Can my emotional support animal be a psychiatric service dog?

Dogs are considered ideal companions for people struggling with mental health. Owning a pet can positively impact mental disorders and it is proven by studies. If you are dealing with mental health issues, you need a trained psychiatric service dog. There is a lot of confusion among service animals, some of them are trained to perform certain tasks for the owners while others are only recommended to attain emotional support. Let’s discuss what involves in training a psychiatric service dog (PSD) and how can you get it done with any type of service animal.

What is a psychiatric service dog?

Service dogs are recommended for people with physical disabilities and those who have mental health disorders can own a PSD.

• Any breed of dog can be trained to become a PSD.
• You attain the rights to take them wherever you go, even at places with a no-pets policy.
• These can be trained to perform physical tasks along with emotional support.
• With a legit Psychiatric Service Dog letter you attain travel and fair housing benefits.

How is it different from other service animals?

There are service animals, there are emotional support animals and then there are psychiatric service dogs. All these categories are different and should not be mixed. You can own a furry friend to get the desired emotional support they don’t need any specific training. However, service dogs are trained to perform several tasks to let the owner enjoy an independent lifestyle. Moreover, psychiatric service dogs need special training to offer mental support. For instance, they are trained to stay calm in crowded or noisy places.

Mental health patients who have an emotional support dog can also train them to become a psychiatric service dog. We will discuss the key tips for training in the next section.

How to make your emotional support animal your PSD?

The first and most important step is to train your dog to act like a PSD. They need the training to act in public, resist jumping or aggressive behavior when there are a lot of distractions in busy environments.

The next step is to get a Psychiatric Service Dog letter. When your emotional support dog has attained the specific training, you will need a formal letter to get the qualification of a PSD. There are a few important steps involved in the documentation process, such as:

• Get assessed by a licensed healthcare provider to establish your PSD needs
• Alternatively, find an online service and seek professional guidance to quickly get a legit PSD letter
• If you are busy or can’t schedule an appointment with a therapist nearby, it is best to attain the advantage of an online entity for a Psychiatric Service Dog letter.
• The online service can arrange a consultation with a licensed mental healthcare provider via phone
• After determining your needs for PSD, the therapist can sign the PSD letter which will be delivered to you by the online service within 3 to 4 business days.
• Make sure to find a legit online service as it is important to find an authentic company because you will be using the letter to own the rights mentioned in the Federal Law.

Bottom line

With professional training, your emotional support animal can become your PSD. In order to take your four legged companion to public places, you might need a Psychiatric Service Dog letter. For a trusted online service for a legit PSD letter, visit the link below.