First and foremost, it’s important to note that although emotional support animals (ESAs) do not have to undergo specialized training like service dogs, there are some common decorum expectations.
Emotional support animals are animals that a licensed therapist or doctor recommends for individuals with mental health issues. Emotional support animals have special rights that allow them to live in no-pets buildings without paying any fees or deposits.
In this article, we will explain the training requirements for emotional support animals. We will also talk about the qualities and traits your dog should possess to help with your condition.
See if you qualify for an ESA letter today!
What training requirements are there for emotional support animals?
Under federal guidelines, emotional support dogs do NOT need any specialized training. The purpose of an emotional support dog is to provide comfort to their owner in times of distress. Emotional support dogs accomplish this mission just by being loyal and present companions.
Emotional support dogs should, however, have basic skills that every dog is expected to learn. For example, all emotional support dogs should be housebroken and understand basic commands.
Oftentimes, emotional support dogs live in buildings that prohibit pets. They are allowed to do this because ESAs are exempt from pet restrictions. That makes it especially important for an emotional support dog not to misbehave and antagonize neighbors.
Emotional support dogs can also be denied by landlords if they exhibit aggressive behavior toward other tenants or cause substantial property damage.
Just because ESAs don’t require specialized training doesn’t mean they can be completely untrained. Like other animals that live in residential buildings, they must act like good neighbors.
What qualities should an Emotional Support Dog possess?
Most dogs have a natural tendency to be devoted to their pet parent; after all, that’s what makes them a person’s best friend. There is no one right type of ESA for someone’s needs. However, you should consider how a dog’s personality may affect your mental health.
For example, if you were recommended an emotional support dog for your anxiety, an overly anxious or excitable dog may not be the best fit. If you suffer from depression, an outgoing dog with a cheerful personality may help you get unstuck from negative routines.
When choosing a dog to adopt as your emotional support animal, pay attention to its personality and temperament. If you are adopting the dog from a rescue that has fostered the dog, they may be able to give you detailed information about the dog’s traits and unique personality. Animal shelter workers also do a great job of assessing pets’ personalities and matching them with potential parents.
Tips on Training your Emotional Support Dog
It’s important to ensure your emotional support dog has a grasp of basic commands and is properly socialized.
Starting the training early: If you are adopting a puppy, start with the basics of obedience training: sit, stay, down, come, heel, etc. The younger you start with these lessons, the more likely your dog will be successful in mastering these skills. If you adopt an older dog that has not been well-trained, don’t fret. Older dogs may take a bit longer to train, but you can still teach an old dog new tricks. The key is consistency, positive reinforcement, and, when necessary, help from a professional trainer or dog behavioral specialist.
Additional requirements: In addition to obedience, your dog will also need to be well socialized. This means no barking, jumping, lunging, begging for food, or other potentially disruptive habits some dogs can exhibit when out in a public setting.
Your ESA may be living in a building that normally doesn’t allow pets, making it especially important that they are on their best behavior around neighbors that might be skeptical about the presence of a dog at first.
If you don’t feel up to the task of training your dog, enlist the help of a professional trainer or sign up for group training sessions.
The First Step to Having an ESA is Qualifying for an ESA Letter.
A quick trick to teach your dog to calm your anxiety
Emotional support dogs do not require specialized training the same way psychiatric service dogs do. Psychiatric service dogs must undergo special training to perform a job or task relating to the owner’s disability.
Clinical studies have shown that a technique called Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT) can help calm those who suffer from anxiety, autism, self-harming behaviors, and stress in general. This is a skill that some psychiatric service dogs are able to perform.
Teaching an emotional support dog to perform this task may also benefit ESA owners.
The principle behind DPT is to have the dog apply gentle pressure to your body, chest, or affected body part, depending on the size of the canine. For smaller dogs, you can teach them to lie directly across your chest or along the front of your body, while larger breeds can be trained to place their heads or feet across your lap or legs — whatever is most comfortable for you.
Here are some suggested steps for teaching your dog Deep Pressure Therapy:
- On the Sofa & Paws Up Command
If your dog isn’t used to being on a sofa, you may have to coax them with some treats. This is as simple as showing your dog the treat, then slowly moving them to the back of the sofa while excitedly saying their name and “paws up” (e.g., “Toby, paws up!”)
Depending on your dog’s reluctance to join you on the sofa, you may have to reward them each time they get closer to being on the couch. - Practice
If you have a smaller dog, the main goal is for your pooch to have all four paws on the sofa, then be in a “down” position. If your dog is larger and you don’t want to or can’t bear his weight, this “paws up” command will be with his front paws or head on the sofa.
Keep practicing the “paws up” command with treats until your dog knows what it means. Once this is accomplished, you can practice it without the aid of treats — you want your dog to do this because you need it to, not because there is a food reward at the end of the session. - Paws Off Command
Next, you will want to teach your dog the “paws off” command. This is the same as “paws up,” but in reverse. To practice, call your dog off the sofa with the command “paws off.”
Remember to reward them each time they follow through. - Laying/Sitting on Sofa
Ideally, for the DPT to work, you want your small-to-medium-size dog to lie vertically alongside your body with their paws on your shoulders and their head next to yours. If you have a large dog, they will put their paws across your legs or lay their head on your lap when you are in a sitting position.
To train your dog to do this, use the “paws up” command, then the “down” command once he is vertically in place or along your lap. When your dog accomplishes this task, give him a treat, followed by the “paws down” command.
You have to practice this training in order for your dog to do it on command, without a food reward at the end.
If you are teaching a larger dog the DPT technique, they will have to lean into your lap for the pressure to be applied properly; however, once your dog relaxes, they should naturally put their weight on your lap. - Signs of Anxiety Training
Once your dog has mastered the above techniques, take the training further by mimicking the symptoms you experience during a stressful situation. By practicing this while you are calm and able to reward your dog for following the commands, both of you will be better when you are in real need.
Emotional Support Dogs Help
Emotional support dogs have a special way of calming people down or comforting them in their moments of need. To qualify for an emotional support dog, you need an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional. To work directly with a licensed ESA specialist, click on the link below.
Make your Dog an Official Emotional Support Dog
Get your ESA Letter from a Licensed Mental Health Professional
Hello, my 2 1/2 year old Spoodle (87% Standard Poodle & 13% Cocker Spaniel) has recently been prescribed by 2 doctors, I have PTSD, depression, severe anxiety/panic disorder, plus chronic pain head to toes,
I would love to teach her to become a service dog for me, but first I want to teach her to pick up items I need since bending down I will tip over. I fall too much as is, I am using a walker now, how can I teach her? She does fetch her toys and balls, and she does bring them to me,
I just have to figure out how she can learn to pick up an item.
Any suggestions?
We’re so happy to hear about all the ways your dog is able to help you! Unfortunately we don’t offer any training services, but it sounds like your best bet would be reaching out to a professional trainer for advice. You don’t need the help of a trainer to train a service dog under the ADA, but if you’re stuck a trainer can be a great resource.
Just wanted to tell my story. I had cancer on 2013 and went through surgery, chemo, and 35 radiation treatments. My fur baby took me throughout. He never left my side. Juan was 17 when he passed. He was the best friend I ever had. Shame people can’t do that.
Thank you for sharing and so sorry to hear about your loss.
I’ve been struggling with depression since 2020 and anxiety for I don’t know how long over the years it’s gotten worse and my friends recently brought service/emotional support dogs to my attention that they would benefit me so I started doing research. I discovered that emotional support dogs would be more suited to my needs rather then a service dog. I have two of my own dogs. They are both 8, small chihuahua mix breeds, very hyper but can be calm when they want to. I’ve asked my parents about a professional support dog and they said no so I started considering training my dogs I talked about above to be emotional support dog. After reading this it makes me wonder if they would be good for this job after training. Could anyone give me tips or something to help or if you think they would work to be emotional support dogs.
Emotional support animals are great companions for people with depression and anxiety. Also note that that ESAs do NOT require any specialized training. Service dogs require extensive training to perform tasks, but an emotional support animal does it job just by being at its human’s side. Unless you need a dog to perform a job or task relating to your condition, an emotional support animal is likely more appropriate for your situation. If you would like a licensed ESA professional to help you qualify for an ESA letter, just click on this link to get started: https://app.esadoctors.com/checkout/
Okay, so I was just reading over this website, and I agree with most of everything being said in here. The one thing I did not see was a tab about socialization. Socialization with your dog at a young age is VERY crucially important, so they can understand and learn to ignore others in its environment. I’m not a doctor, or a professional trainer, but I do know a lot of things about training and socializing dogs. So please take it from me, it is very important if you want your dog to be an ESA. I have been training dogs since I was six, and I have learned a lot not only from them, but from other readings as well, so I know how important socialization is not only for you, but for the dog. So consider that when you start training. It makes it a lot easier in public environments, trust me, I learned that the hard way.
So, I know quite a bit about dogs, but I do need an opinion. My parents wont let me get a dog myself, but my grandparents dog I have trained to do many different things. She is a Yorkie, and I was wondering if you think it would be a good idea to keep training her and possibly using her as a service dog when she is around? I have anxiety, and I am recovering from depression.
It only makes sense to train a dog to become a service animal if they must perform a job or task that helps with your disability. If the dog does not need any specialized training and provides comfort for mental health issues just by being present, it is more likely suited as an emotional support animal.
Okay, so I was just reading over this website, and I agree with most of everything being said in here. The one thing I did not see was a tab about socialization. Socialization with your dog at a young age is VERY crucially important, so they can understand and learn to ignore others in its environment. I’m not a doctor, or a professional trainer, but I do know a lot of things about training and socializing dogs. So please take it from me, it is very important if you want your dog to be an ESA. I have been training dogs since I was six, and I have learned a lot not only from them, but from other readings as well, so I know how important socialization is not only for you, but for the dog. So consider that when you start training. It makes it a lot easier in public environments, trust me, I learned that the hard way.
Thank you for your input! We agree that socializing a dog from an early age is important.
Hi I am Mackenzie and I have very bad anxiety and I want to train my new family puppy to be an Emotional Support Animal but I am not sure that I just follow the article or do I look at some other websites because my puppy is decently hyperactive and loves to bite when he plays or is very excited and I am not sure how he acts in public yet since he hasn’t left the house, met other dogs and other people at all yet so I was wondering what should I do???
Emotional support animals do not need specific training to become an ESA. All dogs should of course should be trained to be well-behaved and obedient. To qualify for an ESA in the U.S., you need an ESA letter from a licensed healthcare professional.
Okay, so I was just reading over this website, and I agree with most of everything being said in here. The one thing I did not see was a tab about socialization. Socialization with your dog at a young age is VERY crucially important, so they can understand and learn to ignore others in its environment. I’m not a doctor, or a professional trainer, but I do know a lot of things about training and socializing dogs. So please take it from me, it is very important if you want your dog to be an ESA. I have been training dogs since I was six, and I have learned a lot not only from them, but from other readings as well, so I know how important socialization is not only for you, but for the dog. So consider that when you start training. It makes it a lot easier in public environments, trust me, I learned that the hard way.