courses or taking your dog to a park or dog park can help release physical tension and engage the mind of your emotional support animal.
Agility courses and dog parks provide obstacles that require your dog to think critically and plan a course of action. This form of thinking is a great way to mentally engage your dog and stimulate their minds.
Reason #2: Get Rid of Boredom
Emotional support animals and dogs tend to get very bored, very fast. Since dogs are active creatures, especially big dogs, they need something to do to wear them out during the day.
If you leave your dog or emotional support animal at home during the day by themselves, you might sometimes come home and see a wild mess of torn curtains, broken vases, or shredded couch cushions and a very guilty-looking dog.
This often happens when your dog or emotional support animal is getting restless and bored. You can help get rid of their boredom by providing mental stimulation during the day, even if you are not home to provide it.
Dogs are intelligent animals, so they know how to entertain themselves. Sometimes, the curtains or couch cushions are what they have to entertain themselves. This type of play does not always provide the mental stimulation they need and there is no doubt that you would not like to buy new curtains once a month.
Getting rid of this boredom is as simple as getting toys that help to stimulate the mind of your dog or emotional support animal. Toys that are interactive or physical are great ways for your dog to get physical exercise during the day and get some critical thinking in.
Food puzzles, where your dog has to work to get the treat or food are fantastic methods of mental stimulation and force your dog to think spatially and critically.
Reason #3: Brain Workouts
Just like mind teasers for humans that are designed to prevent the aging of the mind, increase neuroplasticity, and form new neural pathways, a brain workout is a great way for your dog or emotional support animal to slow the aging of their brain and stimulate their gray matter.
Dogs and emotional support animals cannot do the same types of mind teasers that humans do, like sudoku and Rubix cubes, but they can do the “dog version” of those mental workouts.
If your dog is a hunting or working breed that has a powerful nose, try playing hide and seek with them! Go into a room and hide in a place where they cannot see you, like behind a door or curtain, and call them into the room. Have them come find you like hide and seek!
If your dog is less interested in movement and more interested in treats, play the cup game with them! Sit your dog or emotional support animal in front of a line of three cups that are not see-through. Show them that under one cup is a treat while the others are empty.
Move the cups around in the line so the cup with the treat is in a different spot and then see if your dog or emotional support animal can find the treat. It may take them a little while to fully comprehend and learn what is happening, but once they do, you will have trained them and created several critical and spatial thinking pathways in the brain!
Reason #4: Lowered Aggression and Increased Peace
If you have a dog or emotional support dog that is very standoff-ish and aggressive, they may need some mental stimulation to help stop or curve their poor behavior.
Many dogs get aggressive because they are not getting enough attention both mentally and physically. They get bored, cranky, and then aggressive. They might spend all day barking at every bird in the bushes or at the terrified mailman.
At first, the aggression might be stemming from boredom, but it can quickly turn into a personality trait if left without any treatment. If you have other animals or dogs, an emotional support animal, or young children in your household, you might want to assess your dog’s aggression and try to lower it through mental stimulation.
In the same way that a dog might tear your living room apart simply because it is bored, a dog might try to attack others. It provides them with stimulation. To decrease this behavior, give them something to work on with their mind.
Puzzles, dog parks, wrestling, tug of war, hide and seek, and interactive toys can help to stimulate your dog or emotional support animal and keep them interested. An interested dog is not bored, so the aggressive behavior may decrease.
If your dog is mentally stimulated frequently but is still exhibiting aggressive and poor behavior, you might want to take them to the vet to check to make sure that there is not anything physically wrong with them, like an injury or illness, that is making them lash out.
Make sure that you are not rewarding aggressive and poor behavior, as that will train them into aggressive animals. It can be very hard to have an emotional support animal that is aggressive because the dog has to be able to be around others and in different environments without barking or attacking other dogs or human beings.
Reason #5: Emotional Bonding
If you can take your emotional support animal to the dog park or play with them for an hour or more each day, they are more likely to begin to create a bind with you of mutual trust.
This bond is what makes an emotional support animal what it is. The bond between an owner and their emotional support animal is strong and intense. It shows the trust and respect between the pair which is reflected by the emotional support animal supporting their owner.
This form of emotional bonding is not only for emotional support animals but is super important for rescue dogs who may have been abused or neglected in their former home. Showing them that you love them by playing with them not only increases their mental stimulation but their emotional trust of you as their owner.
They will begin to understand that you are not like the person who abused or neglected them, and an emotional bond of trust and love will be formed, not unlike the bond between an emotional support animal and their owner.
The same emotional bond is crucial to make if you adopt a puppy. Puppies need to understand love and affection from a young age so that they are not aggressive later in life. If a puppy is no longer living in the same location as it’s mother, it will need the care and love that she used to supply it.
Similar to creating an emotional bond with an abused/neglected rescue dog or with an emotional support dog, playing with your puppy will form a bond that instills a feeling of trust and love in the puppy.
When emotional bonds like these are created in puppies, they often become emotional support animals to their owner. Whether or not they are officially certified as emotional support animals, they still provide the same affectionate love.
Overall, you should make sure that your dog is getting plenty of playtime with you and on their own to help slow aging, build trust, increase mental sharpness, and keep your dog healthy! Make sure that their toys and games are challenging for them and increase the difficulty of puzzles as they get good at them!
Teaching your service dog or emotional support animal to come when called is essential to the training process. If you want to have any type of control while you are in or out of your house, you must start teaching your dog to come when called as soon as you bring them home.
To teach your service dog to come when called they will need to know the sit command first. Once they are well versed with “sit” you can move onto “come”. You will need a few supplies. A long training, leash, some toys and treats, a pet cot or bed, and some patience will get you well on your way!
Whether your dog is a brand new puppy or a full grown adult, you must approach the training with the same mindset: Consistency is key!
Step One:
Put the long training leash on your service dog. Grab a handful of treats let them get a good sniff. They should be very excited about these treats. Tell your dog to sit. Once they get into a sit, jump backward, leaning slightly forward towards them. Keep the treats at their nose level. As you move tell them to come in a very enthusiastic tone. Your service dog should be inclined to move towards you for a couple of reasons: the treat you are holding, and the movement. Dogs are very drawn to movement. This will be a big part of teaching them to come. Being bent forward is a very inviting position for dogs. This will encourage them to move to you as well.
Once your emotional support animal or service dog gets to you, reward right away. Make sure you don’t reward them if they are jumping on you or distracted. They should be looking at you expecting their reward.
Repeat this process with every meal you feed your service dog for about a week. You are building drive and focus on you so when you tell your dog to come, they are excited to do it.
Step Two
Teaching your emotional support animal or service dog to come when called will pair well with teaching them to stay. Use a designated spot like a pet cot. The cots are elevated and will actually help your dog focus better. A bed will work as well. Your service dog needs to have a designated perimeter so they understand where they need to stay until you tell them to come.
Start by showing your service dog their spot. Lure them onto it with treats if needed. Do not force them onto it. Once they understand this is a nice place for them you can start actively using it for training.
When you’re ready to get to work, have treats handy but try not to let them know it. Put them on their spot and tell them to stay. When you tell your service dog to stay, stand up straight. Put your hand out like a stop sign and firmly use the “stay” command. Take one step back. Do not repeat your command. It is likely your dog will jump right off and come to you before you call them. It will take some time and repetitions for them to actually stay put. Age and attention span will have a big effect on the number of repetitions you must do. Once they are staying, start to build on the “come” command. Enthusiastically call them to you and put them into a sit when they get there. Reward them while they are in the sitting position.
While you are working on this, make sure you pause for a moment before you call them. If you step back and immediately call them, they may not be understanding the “stay” part of the command. Try to count to five before you call your dog. Then when you do, take a small step back as you give the command. You will be using that movement to draw your dog to you, but there needs to be a definitive pause between the two commands.
Put more distance between you as your emotional support animal gets better with the command. Once you are moving further away, you should be able to turn your back to walk away. A lot of people will put their hand out and back away slowly, displaying a lack of confidence. This will tell your dog you don’t believe in yourself and they shouldn’t either. Remember, worst case scenario, they hop off and you just calmly put them back onto their spot.
Before moving onto the next step, you should be able to walk across the room. When you call them, they should come right to you. If they are stopping short or getting distracted along the way use the long leash to bring them all the way to you. Then on your next attempt, start a little closer. Continue to practice the short come, sit sequence with their meals as well.
Step Three
Move to a patio or driveway to start teaching your emotional support animal or service dog to come when called outdoors. Remember to have their long leash on, and plenty of treats.
You will need to repeat the beginning process outside. To your service dog, this is basically starting at square one again. Use their food or treats and do the short come-sit sequence. If they are doing well with this, begin working on stay and come with their bed or pet cot.
As you progress, start making your service dog stay while you walk around. Put them on their spot and walk away, but don’t immediately call them to you. Walk in a circle around them. Your emotional support animal or service dog should be watching you the whole time. When you call them to you, they should come directly. If they stop short or get distracted, use your leash. The long leash will come in handy when you start working on longer distances. It gives a physical way to back up your commands if your service dog decides not to listen.
Remember, consistency is key! If your dog decides not to listen, or gets distracted, you must follow through on your command.
Step Four
Work in your yard. Use your service dog or emotional support animal’s designated spot all around the yard. Make them stay for longer periods of time. Then repeat and make them come immediately. Switch it up to keep them engaged. You don’t want them to figure out the routine. If this happens you will both likely get bored very quickly.
If you have a fenced in space, this is a good time to drop the leash. Practice recall without any leash back up. You should still keep it on just in case they do not listen but do your best not to rely on it. Remember to take a small step back as you give the “come” command. This movement encourages your service dog to come to you.
Step Five
Start practicing come on your walks. Have your service dog or emotional support animal stop and sit on the sidewalk. Take a few steps ahead, turn around to face them, and give the “come” command. You should continue to use treats for this exercise.
When you are walking pay very close attention to your surroundings. If there is another dog on the other side of the street, practice at that time. Slowly introduce these types of distractions to build your service dog’s focus.
Step Six
Practice in public spaces. Training your dog to come doesn’t require a lot of space to work in. You can have your emotional support animal or service dog stop and sit anywhere. Take advantage of higher levels of distraction. Practice at the pet store or hardware store. Practice in parks and on the sidewalk. At this point, you should no longer be relying on the leash at all. This exercise is simply meant to reinforce the training in different places.
If you find your emotional support animal or service dog is struggling, take a step back, and practice in a less distracting environment. Moving too fast can make it more difficult for both of you.
Bringing your emotional support animal or service dog with you to public spaces is a vital part of their job. Having a solid recall is one of the most important things you can teach them before doing so. Even if you don’t intend to take your dog off of their leash, they should still know it. It could save your dog’s life if they accidentally get loose. Being able to let them off of their leash in parks and even just in your yard gives them more freedom. Being able to get them to come when called gives you peace of mind. It’s a win for everyone!
Due to the global pandemic COVID-19, more and more people are choosing to do their everyday activities from home. Whether it’s working from home, working out at home to hair appointments and even veterinarian and doctor visits all from the comfort of our living rooms.
We are seeing a lot of things that people used to go out and do can actually be done while practicing social distancing at home. If you need to take your emotional support dog or your service dog or any other pets that you have to the vet but are worried about going into public places or maybe your dog gets stressed at the vet or you just can’t make your regular appointment, you’ll be happy to know there are plenty of veterinarians that are offering online consultations from the comfort of your home. Online vet visits are also convenient when you have a question or are not sure whether you need to take your emotional support dog into the vet’s office or not. Online veterinarians are an awesome resource that pet lovers everywhere are embracing for their service dogs and emotional support dogs, their cats, birds, iguanas, hamsters and so on!
We’ve compiled a list of the best online vets to make sure your emotional support dog or service dog can get the very best care without leaving their treasured homes.
VetLive.com: This website provides reasonably-priced veterinarian services 24/7- one of the few online veterinarians that offer 24/7 access. All vets on this site are licensed and have plenty of experience. Depending on what time you call the vet and the urgency of your request, VetLive consultations range from $16.95 to $59.95.
How to Visit: If you need to make an online appointment for your emotional support dog, the process is fairly simple at VetLive.com. Just create an account and then you can ask a question. Within minutes, you’ll be connected to a veterinarian and you’ll be able to have a live chat with them about your concerns and questions. Bonus: If the veterinarian at VetLive can’t answer your questions, your chat with them is free!
Chewy.com: If you’re a pet owner you’re probably familiar with Chewy.com. While Chewy is not a vet, they do offer a pharmacy that we are big fans of. Chewy offers more than 1,000 brands of pet products and also has experts available 24/7 to help you make the best selection for your emotional support dog or service dog. The reason we love the pet pharmacy so much is because of its convenience. Simply enter your pet’s information and vet information and then you’ll receive your pet’s prescription in as fast as a day or two..straight to your door! How convenient is that?
PetCoach: This website is actually powered by Petco. It’s a great resource for pet owners looking for non-urgent, free advice for their emotional support dogs or service dogs. The website features more than 400,000 articles and answers to questions asked by pet owners over the years. What’s more, the website allows you to easily search these questions and answers for your specific needs. If, for any reason, your question isn’t among the hundreds of thousands already on the site, there is an “Ask a Vet” button that will allow you to submit your own question. You’ll receive an answer from a licensed veterinarian within a day or two. If you need an immediate answer, there’s the option to pay $8 and get help immediately. There’s another option for $30 that offers a more in-depth consultation with a licensed veterinarian. This consultation is done over text messaging. There’s also a monthly subscription option for $9/month for access to all PetCoach services. The monthly membership also gives you discounts. For example, you can wash your emotional support dog at the self-wash station for $2. For non-members, the self-wash stations typically cost $14 per wash.
Ask.Vet: This website connects with licensed vets for live chats on your computer or mobile device. These vets are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The vets at Ask.Vet are all licensed and have an average practice experience of 12 years. These veterinarians provide guidance, advice and education but they can’t diagnose, treat or prescribe medications. That’s important to note. So, if you’re in an emergency situation or you can tell your emotional support dog will need a consult or medicine, this website isn’t the best option for that. Ask.Vet is a good resource when you have questions and you’d rather have an immediate answer instead of waiting a day or two like some of the other websites. If you do choose to use Ask.Vet and the veterinarian thinks your service dog or other pet needs to be seen immediately, they will provide you with the three emergency animal hospitals that are closest to you. They can also give you referrals to local veterinarians that you can take your emotional support dog in to see. You are charged by session at Ask.Vet. Each session is $19.95 and will last between 15-20 minutes.
VetTriage.com: This website allows you to get immediate assistance for your service dog or emotional support dog via video chat. These vets are available 24/7 to help diagnose your emotional support dog’s health concerns. You have the option to have a video consultation or a video chat if you just have questions that need to be answered.
How to Visit: Using your computer or mobile device, there’s a button on the website that says “Connect Now.” Then you will be prompted to enter your information. Next, you’ll be directed to PayPal to purchase your session. After you’ve entered your payment information, push the “Call” button and you be connected directly with a licensed veterinarian via your mobile device or computer camera. Then your video consult begins. Because of the video capabilities, the vet is able to see your pet on-screen and observe them. This helps them to be able to provide the most accurate plan of action for your emotional support dog.
Banfield Pet Hospital Vet Chat: If you’re a pet owner, you are probably familiar with Banfield Pet Hospital, at the very least you’ve probably passed at Banfield Pet Hospital Clinic in your city. The VetChat offers one-on-one chat with a veterinarian anytime via the Banfield app. These vets are available 24/7 for advice and support. You do have to be a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan member in order get access to the service. But, for the more than 2 million members across the U.S., Vet Chat is a quick and easy way to get a consult with a vet virtually for any concerns you may have about your emotional support dog.
YourFuzzy.Com: YourFuzzy is another website that allows you to skip the trip to the vet and get your answers from the comfort of your home. YourFuzzy offers video calls for veterinary consultations for your service dog or emotional support dog. The website also provides home-delivery for medications that the vet prescribes, supplements and nutrition. YourFuzzy offers a subscription health program for pets for a fee of $45 per month. The monthly subscription includes two in-home wellness visits per year, annual feces test, annual heart work test, microchipping and registration, health records and reminders and course, the digital access to the veterinary team.
Veterinarians are turning to telemedicine to help meet the needs of their animal patients from anywhere, anytime. Some of the reasons vets use Telehealth, besides COVID-19 are:
Follow-up appointments after surgery
Behavioral issues or training
Patient has transportation issues
Hospice care
Determining whether a service dog or emotional support dog needs to actually go see a veterinarian and how urgently they should get there
Long-term care monitoring
Whether you’re looking to permanently switch to an online veterinarian or just temporarily due to the coronavirus, or maybe your regular vet isn’t open and you need access on a holiday or at any hour of the night, we hope this list will act as a useful resource guide for you to choose the best online vet for your service dog or emotional support dog.
Online vets can help you with prescriptions, a regular check-up, an emergency visit or question or simple questions about your emotional support dog’s behavior. It seems the future really is here as telemedicine continues to evolve. We all know how much anxiety a trip to the vet can cause for our beloved service dogs or emotional support dogs. Virtual visits to the vet can help ease the anxiety for both pet and pet owner. If you are using an emotional support dog or service dog it may be because your mobility is limited or perhaps you have social anxiety. A virtual visit to the vet is a perfect solution for you if that’s the case because you can enjoy quality healthcare from the comfort of your home and at the very least get your questions answered and provide you with peace of mind.
Due to the global pandemic COVID-19, more and more people are choosing to do their everyday activities from home. Whether it’s working from home, working out at home to hair appointments and even veterinarian and doctor visits all from the comfort of our living rooms.
We are seeing a lot of things that people used to go out and do can actually be done while practicing social distancing at home. If you need to take your emotional support dog or your service dog or any other pets that you have to the vet but are worried about going into public places or maybe your dog gets stressed at the vet or you just can’t make your regular appointment, you’ll be happy to know there are plenty of veterinarians that are offering online consultations from the comfort of your home. Online vet visits are also convenient when you have a question or are not sure whether you need to take your emotional support dog into the vet’s office or not. Online veterinarians are an awesome resource that pet lovers everywhere are embracing for their service dogs and emotional support dogs, their cats, birds, iguanas, hamsters and so on!
We’ve compiled a list of the best online vets to make sure your emotional support dog or service dog can get the very best care without leaving their treasured homes.
VetLive.com: This website provides reasonably-priced veterinarian services 24/7- one of the few online veterinarians that offer 24/7 access. All vets on this site are licensed and have plenty of experience. Depending on what time you call the vet and the urgency of your request, VetLive consultations range from $16.95 to $59.95.
How to Visit: If you need to make an online appointment for your emotional support dog, the process is fairly simple at VetLive.com. Just create an account and then you can ask a question. Within minutes, you’ll be connected to a veterinarian and you’ll be able to have a live chat with them about your concerns and questions. Bonus: If the veterinarian at VetLive can’t answer your questions, your chat with them is free!
Chewy.com: If you’re a pet owner you’re probably familiar with Chewy.com. While Chewy is not a vet, they do offer a pharmacy that we are big fans of. Chewy offers more than 1,000 brands of pet products and also has experts available 24/7 to help you make the best selection for your emotional support dog or service dog. The reason we love the pet pharmacy so much is because of its convenience. Simply enter your pet’s information and vet information and then you’ll receive your pet’s prescription in as fast as a day or two..straight to your door! How convenient is that?
PetCoach: This website is actually powered by Petco. It’s a great resource for pet owners looking for non-urgent, free advice for their emotional support dogs or service dogs. The website features more than 400,000 articles and answers to questions asked by pet owners over the years. What’s more, the website allows you to easily search these questions and answers for your specific needs. If, for any reason, your question isn’t among the hundreds of thousands already on the site, there is an “Ask a Vet” button that will allow you to submit your own question. You’ll receive an answer from a licensed veterinarian within a day or two. If you need an immediate answer, there’s the option to pay $8 and get help immediately. There’s another option for $30 that offers a more in-depth consultation with a licensed veterinarian. This consultation is done over text messaging. There’s also a monthly subscription option for $9/month for access to all PetCoach services. The monthly membership also gives you discounts. For example, you can wash your emotional support dog at the self-wash station for $2. For non-members, the self-wash stations typically cost $14 per wash.
Ask.Vet: This website connects with licensed vets for live chats on your computer or mobile device. These vets are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The vets at Ask.Vet are all licensed and have an average practice experience of 12 years. These veterinarians provide guidance, advice and education but they can’t diagnose, treat or prescribe medications. That’s important to note. So, if you’re in an emergency situation or you can tell your emotional support dog will need a consult or medicine, this website isn’t the best option for that. Ask.Vet is a good resource when you have questions and you’d rather have an immediate answer instead of waiting a day or two like some of the other websites. If you do choose to use Ask.Vet and the veterinarian thinks your service dog or other pet needs to be seen immediately, they will provide you with the three emergency animal hospitals that are closest to you. They can also give you referrals to local veterinarians that you can take your emotional support dog in to see. You are charged by session at Ask.Vet. Each session is $19.95 and will last between 15-20 minutes.
VetTriage.com: This website allows you to get immediate assistance for your service dog or emotional support dog via video chat. These vets are available 24/7 to help diagnose your emotional support dog’s health concerns. You have the option to have a video consultation or a video chat if you just have questions that need to be answered.
How to Visit: Using your computer or mobile device, there’s a button on the website that says “Connect Now.” Then you will be prompted to enter your information. Next, you’ll be directed to PayPal to purchase your session. After you’ve entered your payment information, push the “Call” button and you be connected directly with a licensed veterinarian via your mobile device or computer camera. Then your video consult begins. Because of the video capabilities, the vet is able to see your pet on-screen and observe them. This helps them to be able to provide the most accurate plan of action for your emotional support dog.
Banfield Pet Hospital Vet Chat: If you’re a pet owner, you are probably familiar with Banfield Pet Hospital, at the very least you’ve probably passed at Banfield Pet Hospital Clinic in your city. The VetChat offers one-on-one chat with a veterinarian anytime via the Banfield app. These vets are available 24/7 for advice and support. You do have to be a Banfield Optimum Wellness Plan member in order get access to the service. But, for the more than 2 million members across the U.S., Vet Chat is a quick and easy way to get a consult with a vet virtually for any concerns you may have about your emotional support dog.
YourFuzzy.Com: YourFuzzy is another website that allows you to skip the trip to the vet and get your answers from the comfort of your home. YourFuzzy offers video calls for veterinary consultations for your service dog or emotional support dog. The website also provides home-delivery for medications that the vet prescribes, supplements and nutrition. YourFuzzy offers a subscription health program for pets for a fee of $45 per month. The monthly subscription includes two in-home wellness visits per year, annual feces test, annual heart work test, microchipping and registration, health records and reminders and course, the digital access to the veterinary team.
Veterinarians are turning to telemedicine to help meet the needs of their animal patients from anywhere, anytime. Some of the reasons vets use Telehealth, besides COVID-19 are:
Follow-up appointments after surgery
Behavioral issues or training
Patient has transportation issues
Hospice care
Determining whether a service dog or emotional support dog needs to actually go see a veterinarian and how urgently they should get there
Long-term care monitoring
Whether you’re looking to permanently switch to an online veterinarian or just temporarily due to the coronavirus, or maybe your regular vet isn’t open and you need access on a holiday or at any hour of the night, we hope this list will act as a useful resource guide for you to choose the best online vet for your service dog or emotional support dog.
Online vets can help you with prescriptions, a regular check-up, an emergency visit or question or simple questions about your emotional support dog’s behavior. It seems the future really is here as telemedicine continues to evolve. We all know how much anxiety a trip to the vet can cause for our beloved service dogs or emotional support dogs. Virtual visits to the vet can help ease the anxiety for both pet and pet owner. If you are using an emotional support dog or service dog it may be because your mobility is limited or perhaps you have social anxiety. A virtual visit to the vet is a perfect solution for you if that’s the case because you can enjoy quality healthcare from the comfort of your home and at the very least get your questions answered and provide you with peace of mind.
WHICH SERVICE "TYPE" SHOULD I SELECT?
Guide: This type is regarded as a "working service dog". Choose this type if you experience vision problems and your dog is trained to guide you in public settings.
Hearing Alert: This type is regarded as a "working service dog". Choose this type if your dog is trained to alert you to sounds that you are unable to hear or identify, such as alarm clocks, doorbells, telephones, automobile sounds, and other important sounds you have trouble identifying.
In Training: If your dog is being trained to become a service dog, but isn't quite ready to qualify for registration, "In Training" is the service type you should select. Although service dogs that are in training have no federally protected rights, many public places allow you access with your service dog in training.
Medical Assist: This type is regarded as a "working service dog". Choose this type if your dog is trained to assist you when experiencing a physical situation in which you can't perform a major life task for yourself (retrieve items, open doors, turn on lights, etc.).
Mobility: This type is regarded as a "working service dog". Choose this type if your dog is trained or able to provide stability and support for substantial balance or walking problems because of a physical disability.
PSA (Psychiatric Service Animal): This type is regarded as a "working service dog". Choose this type if your psychiatric or emotional disability substantially limits your ability to perform a major life task and your dog is trained to perform or help perform the task for you. A letter from a licensed therapist or psychiatrist that clearly indicates this is required.
Seizure Alert: This type is regarded as a "working service dog". Choose this type if your dog is trained or able to either predict a seizure or to get assistance from another person at the onset of a seizure.
SERVICE DOG VS. EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL
An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is an animal that, by its very presence, mitigates the emotional or psychological symptoms associated with a handler's condition or disorder. The animal does NOT need to be trained to perform a disability-specific task. All domesticated animals (dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, hedgehogs, rodents, mini-pigs, etc.) may serve as an ESA. The only legal protections an Emotional Support Animal has are 1) to fly with their emotionally or psychologically disabled handler in the cabin of an aircraft and 2) to qualify for no-pet housing. No other public or private entity (motels, restaurants, stores, etc.) is required to allow your ESA to accompany you and in all other instances, your ESA has no more rights than a pet.
You'll also need to be prepared to present a letter to airlines and property managers from a licensed mental health professional stating that you are emotionally disabled and that he/she prescribes for you an emotional support animal.
If you do not have a letter of prescription and are unable to get one, we recommend that you consider Chilhowee Psychological Services. This agency offers legitimate psychometric testing, assessment, diagnosis, AND a letter of prescription from a licensed mental health professional. Click here to view their website.
A final note: Some animals are innately able to predict the onset of a physical or psychiatric event or crisis, effectively enabling the handler to prevent or minimize the event. This is an ability that usually cannot be trained - some animals are simply born with the ability to sense the onset of the event. These types of animals, although not otherwise task-trained, are considered "working" service animals.
VIP Pass
Normally, emailed PDF copies are processed and sent the afternoon an order is shipped. It usually takes 2 - 4 business days to process and complete an order once we've received the image of your animal, although that can fluctuate, depending on the number of registrations we've received.
VIP Pass is an optional service that places your order ahead of all other orders in front of you (we usually have between 80 - 140 orders to process each weekday). So, your registration kit will ship either the day you order it (if the order is placed before 10:00 AM mountain time) or the very next business day GUARANTEED! Of course, you'll need to make sure you upload or email us an image of your animal immediately!
VIP Pass is not overnight or next day delivery. To have your order delivered "overnight", please contact our office to order and pay for Next Day Delivery. (1-866-737-3930 or info@nsarco.com).
